, 1877-05-27

be paid "as speedily as the necessary ar
rangements can be made" and among these
are interest, laborers' wages, and also socn
trust funds and special funds as have been
misapplied. Glass G. includes such specla'
funds as. may be properly deferred. Inc
COMPTROLLER defines the Building Fund to be
special fund" which may be properly
deferred. and not t'trust fund" Upon the
correctness of this definition rests the fact
whether there is now any money to the
credit Of the Building Fund or not, ana that
is a question which must be decided BY the
Common Council. The question for the Coun-
Gil to decide is, Was the Building Fund
sum of money paid over to the city and oy
the State requi, ed to be used.for spec1tlo
purpose only, and did the city hold it in trust
until such time as City-Hall could be built?
If it we're not trust fund, but special
fund which might be deferred, how long can
it be deferred !? If the money belonged to
trust fund, then, as the tax shall be collected,
the fund should be'credited with its propor-
ton as collected, and there is therefore now
sufficient sum collected to justify the i'm
mediate beginning Of the work on the build
inp. If, however, the Council shall decide
that it does not fall within Glass A, but is
special fund named in Glass c, then the ques-
ton is. How long may the use Of that special
fund be deferred? After all, then, the whole
question resolves itself into the simple prop
osition, whether the Council are Of opinion
that the further postponement in beginning
the construction of the City-Hall is consist
ent with public economy. That is the
whole question, and it must be decided by
the City Council upon the facts as they exist.
Since August, 1876, the county has begun
the erection OF tho east half Of the whole
building, and it is now progressing. On
the city half of the lot there is no
piling done and no foundation laid. It is
eminently desirable in every respect that at
least the foundation of the west wing shall
be laid before the east wing be completed
otherwise the possibility of q botched job
will become d certainty. The money now in
the Treasury is sufficient to complete the
west wing up to the surface, and its use at
this time for this purpose is demanded by
Eoou
government. The 100000 of the fund will
go as far now in the construction Of tae
building as would 81, 100000 in 1872. The
delay Of five years through matter Of neccs-
sity has also been a matter Of wise policy.
But under existing circumstances the neces-
sity for making beginning at least is on the
other side, and wise policy advises that the.
city shall avail itself Of the many favorable
conditions which, in an economical point of
view, strongly urge that the work be begun
now
It may be true that the money applicable
to this purpose has been used for other pur-
poses, but this makes practically no differ
ence. The money of all the funds is used
in common; the money Of the Building
Fund is used in place of that Of some other
fund, and at this time money to replace it
can be had to any amount at low interest
until it can be repaid out of the incoming
taxes as collected. There is no trouble to be
Us to obtaining the money. It
is now for the City Council to decide
whether the beginning of this work has not
been deferred as long Us truo economy can
warrant or justify.