The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-18
GREENWOOD'S GRAVES.
The Politicians After
a Bone.
FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT THE GREAT CEMETERY.
Attempts Of Politicians to Control its
Funds and Raid on its Treasury.

There are 49,, 040 people in Greenwood Cemetery.
OF these 44o hard at work grading, digging, sod
ding and planting the resi- are last asleep in DEATH
On all this goodly band tho broad acres of the cemc
terry and the $500 600 carefully laid away for use in
xainy day the
POLITICIANS
That eve is always quick detect anything with
bone In IT, and believing that Greenwood offers oppor
tunity for patronage at all events TO plumber perhaps
the public will not be surprised TO hear that efforts
have been made and still making to wrest the
troll Of this vast properly from The hands of the men
who designed and perfected IT, and 10 transfer II TO
trustees who VIII be disable at election times for po
teal ends Tho first step toward this cnd-th,t is the
frst public stcpwas endeavor TO commit the Iess
lature 10 such change IN cemetery charters would
compel Greenwood to pay the
ASSESSMENTS PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS
IN It's vicinity very strenuous and determined
effort made this legislative action, hut it
failed for the time being tho nonconcnrrence OF the
committee to which II was referred killing IT, Green
wood does not stand alone in It's interested opposition
10 this scheme for nearly every town in the State has
It's rural cemetery, and all liable to be affected in
the same way. About the time Alderman McIn
tire. OF Brooklyn, introduced bill in the Board exact
ing tho assessments from Greenwood. Two of the
trustees Messrs. Pcrrcpont and Perry, werc APP
pointed committee to wait upon the Board and ex
plain the position OF the corporation, and show by tho
serms OF tho charter that Greenwood Is forever OK
empt from taxes and assessments short time since
che Corporation Counsel expressed his opinion that
such the fact In spite OF this and the failure both
at Albany and Brooklyn u is believed that further at
icmpts will be made to compel the Cemetery corpora
ton part with OF its reserve funds, and II vol
untary compliance is not made litigation and vcxaton
will probably follow These persistent attempts to
wrest the
CONTROL OF GREENWOOD
from the hands OF gentlemen who originated tho
scheme and have managed It without compensation
since 1889 have two ends in vicw:-
Fsrsf-The dspcnsation OF labor patronage
Second-The control OF tho fund which varies
from $500 900 to $500, 900
Al meeting yesterday the Comptroller, Mr.. Perry
said that although Prospect Park has moro acres OF
land than Greenwood, Greenwood has three times MS
many miles OF road and i've times many miles of
path to take or II would seem to be reasonable
suppose that II would cost much money to take
care Of Greenwood Prospect Park At present the
sources Of income three
Hrst-Thc sale Of lots.
Second-The digging Of graves.
TAird-Intcrest on the
OF course after awhile all from the first
source will end. There is still vast territory to be
sod but il is going Off steadily. and In time must end
altogether The regular charge opening grave
IS and this carries with II obligation OF perpetual
Of the grave. 1t must DO soddcd, now and kept
shapely. The last item this year immense The
did such damage in sinking graves as to require
an expenditure almost equal to the receipts There
wcre
MIGHTY THOUSAND sUNKES GRAVES.
every OF which mad to be ncd up freshly mounded
and returfed Constant supervision is absolutely
sary in winter md spring, when rains and freshcs
undermine the vaults the graves all parts OF
the grounds The income from the first source in tho
last fiscal year $l096 s7 &c and IRON the second
&3l 562 So IL believed by the trustees that In time
the receipts from parties having opened Will be
quite swallowed up by the expenses attending the
and protection OF the graves themselves that the
whole permanent Of cemetery win depend upon
the third source OF income.
RESERVE FUND.
Concerning this fund there has been great deal OF
rossip and speculation TO It's amount and what
done with According to the books the following
The ngurcs:-
United States nvctwentes, 1867. $160 900
United states nve-twcnes, 1865. $4,000
United States sixes IS 900