The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-14


Officers Dutyg
II IL generally expected Of public officer
that he will be pleasant and agreeable in his
intercourse with the people whose servant ne
~ and with those who are associated with
4 him IN IN official capacity A proper degree
OF courtesy among persons whose duties
oblIge them to act together in the conduct Of
the public business is an essential Of good
government If the Mayor of city should
be naturally quarrelsome, arrogant and 1lfan-
ave he could scarcely look for cheerful co
operation on the part OF the heads OF subor-
dinate departments. So ii a subordinate Off
Ger in city government is captious toward
his superiors aud insolent with his equals IN
Office he IS y disturbing element interfering
with tho harmony and efficiency OF an admin
istration. 1t IS therefore, as important 70 the
public interests that an official who occupies
an important public position should be pos
sessed Of courteous manners aud gentlemanly
instincts that he should he man Of per
sopal integrity and capacity.
One OF the faults found with Comptroller
Green Is that his manners are oyerbearing
and insolont toward all who do not happen to
gain his personal friendship, or who are an
willing 10 yield to his caprice and dictation.
Honest creditors of the city who have bust
ness with the Finance Department find them
selves treated as rogues or interlopers by Alr.
Green and his cross-grained employees. Citi-
zens having business With the Comptrollers
Office are constantly kept kicking their heels
at the clerks desks for hours, or compelled to
pay visit alter visit 70 the department before
they are able 10 gain the ear Or the attention
Of its autocratic head. The meetings Of the
Sinking Fund Commissioners, OF the Board Of
ApportionmeEt, and OF other bodies Of which
Mr.. Green is q member, are disgraced by his
wrangings with his associates and his assaults
upon other officers Of the city government
In his official acts, even down to the payment
Of the city's employees, the Comptroller
manifests his spite toward all who hap
pen to have incurred his i'll will. He
chooses TO look upon the Mayor ~ his
enemy, and he ayails himself Of every
opportunity TO flsten petty annoyances on
that officer. The latest and most contemplate
piece Of impertinence INDUCED in by Mr.
Green was his refusal to send to the Mayors
Office for the warrants Tor the pay ment OF the
employees of the Public Works Department.
after they had been countersgned by the
Mayor. He insolently demanded that Mayor
Wickham should return the warrants to the
Finance Department through one of the EN-
ploy6s Of the Executive Chamber and de-
clared that the clerks and others in the De-
partment OF Public Works should not get their
pay until the Mayor had sent back the war
rants in accordance with his demand. The
Mayor very properly informed Mr.. Green that
the Finance Department employed messengers
for the express purpose Of carrying warrants
backward aud forward, while toe Executive
Department did not, and. moreover, that the
warrants, completed by the Mayors signature
were valuable securities that should be espe-
cally guarded by the Finance Department
Hence he required TIE Comptroller on his rep
resentatiye TO receive them IRON him in the
Executive Chamber. OF course Mr. Green.
being clearly in the wrong, was il The end
forced 10 obey the orders Of the Mayor Bu
the unnecessary imper Thence Of hi action IS
not the less reprehens BILE because he eyentu-
oily receded from his position, and this
paltry exhibition OF spite only furnishes adj
ditional evidence 81 his unfitness for he po-
sition he AZ present fills.