New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-21
ALBANY.
NEW.YoRK CITY GOVERNMENT.

CONTROLLER KELLY, COMMISSIONER CAMPBELL,
AND COMMISSIONER ERHARDT.
lBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE
ALBANY, Feb 20.-The Committees on Cities
of the Senate and Assembly held JOINT session in the
Senate chamber late this afternoon listen to sugges
tons aud criticisms might be made by the chiefs OF
departments of Ncw-York City concerning the eighty
bills that have been presented in the Legislature relating
10 that city Mayor lily compelled. owing to Official
engagements, to he ABSENT but Controller Kelly, Ponce
Commissioner ErhaIdt, and Mr. Campbell, Commissioner
of Public Works, present Rush C. HAWKINS
and j. II. Suahan appeared to explain certain
bills in which they interested. In opening
the meeting senator Woodn stated that bills relating to
the COroncrs and the Commission OF Jurors had oeeh
passed and that several other bills were now pehS COZ"
sidered Assemblyman Fish mentioned the piis tha'
were on the table Of the Assembly comnittee-pIs rc
ducng salaries about cleaning and the method OF
ASSESSING
Controller Kelly was then asked to give his views
respecting the various bills He said that he would hSt
call attention to the fact that there was SZ2oOoVoo
OF uncolected assessments. Seven millions OF lh's
amount he did believe ever would be cOUecIeu TIC
Thought that the Iegslau ongh 10 make the assess
ments part of the permanent debt of the CITY III was
impossibe to collect them in the present depressed con-
dtoa Of trade In his opinion of the best methoos
TO bring back prosperity 10 the city was 10 OBTAIN inc
short term bonds which there was being PAID hish
interest by tempting their owners to exchange them FOR
lOng-term
20 the bill making the County Clerk a saaried
officer he would say that the Legislature
should be careful not to reduce the salary
too low; very few men could run Tor the once al
less expense than $500 Here Mr.. Woodin asked II
the County Clerks expenses for election would not pc IN
creased the higher his salary was put Mr. Kelly re-
Piled that ne thought responsible man could be OBJ
tanned for fair salary. Mr. MorIissey inquired Mr..
Kelly thought $4,000 sufficient salary. Mr.. Kelly
said lie thought that amount would be enough ana
not too high. He believed it would be good idea TO
have the Board Appotionment consider the proper
salaries and reduce where necessary The only expense
of the Registers Office the purchasing of vast
quantity Of books II tine Legislature made the Register
a salaried officer it ought give him far salary and
make him responsible. The Register had very valuable
documents ia his care.
The Legislature ought TO be especially careful in med
ding with the Sheriff If il made the Sheriff Salaried
officer he DID think any responsible man would ac-
cept. The Sheriff constantly being haraSsed ny
suits at law and was responsible for vast sums Tie
the office ought not to be taken away Tie Cor
oncrs also Ought to receive fair compensation lie
doubted whether three could do the work Inc
Legislature ought at least to allow the CoronerS cIerk
aud give the physicians make the postmorem eX-
anations fair salaries No doubt large amount OF fees
could be saved by making the COrOuers laIied officers
Ii was his experience that If given very
low salaries they constantly complaining and trying
TO make money in underhand ways He Thought that
COrOners
and this would not be too much If 10 per cent was
made the ratio of general reduction would work great
Injustice to the Commissioners Of Taxes, who now re-
for very labOriOus duty only So,OOO salary lie
was opposed merging the Department OF DOCKS III tne
Department OF Public Parks. The Legislature may II IL
choose commissioner take charge OF that de-
partment He approved of the taking away from that
department the power issue bonds, and also deprvng
The Department Of Parks OF the powers He
did not think one commissioner sufficient for
the Police Department Two would not he enough
Three was the proper number and their salaries
not too high The Excise Department ought to be
transferred the Police Department There could not
be greater surveillance over the hquor dealers IMAM
was now exercised The Building Department ought not
he transferred to the Fire Department II was best
administered alone. There should always he 'hree COM
msiouers of Charities and Correction II was DEPART
with immense duties, and 1t would be Impossible
Tor man 10 perform thcm
Mr.. MOrlissey here interrupted: "ln your Judgment,
then none Of the departments should he abo!ishedP
Mr. Kelly answered: II you abolish them yOu would
have to make bureaus other departments which would
he equally expensive" In reply TO another question OF
Senator Morrssey Mr. Kelly SAID that there never ought
partisan Police Board He did not agree with he
Mayor the prOprety OF transferring the Excise De
partnent 10 the Police Department Two Fire Commits
sioners only perhaps needed and the parks only
one hut he should be well paid II very great
mistake to give the PARK Commissioners power TO open
Mr. Cowdin here asked how the salaries should be re
duced Mr. Kelly replied: My way would he to examine,
after another the salaries nyesticatc reduce some
salaries and keen some at Their , present figure"
Mr. Keily-Wy you legislators. should be perfectly
willing take the responsibility Of reducing expenses m
IN bi same PROPORTION as the other servants
Of the city. The school teachers are paid paid
HIGHER. The fremen ought TO be satisfied WIN
$1,000. There should be a separate department Tor
street ceanS TIE srGGt eens COVE ed Yt o. Sy "oe
uemt but in has the work been well done Ne
sides it hos involved the city IN lawsuits thlmE SSoQ
T. TOO little salary for policeman. People should not
compare clerks salary with the magnanimity OF
great city. In reply to question OF senator NOoluh,
Mr. KEEL
reduce the expenses OF the city - g.,
MI ClmpbelI Commissioner Of Public Works, said
HAT hc Oue the duties of the Park Department. could
be easily reduced by his department 1t would DC a
saving 70 do because conflicting bureaus wuId De
consolidated The department also could easily manage
the completion lof the new Courthouse bulldns The
y isled through the contract system He had applied u
10 the larger pnblc WORKS ana III tpahg puGHa t e
Ir done by contract If the cleaning was done by aIse
number OF cont instead OF by great contractor
the past The police could supervise The Woik as
now .,..,o..-oo,,,
not do the work of the Police Department lie had
dOubs about the Justice Of reducing the salaries OF the
bnpe apd what w Ic was little enough upon wien to
support "a family. The street cleaning did not properly
bill authorizing the commissioners TO retire aged police
pension ought to pas At pFsSen IT. lh[rG %erc
si0uPrs had way OF get ing rd OF thei. lie Was III
favor o. grading the polio IA regard 10 salaries said
that when tie salaries Of the policemen We're tsed IN
reduced when specie payments were resuincd
MIR IIawkins compared the salary account OF the Po-
Nee DfraTtnenf OF Ncw-Yolk with those OF Philadelphia
aud Boston showing that II far more costly imam inc
dcpdtmcnts cities He also criticised the great
expenditures support OF the courts and advocated the
abolition OF tine Marine Court MI j. H. Stfalan GNU
C.sed NJ. Fshs bill concerning mems TIC com
mil tees viii again Wednesday afternoon next
WORK OF THE LEGISLATURE
THE APPROPRIATION BILL DIsCUSsED-MokE INsUR-
ANCE BILLs-ELEvATED RAILROADs-THE GOV
ERNMENT OF NEw-YORK.