The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-11-06
The city Government and the Next
LecisInfure.

Legislature.
It is evident that the citizens Of New York
cannot hope for relief from the heavy burden
of taxation by which they are oppressed
through the voluntary action of the munich
pal government Year after year each de-
partment seeks to secure the largest possible
appropriation. The object is not to conduct
the departments economically in the interest
of the city, but to get as much out OF the
city as possible to expend in the depart
ments. Notwithstanding the depressed con-
dition of the real estate market and the
scarcity of money we find the estimates for
next year, which have just been passed by
the Board of Apportionment, considerably
higher than the estimates for the present
year The final estimates, as passed by the
Board for 1875, less one-half the amount to
be raised for the Fourth avenue improve
ment, amounted to $3.50, 1856 72. The total
estimate for 1876, with one-half the
Fourth avenue improvement tax added, is
$50, 223 231. But when we deduct from both
totals the amount of State taxes we find the
actual increase in the city expenses proper
to be still greater as the following figures
will show
Total estimate 1879, $50, loo az
Less amount OF State tax .............. S,0l2,3S6
Total city expenses, 1875. ose
Total estimate, 1875. $50, 223 81
Less amount Of State tax....-........... 7233, ls9
Total city expenses, 1876. SIS, 900 o42
The estimates this year were arranged in
secret sessions Of the Board, so that the peo-
pie have not been permitted to see the pro-
cess Of wrangling and bargaining by which
the exorbitant expenditures of the different
departments were finally reached. OF
course the Mayor had to agree to give the
Finance Department over a quarter Of
million dollars to spend next year, in order
to induce the Comptroller to give the Public
Works Department the handling Of nearly
million and three-quarters, and SO on
through the list. With such bargains
driven in secret sessions by those who fix
the estimates it is not surprising that the
rate Of taxation should steadily increase.
The people must look to relief from the
Legislature. Economy must be reached
first by looping off the unnecessary offices
The Bureau of Permits should be abolished,
and the duties should be performed by a
single clerk in the Comptrollers office.
One-half the bureaus in the Finance
Department are wholly unnecessary, and
should be swept away as so many frauds on
the city treasury. The Law Department
should be prohibited from having any pen
sion list for political lawyers, known as a
contingent fund" The bureau Of the Cor
poration Attorney, which is wholly unneces-
sary, should be cut off by law, and the bust
ness transacted by the bureau should be
done by one or two of the almost sinecure
clerks in the Corporation Counsel's Office.
The Health Department, while it should have
sufficient appropriation for the effective
preservation of the public health should be
simplifed, so as to render it impossible to
make it what it has hitherto been, a sort of
pension Office for political paupers. The
Tax Receivers Office, which is wholly unne-
cessary as a separate bureau, should be abol-
ished and its duties performed by the De-
partment of Taxes and Assessments. Other
departments should be similarly pruned, so
that it would be impossible hereafter for a
trading Board of Apportionment to swell the
annual city expenses to the frightful amount
of thirty-six million dollars. The Legisla-
ture of next year should apply itself to this
work with honesty and vigor, and as Gov
ernor Tilden is consistent reformer he
would not venture to veto measure of such
evident justice to the overburdened people
of the metropolis.
Our Poor Friend Wiclxham.