New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-13


The proceedings at the late meetings of the
Board of Estimate have again made cOnspicu-
Gus the evils of special legislation at Albany.
The Board has been compelled by acts passed
at the last session to insert in the tax levy items
amounting to several thousand dollars to pay
some old Tweed claims. These were rejected
by the courts because founded on neither law
nor equity. But Democratic Representative es
from this city lObbied them through the Legis-
lature and secured the Governors approval.
This sort of thing goes on every year. The
Board of Estimate last year inserted in tho
budget one item of nearly $4,000 to pay the
late Hubert o. Thompsons expenses in seeking
to thwart o legislative investigation, and in
trying to prevent himself from being indicted
when Commissioner of Public Works. Using
public money for such purpose was nothing
less than legal:zed robbery.
The bill requiring the payment of that money
to Thompson was drawn in such Wayne
name being mentioned-that its real design
could not be readily discovered. This indirect
way of tapping the public treasury is very
popular with the city legislators. The police
pension fund is q case in point. When it was
proposed to pension policemen and fremen
there was public opposition because they are
paid $1,000 year each, which is considered
good pay for the work. 1t was explained that
the pension money would not come out of the
city treasury. This lulled the opposition. Now
it turns out that in the Police Departm ent alone
1912, 900 was paid out last year tor pensions,
nearly every dollar of which indirectly came
out of the city treasury. And the amount is
rapidly increasing and will soon amount in
this department to half million dollars year.
There is another such fund in the Fire Depart
ment But the tax ,ayer will scan the budget
in vain for any mention of these large sums
yearly paid ont in pensions. This is where the
cunning of the city representatives at Albany
comes in.
All une1pended balances of appropriations
for the Police Department are required by
special act to be turned into the pension fund.
In other departments they are returned to the
city treasury, as should be done. 10 this way
$4,000 found its way last year into this
pension fund.- Another law requires a certain
percentage of the excise money to be paid
over to the pension fund. That added S125,O0C
moro last year. But that sum had to be made
up by additional taxation, as did the $S4.0O
and other items. A law should be passed at
the coming session turning all these moneys
into the city treasury, ana providing for the
pension funds in the budget, 50 that the people
can see at a glance what the money is being
used for. The Police Commissioners will favor
such legislation, and there is no reason why any
policeman should oppose it. There is nothing
gained by such indirect methods except that
some legislators escape responsibility for their
acts. Another change in the law should be one
giving the Police Board the option in retiring
policemen. If policeman has served twenty
years the Board must retire him on pension
Of 5000 if he requests it, In many cases he at
once engages in business while the city fills his
place by employing another man at $1,200
This is not right.
The State Constitution should be SO amended
that no law imposing additional taxes on this
city should take effect until approved by the
local authorities or by vote of the people. Such
an amendment would save this city from
ubiquitous special legislation, and it seems to
be about the only thing to accomplish the end.