New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-22
ANOTHER INVESTIGATIONS NEEDED

Il
Tho neal of a thorough reform in the busl'
ress methods of the city government has been
remarkably pointed out in TIE TRIBUNE. Inc
bad condition of affairs at the present 'iii'e Is
Obvious from the startling frequency Oh EN-
bezzlements and other frauds IN the various
branches of the municipal Administrations
Even when wrong-dOing is detected, IL taxes Ill
uncopscionably long time to expose 1t July
and then 1t goes unpublished.
A fresh illustration of this state of affairs
WAS furnished yesterday in the report OF the
Commissioners of Accounts on the coupon
frauds in the Finance Department. mat IT.
regularity was first discovered about SIX months
ago. and vet the exact amount OF the loss 10 the
citv is NOT vet known. The Controller short
time agc stated 70 the Mayor that the loss was
S11S.63 Now the Commissioners of hc-
counts report it to be Sl69. 100. But the truth
il that neither the Controller nor the Commits
sion,rs of Accounts know exactly what the loss
was. The Controllers figures were made mp
from an examination OF the payments rs COM
pared with what was due. lie COMMISSIONERS
of Accounts have made mp their statement by
deducting the total amount OF the paid coupons
on hand from the total of the pay mentS made.
But as coupons may have been lost or destroyed
after payment by the clerk, Carroll, for the pui-
nose of mystifying the accounts 1t Is evident
that the last statement OF the loss Is no more
Trustworthy than the one furnished by the
Controller. II the Commissioners OF Accounts
had made proper examination OF thc books
and vouchers, as II was their duty To do, the
public might have been furnished with re-
port that would have set at rest all further
doubt in regard to the matter.
Indeed. had the Commissioners of Accounts
done their duty in the first place, the frauds
would have been detected at their nccp-
ton. Section 1OG Of the charter of 1873 made
it the duty Of the Commissioners OF Accounts,
"once in three months ana 0itcncr II they
deem it proper, to examine all vouchors and
"accounts IN the Offices OF the Controller and
"Chambctlain." such examinations have been
made aud yet the Commissioners knew moth
inc about the Carroll frauds until told by the
Controller after the stealing had been going on
for four years. Almost the same state OF affairs
existed in the Police Department, where
possiblc defalcatiOn to a large amount was re
Gently uncovered. According 10 the report OF
the Commissioners of Accounts the records OF
the Property Clerk IN the Police Department
have been kept 50 loosely for several years that
n large sum OF money has probably been lost To
the city. And yet the present Commissioners
of Accounts have made repeated examinations
Of the Police Department without discovering
ANYTHING wrong When +. ID. Gale died it was
fouud that he had been Incorporating city
funds for sey cral year. but the Commissioners
of Accounts never discovered the fact
How many other departments are IN similar
condition? And is it not about time somebody
investigated the Commissioners OF Accounts
The need of it is apparent from their report of
Yesterday QUOTING from Iammany news
paper, they try to make il appear that the losses
in the Controllers Office are due 10 the reductions
in salaries made 10y Allan Campbell. Bat they
forget that 10y their own report $4,000 OF the
loss occurred under Mr.. Kelly, when II Is adj
mittcd salaries were high enough. The late
di.bmsing clerk WAS paid yearly salary of
$3.50. That ought to have been a sufficient
sum for merely clerical work during six hours
Of the day.