New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-11
REVIEWING CITY AFFAIRS.
TUE SPECIAL GRAND JURYs REPORT
s,IARIEs FOR oFFIcIALs-rERsoNAh 'NN'
r,oS-.Tur COUPON FRAUDS.

HIGHER SALARIES FOR oFFiCiALs-rh"
ToN-THE COUPON FRAUDS
cuo;ol Grand Jury of the Court OF over anu
ng handed to Justice Barrett, essHanIsd
their final presentmen.a ,d1ons task they had per-
fnr,cd in their investigations ih,o VIZ rilo nnd in
Office and the DepaTItm sad that While there had
80 heen many indictments, Yet, the ha'ule, VI tho
investigation had been such that ho na IecS and
aenartments directly examined into had per rnsnits
wonId be benefited thereby, but the EoG =; ali The
of the inquiries would be felt generally rhe az ;nry
Departments of the city government i"'
The nresentment crticises or commences and
of the departments of the city of the invest
contains long review OF the ernndsS The present
jgation into the coupon h""'
ment is in part as follows ,sossments them
sace and TO endeavOr to perform Their them
and Justly After the assessments Vo"o onnear 10 be
Don ,s secure The security for proper
be IN the sSee'y ss sse rely on procuring the
observation-disclosures necessary for work OF TINS Tho sug
% ,h iSF resident Of the that better results
might be obtained from fewer ttr naid has the
q, 9onalincat,on. and necessarily petter paul. ~ Wv
approval OF 1ns nsrsona property in this city is open
Inc r onetions and the Grand Jury are de-
ciIedy OF the opinion that shouo ue IN aempt
following reasons: Is poor ,csnn%V is Of any value
Tho cotnbe assessment of personal properly In VI ro
u, investments need liable to taxation on per
sona estate and the result Is that very S or Hane-
ion ~ the tax falls widows, orphans ana otner q;
fcarics under will and trusts prescribing ~, also
bonds and mOrsages h tsxation. still worse for the
civ nv mistakes and bad guesses IN asseSsns r DO
class Of eXem S2 Tnom Nothing can be collected
large amount IS added 10 the valualoh anu ant NJ
h u total loss to the city. There were on the 3ob6
OF Apr 81 100000 of arrears OF petHIi ~ fjcb he
Eape has received its full and the city is 9o%
T. nttcfn. n
.rsStuar nav the principal The most ludeo,ms anu anu
r,io% af personal estates OF individuals, making up tne
loss in pant by taxation OF franchises anu
privileges corporations Some plan shHH TG ras
Tor eancenng the large amount of uneolectae area
Of personal taxes They are practically anu
10 keen them the books as an asset Is ueusNo'
The organization and management of the ONCE OF
the Receiver of Taxes is highly commented oy tne
Grand Jury. who recommend that tng F poSP
The salary of ~ 900 paid TO the Receiver oi ms
is considered bv the Grand Jury an lha9e4u .I
ron1pensation. In relation TO the Bureau i9r tne
GoiIrcton of Assessments and of Arrears OF Taxes
and Water Rates on real estate; III Whlcn ~ ~
lartIes were discovered several mouths ago. !H0
Grand Jury say: - ,o
ncrsona integrity aud attention TO his duties are M
Question; lat il ia evident that the business OF the
SIreau has outgrown earlier methods, ana thaI
moro rigid system OF cheeks ana n'ilUo , NM ,5;i
There many old assessment IoiIs Oh Tu Wsed r.
BALANCES remain unpaid which are seluo! usea. ~
would simplify and facilitate Of NE t wSg Secots they
shoud be concentrated i'll one record DOOh oI e III
S S,Sf Sn ATTENTION is called 10 considerable amount Of
outstanding assessments on pISST we been assessed
Tor adjacent Improvements These amounts, nc1dlnSS
an e ar Offset To the Indebtedness of the city, IN
cnrrcd in the prosecution Of the various lmo eEn's,
are misleading The amount assessed peing really u
oh, Of the citv should be included in the annual estl-
aes Of the departments having charge OF the property
cn he fSpert OF an individual In reference to assess
ment Tor Improvement generally the %t n
allowances should be rigdly eIamne ana 1S is
Mhere SS 1 n. contract ought not to settled and
paid except examination ana decision Oh co1I %
PASSED upon by a court before settlements and payments
are made which may result IN loss 10 the CITY o9 Ine
wholesale vacation Of the assessments
Tho Grand Jury recommend revision of the sal
nres IN thus bureau. citing the fact that the cashier
who handles several millions year, receives t ony
5000; while the clerks who make out pills receive
from Al 900 to 81 $50 After an exhaustive eX-
animation of the subject OF the coupon lrduuS TIC
Grand Jury conclude thus
There is no evidence that any erroneous or fraudulent
payment interest on the registered stock mas Deeii
nas NJ an admirable specimen of red tape provided
everybody was honest and did his duty; but the practical
result thai in January 1871 through c0lDatl3n
OF dishonesty aud neglect of duty, coupons begano be
paid three or four times. AtCngf t" G no
evidence Of criminal completely on the part Oh @
associates and Supeor' is GeI ce and the
moral responsibility therefore, rests on the trainers OF
the Charter OF 1873 for not excepting interest on te
public debt from the referred on oo Vino rho
arranged the change Of system; on David r. ne
assistant stock and bank clerk VINO was CarrO !e
una pon ledger were months in aTear. and also for
moi making a thorough comparison OF the coupons
with the schedules as TO numbers DIS wen a. nv ,b
fhe auditor Daniel Jackson, for not insisting on the
coupous being sent him with the scneuules anu
vouchers, aud also for not exercising more eHecuV9
William C. Emmett, dsDursng cleIh anu
xrant ihs assistant of the Auditors Bureau
for gross careessness and neglect OF duty; on the COM
missioners OF Accounts for not maintaining acrtca
snnervison the OF keeping the city accounts
and on the Deputy Controller Mt stores the e1eeuuNe
officer OF the Department. whose knowledge OF us uets
ongh 10 kept him acquainted with the manner IN
which the clerks were performing the du ro and
direct the general system ana lnethods OF
10 greater than appears to have been the case
The Jury believe that the application of the Civil
Service enactments will be OF great Importance III
improving the administration OF the Guys Dusl-
ness. j, . r A..
Appended to the presentment is the report OF the
expeit accountants, Mr. Tate on the Carroll
frand by which il appears that the total overpay-
ment was E 81, 10, the last occurring In sAugust
1850 since when none have been discovered On
Nav 81 1854, the outstanding debt or the Clty
and County of New-York was as follows:
Total funded debt May 81, 1891 499029 80
less amount thereof In sinking fund.-. 39Oll262 ~
500, Ass csc So
Iess cash held by Commissioners OF Sink
ing Fund applicable TO the redemption 80 80 -.
Of the city debt. i'ooI9o- 90
S9l,128734 10
Reyenue bonds 10,737933 40
T"tai funded debt aud revenue bonds
outstanding, less each in sinking 49, - - .
fund. TlOo,oosoo' "a
The Jury fnd no evidence of the fraudulent issue
Of city bonds.
A WATER FAMINE IMMINENT
COMMISSIONER THOMPSON ASKS TIE PUBLIC TO
USE CRoTON CAREFULLY AND NOT TO WASTE 1T.
nf tha hAn mt ff