Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-03-21
MISG0VERNMENT IN hrW YORK

'HS itPOit VI tlIc legislative committee
which has been investigating various depart.
ments Of the local government of New
York city makes mighty interest
ing reading. The abuses discovered by the
committee are shameless in character and
enormous in size, and are found to exist in
every department. The committee invcs-
tigated thoroughly the offices of the Rcpis,er
County Clerk, Sheriff and Surrogate and
partly investigated the Departments of
Parks, Taxes and Assessments and OF Law
In hardly one Office or department, irrcspec
tive OF the political affiliations of the incnm.
bents, did they find both honesty and efl1ci.
encY. Indeed the whole governor, of the
city, SO far as examined, seemed to be in a
condition which is absolutely appallinp
Tue report says: The testimony taken in
relation to alleged deals or arrangements by
which the present Mayor, and the
acknowledged deals or arrangements bv
which the present president OF the
Board OF Aldermen attained their resncct,ve
positions casts curious side light upon New
YORK politics and shows with startling dis.
tlnctness that under the present system the
men who nominally hold offices are not tho
ones who really exercise power, b., lhs, the
latter on the contrary, arc Generally outside
parties who cannot be held responsible to
the people FOR their deeds and misdeeds,n
Inc committee find that County Clerk
Keenan, and ex-Connty Clerks Rutler srd
Thompson kept proper books, but also spd
they retained illegally fees TO the amount of
s9o'ooo of which keenan, retained
Sl5'"o and Butler s3G Oo0 Tn.
net income OF the present County Clerk
iot 1883 was found to he over
Sooooo and for his entire term Of
ONCE this official ne!s $3.50, 900. This i'm
mense sum- however, by no means goes to
~, exclusive benefit Of the county clerk
ine committee say; "A large part of tb,s
~ hot retained by hin for hs avn uso h,,
Is turned over to ttr various noI,,ioo, 49,
ssniza'ons which supported him for the M
s' |,' IN other words, this quarter Of
-l''',on uoilars become gigantic Campaign
-unu, anu one OF the most fruitful sources If
pon''cal corruption that exists in the ejtvn
AS 10 the registers Office, Register Reilly
naa peen IN office only one month when tho
comihl'Iee visited his office. 1t WAS found
mat the receipts for the month of Januarv
were slo,'73 and the expenses Ss14O This
""ulu make the annual salary of the PegIs.
Ter ABOUT FAC, 900, but the committee ore y,
opinion that 1t is n much larger sum and
'neS sAy' This amount is at present. az in
'he case OF the county clerk, slmnlv o;non
VIC corruption fund. Thus the present Rec.
iS'er actually testified that he had foroot
Ten whether he spent over or under $40 ono
10 get himself elected to the position which
he now holds" WIN"
AS 70 the surrogate, the committee reoor,
'na' MS ONCE is largely run by subordinate
simply Tor the purpose Of bscknail Tha
is unanimously of the opinion that
n0''net inc surrogate nor his subordinates
are authorized to receive fees. 1t finds that
Tue CLERKS In the surrogate's Office illegally
collected over $4,000 in fees in 1883
Inc ABUSES IN the sheriff's Office are tbe
committee say, too numerous to admit of
more IMAM cursory meution. The Office has
Oo.n administered without regard 10 Law
anu 'he conclusion is that the sheriff wa, no;d
curing the year 1888 ss5, 1ls for performina
services Tor which by law he was authorized
% receive a reasonable compensation, where.
= .ne committee believe that go, 900 would
'e very liberal allowance under the circum.
''snces' OF the Ludlow street Jail the com.
ni,'ee say IAN examination into the can.
iiuon OF the Ludlow Street JsnI
mo into the system upon which
I is run has disclosed a mos, ,svol,
y :. anu almost incredible state Of affairs
' ",n ~ 10 say upon this subject that, what
'"H drunken and brutal keepers and ,