, 1876-02-01


1876, which wo compare with corresponding |
items on April l, ls7755:
Apt,!l rs. July 70.
uEscollectcd tar Of 74........$5,0Jl.3so .....:.
Uncol'ectc1 ta1 Of 76.......... $5.tgo, 9a5
Tax certificates e41o Of '11...... o1,131 1n,0a1
Tax ceFnltcatcA sale Of 'H..... iH@,1!0 l45.l4N
Tux certificates sale OF T4,..... 373,4M 2Fsi,as9
Taxes appealed snl njoincd... 477.Nn 1,pB.'o9
Cash III tho Treaallry. .,....... 6W,8JQ it2.GGl
Due Oh personal taxes II 10 ~. 0JS,e23
Tho item Of back personal tax was included
in tho others in tho April statomont. It is
worth proximity about 20 per cent Of tho
whole sum due.
The sum Of tho outstanding certificates III
April was s3,3l7,.so, anil on Jan. l, 1876,
s4,5O0,0s8. Tho assots, to pay these out
standing certificates, wera, including cass1
and ,lncollected taxes, on April l, So, ~, ,058,
and On Jan. i, 1876, 38,Y2a,G
It will 10 seen TINT in tho nine months We
havo added 81, 100000 to the ilonting debt,
md hive increased our. uncolloetel tar
s2,200, 600.
We aro annually increasing tho proportion
Of our business done on credit. We mike m
appropriation and pay out, in lieu Of cash,
certificate Of indcbtelncss. There is no
reduction Of appropriations the uucollcctcd
tax grows in amount, md tho certificates aro
becoming voluminouB. Or course there
must bs an end to this why of doing bust
ness; limit to tho negotiation Of certih-
Gates must DO reached at some time; and, if
tn1es aro not pail, then the city must reduce
its appropriations or suspend somo Of ita OK
pentlitureB.
1t must bc Btatel, however, TINT included
! in the ta1cB rncollccted is gum appropri-
atea for oasying Oh tho City Government
| until April next. Tint SUN, amounting prob
ably to S1,4o0,0o0, Is to DO charged against
tho " issets."
Comptroller HAYES takes the occasion to
| discuss the cmbnrrassmonts of tho city, md
to lecture those who havo not paid their city
| taxes. a1r. HAYES cnnuot bo ignorant Of the
widespread discomfort Of the public, and Of
| tho falling confidence Of tho Taxpayers
in the integrity, honesty, aud public
spirit or wisdom Of those who rule
in tho management Of tho City Gov
ernment. Flo is not unaware tlat the
principal members Of tho City Government
were instrumental in forcingupon tho people,
by fraudulent means. charter to which they
l
tion was that this chartor increased thepowers
of the Common Council aud extended tho
terms OF all tho official incumhonts, aud, ~
was supposed TINT of tho Mayor, until 1877.
lie must bo aware tint this outrage was ac-
complained by tho personal efforts OF mem.
bers of tho City Government through tic
means Of stuiIing ballotbo1ca, forgod returns,
and otllor gross violations of tho Election Inv.
This abuse and violation Of oil tho forms Of
law for personal ends, together with tho gen
era1 odor of corruption, has greatly weaken
cd public conii,lauce, and has led Thousands
to look upon tho present City Government
with distrust. Even now tho Chief Executive
Of the city shamefully persists in rotainin{
an Office aftcr lis term has expired, ant
therefore is m 1surper, denying to the people
tic choice Of their own ruler.
THO Comptroller ni,lst know that the bos
way 10 secure public confidence is to merit 1t
; aud that, while tho entire community Inv,
full confidence in him personally and oil
cially, they know that lie il almost power!os
among lis official associates, in wlaoln thu,
have no faith. If tho City Government want
to induce persons to l'ay their taxcn, lot th'
Common Council provide for tho election o
: n Mayor next April as vol nT MI tho othc
city officers; let tho people who aro asked +
pay five millions Of taxes have tho priyileg
Of voting for the officers who aro to cxrcn
tho rovcuuo; lot City Government bo electe
in tho personal as we'll Us official integrity @
; whose members tho people who pay take
l,avo some degree Of confidence, and tier
will be no hesitation on tho part Of til
people IN contributing to tho support Of
! Government thus constituted
%