New-York tribune., 1884-01-25
oTERpAID md NEGLIGENT OFFICIALS.


There are probably no three public officers in
this country who are so well paid as the County
Clerk, Register and Sheriff of this city. Pre-
cisey how great are their emoluments is ques-
ton which can only be determined by an in
vcstigation such as that already begun by the
special committee of the Assembly. But it is
generally believed that each one of the Demo
cratic ward politicians who fill these offices is
annually paid much larger sum than the Presi-
dent of the United States. And yet the people
of this city are taxed a large amount for the
maintenance of those three Offices. This is done
for the purpose of enabling the incumbents to
contribute generous sums toward the support
of Democratic "halls." 1t is an abuse which
ought to be thoroughly exposed by the Assem-
bly, Committee.
The statute makes it the duty of the County
Clerk to keep in a book to be provided for that
purpose an exact account of all his fees, per-
ouisites and emoluments and this book shall
be deemed part of the records of the Office
"and shall be preserved therein as other books
" of record are" But there are no such complete
records in the County Clerks Office. Another
provision of the same law provides that "a
transcript of such accounts" shall be trans
mitted monthly to the Controller No such
complete transcript has been sent to the Finance
Department. Still another provision of the law
names the number of persons to be employed in
the Office of the County Clerk, and the salary of
each one. In open violation of this provision
extra clerks have been employed and paid from
the city treasury. 1t is made misdemeanor
for the County Clerk to neglect to render to the
Controller an account of the emOlumcnts of his
Office as required by the statute. A similar
failure to observe the statute will be found in
the Registers Office He is required to make
yearly report of all the receipts and payments
in his office; and also to keep in the office a
book of record containing all the items of the
account The present Register says that he
does not think his predecessors have made any
such reports; and he can find no complete
record in the Office of their receipts and pay
mcnts. 1t is made the duty of the District
Attorney to prosecute such violations OF the
law, and he ought to inquire into these matters.
In 1852 il was asccraned that the Sheriff
was collecting money from the city to which he
was not entitled. This was done by means Of
the false returns OF the police court clerks.
They entered as committed prisoners who
were merely temporarily held and discharged
the same day. The Sheriff is paid 80 cents for
each conviction reported by him TO the Secre-
tary of State. He made use of the false statis-
tics of the police court clerks, and collected his
fees accordingly. The Assembly Committee
ought to find out whether or not the same thing
is done at the present time. The reports made
to the Secretary of State by the Sheriff are use
less, as all the particulars are furnished by the
clerks of tho courts. The fees paid to the
Sheriff for such purpose are wholly unneces-
sary burden upon the people. The service
rendered by him in removing the prisoners of the
Special and General Sessions to the Penitentiary
are also unnecessary. The duty can be per-
formed by the Commissioners of Charities and
Correction at only little increased expense
The charges that are made by the county officers
for expediting business, and for other purposes
not contemplated by the statute, open wide
field for inquiry.
1t ought to be a fundamental principle of the
city government that every officer and employe
should be paid, as compensation in full. fixed
specific sum. There may be few special cases,
such vs. City MarshalS, where al exception might