New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-17
rlrEn rESpoNSLBLLIrY NEEDED.


One of the great difficulties in the way OF
framing laws for the better government OF TINS
citv is the lack of any local body which can be
safely trusted with large discretionary powers ii
the expenditure of the city money. AT the
present time this authority Is distributed mus
criminatcly amonganumbcro of officials, commits
sions and public bodies. Even the Aldermen
share this power. They determine the compen-
sation of the Surrogatcs clerks and the fees OF
the sheriff for certain services. How scandal
ously they have miSuscd this power small as 1t
is. was clearly shown in the able report of the
Roosevelt Committee.
The largest share of this control over the pub
lie moncvis vested in the Board of Estimate, but
it has not authority over one-half OF the cltys
cxpenditures The Dock Commission has the
power to cxpcud $3,000000 annually, over
which the Board of Estimate has no control
whatever. The Commissioner Of Public Works,
under special acts, annually eXpcnds about
50 600 600 in addition to his large approprla-
ton. Several millions Of dollars are paid IN
salaries to policemen, tiremcn, court officers
clerks. etc. the amount Of each salary being
fixed by some special act of the Legislature
Betwccn 81 600, 600 and 100000 go to
charitable institutions and private corporations,
each one Of which has 4 special act governing
its appropration, the rates of pay for like ser
vices varying widely. Hence, the restraining
power over the citys expenses is distributed so
that the responsibility for unnecessary taxation
can nowhere be wholly fixed. That is alto
gether wrong.
There can never be a consistent, economical
administration of the city government until the
control of expenditures is fixed in one response
bic body. That body should unquestiOnably be
the Board of Estimate, but not as at present
constituted. 1t has failed lamentably to reduce
expenses in departments which are now under
its control. 1t was only by the persistent deter
mination of the sole Republican member of tnat
Board at the present time that the apprOpria-
tions for the current year were kept within
reasonable bounds. If the bills now before the
Legislature for the election, on general ticket,
of the President of the Board of Aldermen and
the Controller become law, it will be possible
to hold the Board of Estimate to stricter ac-
countability. 1t would be well to add TO the
Board another member who should hold no
other public Office, and then intrust to It, within
certain limitations, the sole right to determine
the amount of money which each department,
bureau and city official shall eXpend in any one
year 1t should not be permitted to increase
the outlay for salaries, as they are high enough
now in every department; but 1t should have
the right to equaize and reduce the cOmpensa-
ton of every person paid from the city treasury,
except Judges and elective officers AT the pre-
sent time the grosScst inequalities exist. Many
employees are paid ridiculously high salaries,
which are fixed by special acts of the Legisla-
tlre. and thus placed beyond the control of any
city authority
The absolute necessity for such legislation is
evident. A glance at some Of the bills before
the Legislature will make it more apparent.
For instance, last week the Senate passed bill
to increase the pay of a stenographer in the
Court Of General Sessions. 1t favorably con-
sidered other bills to pension an employe Of the
Fire Department, 10 pay clerk in the SurO-
rates Office for services rendered years ago, to
saddle several hundred thousand dollars a year
more on the city by increasing the pay OF police
men and Gremen, to pay jantors OF district
courts for services never legally rendered, and
similar local measures, upon the justice OF
which the Legislature has no means OF decid-
ing. Another bill proposes TO fix the pay OF day
Iaborers at So. Still others interfere in every
possible way with the petty details Of the city
expenditures, which should be determined solely
by responsible local body, such as the Board
of Estimate. This principle has wisely been rec
ognizod in the admirable bills reported by the
Roosevelt Committee. There should be lcgisla-
ton consistently to apply it to all branches of
the city government. If this Is done, and the
Board Of Estimate required TO make its final
appropriations in the month Of October when