New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-18
TESTIMONY on FOUR WITNESSES.

| TESTIMONY OF FOUR WITNESSES
Nathaniel Jarvis, clerk of the 1urt of Common
| Pleas, the first witness examined. He wa;
questioned to the feasibility of reducing the ex
penscs of MS conrt. Mr.. Jarvis sid:
We haven't force enough The force re
Guced before but the question OF salary was moi
touched That il regulated by law The hours OF duty
are from O'Clock I'll O'Clock generally get there o
| $50 a. H.. and sometimes at $3.50.
| Senator srahan-DO you exercise the same super
vision over the clerks ana the eout business that
business man would over the clerks III his employment
! Are YOU entirely independent in your selection Of
Yes, sir There il no interference whatever Most of
| the clerks were there when took The Office.
Mr.. Srahan-There IL sort Of impression that great
many attaches OF the court merely sinecure. aud
their ducs mere matter Of iorm like running errands
Nothing Of that kind can said OF the clerks there.
Al the officers cannot say do not control them.
They only under my direction so far as assigning
| them to duty from term to term. have
| never had occasion 10 change the officers and
| would not have power 10 do SO without
consulting the indge cannot say mat here can be
| have too many officers employed.
MIR. Struhan-Nhat do you call Cmpl0yment-stindiDg
| around
| Mr. Jarvis stated that general terms were held
four times year. Mr. Straban asked if all the Off
GERS would be employed if there were only two
| terms year, and the witness replied that they
| would. but that there was no time when only two
terms held The expenses of the court for the
coming year he estimated would be $156.000. This
| included steno grapheTs.
MI srahant strikes outsiders that this is an extra
! ordinary expenditure for one court
Mr.. Jarvis-I don't think so, for the amount OF work
| the court does
| Mr. Jarvis then gave details of the work done.
| There were 10 fees received which not re-
ported in the court The payroll aggreg gated $4,000
month, including three stenogTaphers.
THE COURT OF GENERA. SESSIONS
John Sparks, Clerk of the Court of General Ses-
sions, was the next witness. Mr.. Sparks testified
that he had been clerk since 1S49 Senator McCar-
thy the chairman, asked for his views in regard to
the reduction of bis force of clerks. Mr. Sparks said
Could do with less-fully ten OF the attendans, and
clerk, who receives salary OF $1,000 My salary
is 900 clerk OF the General se7gons. and 81 900
clerk OF the Oyer and Icrmner The amount Is fixed
by statute. The division made by the Legislature
Senator McCarthyI suppose the dulles cond be done
for S5OOOi .,
Senator SiTahaDl suppose Mr. Sparks IS protected by
the Constitution.
Mr. sparks 10 senator Mccarthy -Thc place not
life appointment put Is made by the Judges ana col
l. Ills one Of Offices think beyond reach
/ don'i think any.hn about IT,
Mr Sparks said further, that some of the assistant
clerks received higher salaries than those in other
courts. He thought Bis own salary fair one, and
did not see where any reductions OF salaries could be
made in the list of clerks. Mr. sparks could not ex
plain why one stenographer in his court received
5000 more than another one.
SUGGESTIONS OF H. A. BEERS.
Henry 4. BeoIs. secretary Of the Society for NUM-
cpal Reform, was next sworn. His report the
subject of city expenses made to the last Legisla
ture was IN the hands OF the commit leemen, and
both the witness and the members of the committee
frequently referred u il. Mr.. Beers made a number
OF suggestions 10 changes III the machinery of tho
municipal government. which he thought would re-
duce expenses and secure better class of officers.
Among other things, he thought the Mayor should
has ola nj al
! he Board of Aldermen, ne SAID, was better when
no salaries were attached 10 the office. The present
plan of paying salaries TO these officers was delcter
.Ous. The witness continued
There is "a meeting Of the Board OF Aldermen once
week; actually theY met 0ny forty-ve times asst year.
pages Two men coud nave done this record worh. and
yei thcy empOy eight men ~ do Il. at expense Of
$4,000 yearly Tnc Bureau OF Permits W" propose TO
wipe Olt; Il i modern invention. and there
RECEIVES ID return ouiG SI43O Mayor Havomoycr TO-
ward the cOse OF his administration refused TO issue
the 6urran.
senator McCarthy-what would you do with the per
Mr. Becrs-l would not allow permits be issued for
obstrucmg the streets Frequently Tins bureau Is used
have been arrested for not taxing III goods fast enough
from the sidewalk. and compelled to "a To Harlem for
ira. eXpense of 80 OF SI5 Il Is notorious tnat
"rc eGttiy obstrncfd me Inspecors flr the Srconi
Marshall office. the Permit Bureau. 90 to a WHO
streets and fclI Inn tAat he vi De fn.d So bv the
courts for the incumhrance-. but hc settle" The
The merchant irrfers u st,ls the ma. ter Wnrre
the - 30 goes tO Go Our theory regarding
The MayOIaty s 10 iuC.ca5s the power Of the Mayor
and give hm laree balery even that he get, " 10
wouid tcmrt nrsiclass CIT Z IFS [, take tue Office.
senator McCarihy-W4y don't irstcass msu TAX e
hr. Becrs-Because they won't take the Office With
their hands ueu We propose 10 reduce the sle ~ Of
the C1rpUratOn Counsel because We think he does lie
same al OrE tao strict Attorney, who only
grt' $1,000. A. for ns stans, they certainly
very capable m-h but lheJ would Wofk iOt ess-ihe eX
pciience 10 That Office young lawyer - very yaIu
able. We do thuk economical T. mace II the
publc buildings; mOch money couih De shNed by !
rcdi-trDuuOp OF the cIy olhccs Inls building Tor
cOuli Ice ic'uct ID huneI, ~ not AGAIN leasing Ger
tam premises There h.E been expended on the Centre
Market bG ding 10000 Tor mak NJ sale arBory
hdt coud d. ueH ana hiao liner one AT thr ioo OI
East Seveutcenth-si.. Wlicl - used n0w "a stable
Senator NcCdrilY-llDw 10 the duties of Controller
c0Inpdr lh iuIl0ithacf WIN those Oi the ii 'yOrf
eAir BccrsIt T. not a important an Office hat OF
hhancc olAceI are ,ha "a hN ne Mayor We reduGc INC
EXPENSES OF the PARK ID 'parunent by striking IF the
cation OF parks. The proper Work Of The Department.
now SIMPLY that OF maintenance. There IL no need
ting down OF the salaries OF PARK policemen 20 Dcr
cent b. cause there nas been reduction IN the salaries
senator Gclarny-What is the cause of the increase
OF 100000 for lie estimates for 1851 for the sup
senator BixDy-we. 81 so 900 add tional t, he OK.
pended on the MOrmngIde Park, and $4,000 for the
MI cers-Ycs bui they expend $40 900 unnecessarily
Oh corps Of engineers. The OF maintaining the
parks Is too there too many 1borers IL
gard 70 tho Department OF Public WORKS / would say
mat Thought the Department ought 10 get along |
WIN the same amount II had last year. There Is a
large margin put on the estimates ol ali the depart
M nts or political purposes.
Senator Me- arthy-l nave heard It said that Mr.
Campbell Is able man. DO you thmk sof
Nj. Boers-Ycs, do-tne best man We have had there
for years
senator McCartLy-But sun you cut down his esti-
mates
Mr. Bcers-WcIl. Mr. Campbell takes pride IN his |
lepar Inent, Ike other chiefs aud he has 10 submit
nile 10 pOntlcal pressure. We tniuk tlat supply oil
rotor water should not increased az large expense
al alter fui investigation We cut down me gas esii-
because the pice gas has gone down neatly 100
per cent large part Of tho upper part OF the CITY,
practically unInhnbted, l. unnecessarily lighted
Senator McCarthy-At night, from the Hudson River
Railroad, can see miles OF these nights.
Senator BiXDy-Thcy are on the DOuevaTds, Senator.
riding nj night you would thank The
lty Government for having those lamps lighted