New-York tribune., 1876-11-22
POWER GOING WESTWARD.
Eroln TIE LnndOn Standard. NOU. 10.
MANAGEMENT OF THE PARKS.
CONTROLLER GREEN'S CRITICISMS.

CONTROLLER GkEENS ChlllClSMS.
HIS OPPOSITION TO THE TRANSFER or UNEXPENDED
BALANCEs-MEETING OF THE BOARD OF AP-
PoRTIONsiENT.
The Board of AppOrtionment yesterday au-
thorized the of the following city socks CrOton
Main stock $4,000; Croton Water stock, $4,000; Mu-
scum of Natural History stock $4,000. The request OF
the Park Commissioners for the transfer Of certain
expended balances of appropriations was then taken up
Controller Green objected to the transfers. Following Is
q summary Of his REMARKS;
The balances sought to be transferred follows :
From suudry unex xpendod balances Of 1874 $i,9l3 "a
of 1878, S6427 80 From balances of appropriations or
1876 as follows Maintenance and repairs of bridges
over Harlem River SIS OOO celebration OF Independ
Day, S326 &c; repairing ana ieDudllg Drdgcs on
the Bronx River $I4 900 for police salaries 10000. in
ali sos 667 90 TO appropriations for salaries "a 900
maintenance of roads, &C., Twenty'lhird ana twenty
fourth Wards, $4,000, and maintenance OF parks ana
The request of the Department Of Public Parks made
three months before the year Is closed for sweeping
transfer OF nearly the entire appropriations Tor specuc
purposes OF the present year. which II is assumed by tat
department will remain uncxpended al inc ehd OF tns
wear 10 other objects the present for which su
cien appropriations had they been properly husbanded
have already been made, is strongly suggestive OF Ddd
faith and "a proposal which has no precedent ana Is
not consistent with sound public policy The PARK De
parmeat asked $4,000 10 Keep the bildges over mar
lem River In repair. They allowed S4OVOO UptO
Nov l, 1876 they have expended Sl2,Z04 20. This
money either required or II was not ~ was re-
quired keep the bridges in repair 10 meet the publc
necessities. then it should have been 50 used II IT was
not then call for IL upon the taX-pay
and imposition upon the Board o AppOrtlOhMtt
bridges the Bronx River in 1876. They were al
lowed S15 600 UP to the lst OF this month they hai eH
pended Ong S33 80
account which this board took special 10 Emit,
aud TO swell the maintenance account oI ne Iilhs az
ready sufficiently provided Tor Ihcfc Is no room Ioi
doubt that the number OF saared persons ana ie sal
informed that frultcss enof, nave Dech maze on the
part of commissioner TO keep within TIE approif
atiOns and 10 reduce salaries. aEd that the IdfL Depart
ment was repeatedly informed carry ~ inc .eL ,', LIN
unless they ecOnOized their moneys tAey would run
ago full warning. The BOacd OF AppDruOnmeut has OI
late strictly adhered the rule not 10 transfer apparent
prOpriaions for 1876 winch the Park Department
requests transfers 10 be madeO W.T. Tue bridge alIo
iatious-it cannot be pretended that The apprOpraiOhs
10 these objects and purposes for 1876 n eEccs OF
the amount required Indeed II Is very clear thdt tIey
next wear stil larger the same purposes
as follows For bridge over Harlem River maintenance
reuairs, &c. $500; for repairing hud fcbulldlhg
bridges on the Bronx River, $4,000; total, SsJ,3OO
The law imposes conditions; First that The appro-
urlatOn which the transfer s proposed 10 ne nadc
be excessive and secondly that there be dehclency III
the appropriation to which the ualsier IS 10 pe iir.
tiOnment fixed the amount to be expended by lhe Fdk
Department 1876 for salaries at 401OOc sum more
than adequate and within this sum the salaries should
have been and might easily nave Deen KEPT. but HdJ
department has prOporiOnay exceeded the amount a-
nroprated for salaries and mas diminished the mamie
nance account Tor wages Of laDOles Oy attempting To
charge 10 salaries of certain employees that shod be
nald from salary account thus creating deficiency n
the wages account which tJey wish supplied 1hls
sttenpt TO divert moneys appropriation for the
benedt of another was discovered by the Finance
Department, Notwithstanding continued opposition
interposed by the Park Department to getung
al the true account of its operations.
There was gross assigned to the Park Depai T.
ment TO be distributed An appropriation Of specific
sum was made each OF certain purposes and the
son there il deficiency some" Is that the Park De-
partment has fear, conducted its business without
gard 10 economy and to the necessity Of keeping within
the appropriation. In fact, the Park Department has
expended according to It's own showing, appropriations
made carry its business for whole year within
ten months OF that year. recommend that the
transfers requested by the Department Of Public Parks
shall but that these especially the
bridge be transferred 10 the general fund
the year has closed for the reduction OF taxation
and the moneys Of 1876 raised for these purposes a
Piled for the same purposes next year.
A long conversation then followed between Mayor
Wickham and Park Commissioner sebbins, in which Mr.
stebbs said that 81 900 would suffice for maintaining
and keeping in order the city parks until the close OF the
year. This sum would not provide for skating on the
lakes for that period. He thought that $4,000 would
keep the roads In order for the Winter IL the Depart
at the beginning Of the year had reduced its
penses in accordance with the amount Appropriated II
could have gone through to the end OF the year without
a deficiency. The Department had paid for labor
the year much higher than the market
rates. Mr. StebbUe added that he had urged upon the
Park Department To keep within the appropriations.
Mayor Wickham then submitted resolution to trans
fer $4,000 for the and preservation OF the parks
and 5 for repairing ana keeping in order the road
remainder OF tue year. This was laid over.