The Morning herald., 1878-12-20
THE CITY COUNCIL.


THE FINANoE coMAI1TlH sTRIKHs THH
CITY TRIAsuRER, AND xR. M'GLINcHHH
OFFERS 4 1zseLuTIoN AGAINST TIE
oANINxs.
Very little was done OF the regular meet.
ing of City Council last night, except the
reading of . report on the Trsasursr's
communication to Council in relation 10
the once of Accountant and little routine
business. .-s.a---l.,..
President Lichtsnstein presided, and
Clerk Frazer acted - Secretary.
The finance Committee presented the
following report: s
70 TIN PREs1YHNT AND MnxynHs or TN
CRY Council: !4
GENTLEMEN Your finance Committee,
to whom was referred the communication
of the City Treasurer at tho last stated
meeting, beg lsavs to report as follows:
We have given said Communication due
consideration, and nnd nothing therein that
10 not already known, except that portion
wherein the Treasurer compares the present
Council to preceding Councils.
Your committee has the greatest respect
for the City Treasurer, but we beg leave -
differ with him when he states that It tskoa
the constant watching of both hinself and
his assistant to prevent Council from over.
drawing their appropriations. He says all
are alike In this respect. The 1rst year he
was Treasurer, he says that he found SIX
appropriations in danger Of being over
drawn, but he found it out afterwards.
Your committee would most respectfully
remind the Treasurer that with all his
alleged watchfulness, be has not prevented
preceding Councils from cvsrdrswing their
appropriations, and he need not 70 Back TO
the time he WAS Arst made Treasurer, but
less than four months are. When the
present Council came into pewer they found
not only i've appropriations everdrawa, but
the bank account also. The present Conn
ell have not overdrawI any. OF their appro-
priations, therefore there cannot be any
parallel betweex the present asd preceding
Councils, a. the present Council have net
done anything that requires any Watching
by the City Treasurer or anybody else.
The rascAlIty of Tweed, he says, may be
nothing to what may be done In the Trea--
surers sffiee In this city. Wesay In answer
that unfortunately for the city, It has had
some experience in Twesdisn. But Il 10 an
undeniabls fact that oil the Tweeds In this
city were of the same political complexion
IS the City Treasurer, and therefore can
not in any degree apply to the majority in
the present City Council, or the party thoy
represent.
Your committee weuld state for general
Information that the bulk Of the cityes
money 10 deposited In bank by the tax col
leetors to the credit of the city, and simply
receipted for by the City Treasurer, and ID
paid cut in drafts or cheeks, and each
check or draft must have the President Of
the City Council and Clerk Of Council, and
also the City Treasurer Very little meney
in actual cash passes through the hands of
the City Treasurer, only the rent of city
property collected by the Clerk OF the
Market, and small amounts from the Sur>
veyiDg Department, the whole amount not
exceeding $4,000 per annum. A tho
Treasurer says he does not want q ball Of
wax or lump OF dough in his office, your
committee would recommend that the
position of Accountant or Treasurer's
clerk, be abolished. And 40 economy and
ID the paramount duty and
object OF the m sjority In the present Coun-
ell, we hope that will be done, and $72O
per snnum saved to the city.
Itis the opinion Of many that If the City
Treasurer will devote less time to writing
lengthy communications and more time to
the practical duties of bis ONCE, he will
have no need of an assistant.
sp w JOHN GUTHRIE,
A j. HART,
The City Treasurer reported q balance IN
bank to the account of current expenses Of
SO, ,351 81; reported to have paid out since
his last report, to the Water Con missioners
on the Cool Spring Reservoir, $723 86, and
had paid out 10 total, $143 ,553 II.
The Street Commissioner reported 10
men, and double teams employed under
him for the past week, with payroll OF
$53 50.
Chief Engineer Mcintyre reported ~
men employed in his department for the
week ending Dec. 17tb, with . payroll Of
$3.50 -.
Petitions and communications were pre-
sented and referred to the proper COM
mittee, as follows:
From Mayor Almond stating tb&t he had
that day appointed Daniel B. Woodward
turnkey.
From Davidson & Bro, asking for 10
1eet space In front of their place of busi>
ness ut Fifth and King streets.
Mr.. McGlinchey presented resolution to
the effect that the Law Committee be
directed to have an ordinance prepared to
prevent dogs from running at largein this
CITY,. 15t,,f,...
Mr.. Taylor said that there was plenty Of
law on the subject If 1t WAS exesuted.
2 The resolution was adopted.
= Mr.. Guthrie presented an ordinance which
was read twice, to repeal an ordinance proc
ylding for the election of an Accountant.
2 The Printing Committee wsre granted
permission to advertise for, proposals for
printing from $50 to 200 copies Of the un-
printed ordinances. t'#
Mr.. McGlinchey said he would at the
next meeting Offer A ordinance providing
for the cleaning of the streets by contract.