New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-15

Senator Hobart, bill for the summary inyestiea-
ton OF mtg Icpal expenditures, which has just
passed tAc Nev-Jorsey Legislature, neatly demo-
ishcs the stronghold in which e1travag1nce ana
fraud have hi hero utreucned themselves that the
people Of that state are Justified in esteeming
Il something akin 10 an Inspiration. County
and CITY Boards have gone Oh wasting and stealing
uecauso the taxpayers dad not know how and where
tho money wont, nor bad they any means of finding
out. II tTue that every year brought forth rs
regularly aud legally Published statement" but
The official Bookkeeping WAS So tangled
and mysterious, that adventurous explorers
after tuth invariably got Lost In the Jungle OF
figures and abandoned the quest Is ignorant as
they began. Conspiracy. forgery, the artistic
"rai,iuQD of vouchers, aud ar.thuetjcal no
Gus pocus of one Kind or another always
awaited TO show beautiful balan3c-sheet.
and auditing committees kept passing claims
and pocketing percentages, while the people
paid their taxes and wondered what became of the
money. Ihe control of the local political rings was
SO absolute that they always secured work
ing majority IN each new Board in order
10 cover up the caIelessuess or crime of its
predecessor OF as Cniei-Jusuce Boasey stated it IN
his farewell address 10 the Warren County Colony
on the eve of III, departure for State Prison, one
,et of knaye5 nominated tor Office another set OF
knavea. and respectable men affirmed the
act hy their votes" The only practicable
method Of securing thorough Investigation Of
local expenditures WAS 10 wTest the county or city
from the don'uIon of the Rings. and the political
machinery was 80 completely III the hands Of the
adyersares that the task was well nigh hope
less. Even the Warren County exposure Was partly
accidental. for the predatory statesmen, IN spite Of
the popular uprising, had a numerical majority Of
the Reform Board to begin with. but the minority
CHANGED to have a sblliu leader. whose address and
moral force overthrow the calculations OF the Ring.
Under the new Act, honest taxpayers need not
wait for the almost hopeless victory at tho polls.
At any tine when twenty Ave frochOlders shall
petition the Justice OF the Supreme Court
who prcsides over the Circuit, the jus
tice is authorized to appoint an investigation
commission. with power to summon witnesses and
employ experts and make a thorough oyerhauling
ofmunlcipai accounts. Ifthls Act had been passed
ten years ago it would have saved the
state hundreds Of thousands of dollars.
Not only would II have prevented such
frauds as have burdened Warren County
with debt and taxes. 10 say nothing Of Hunter
don ana SUSSEX which have suffered almost as
seriously from Democracy of very aggravated
tyne, but the extravaganza and fraud which
have dragged SO many cities to tho brink
Of bankruptcy would have been checked if the
men who have been making improvements 30
loosely had been confronted all tho time by a
wholesome fear that 5ome twenty-five citizens
would De seized with simultaneous desire to ac-
quaint themselvc. with the details of the improve
ment bus ness IL ought to stimulate reflection
On tho part of taxpayers in Sussex when they
observe tuat the representatives from that county
wero thrown into somewhat Of hltter and sputter
when the oil came up for passage.