New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-11
1896.
1888.
ESTIMATED.
Being total increase of about SIS 900. 900.


Being total increase of about $50 100000.
1t has been repeatedly pointed out by my prede-
cessors In Office that only a small portion of The large
sum levied for annual taxes is actually determined
STATE taxes, the interest the City debt the
TO be raised for the payment of principal the salaries
Board OF Education, and TO a very considerable ex
OF the other departments Of the public service,
hxed by statute. Many of the expendi ures for new
Improvements are mandatory uron the City so that
out Of ihc total amount of ,053 o. only $i4,
Estimate and Apportionmcnt The margin for economy
is therefore very small But this not the worst evil
The employees OF the City encouraged and have
repeatedly gone to the Legislature to procure the
enactment oil laws compelling tho City to raise their
salaries Fortunately, the action Of the Chief Elk
ecutive OF the state has been nterposcd to prevent
this wrong OF late years and It il to be hoped will be
continued. But II The control of its own finances
We're vested in the City Government IL ought TO be,
many economies could BIO introduced and he bur
of the taxpayer thus lghtencd. Nothing short of
constitutional amendment will, however, protect the
City from the unlimited powers Of tho Legislature TO
direct is expenditures 1t Is to hoped that either
OF special amendment to the constitution, this
needed reform may be introduced and the power of
Legislature should have the power to reduce but
to increase the expenditures provided for In the city
budget In no other way can proper responsibility
be imposed UPON the public officers for the control and
expendi ure of the public moneys.
There is one department of the public expenditure
which requires immediate attention and prompt action
only 10 be secured from the Legislature. Local I'M
provemcnts arc as rule made at the expense of the
property benefited. The City, however, is required
TO issue It's bonds TO pay for tho cost OF these improve
ments. Tho redemption OF the Assessment Bonds
so issued intended to DO provided for out of the
assessments when collected This operation is,
therefore, strictly the execution Of trust on the part
the city by which H. should mako neither profit
nor loss but a matter of fact, after the City has
Issued the bonds accordance with law, the assess
ments have often been vacated by the courts c Tor
Debt is increased by the amount of these Assessment
Bonds, which are not within the control of the De
partment of Finance, and of the amount whereof IL
"a knowledge advance
amount of the bonds thus Issued Is about 81 100000
by the rapid growth of the City especially In
the :" Annexed District" These improvements can
be proceeded with by the heads of charged
with the supervision thereof, of their own motion, with
the interference OF local authority, except so
far as 10 may BIO found In tho laws creating the Board
unsats factory state of affairs the City has been sub
jected 60 an enormous loss, which arises from the
have been used In payment of the bonds issued to
obtain the meass required to pay for these improve
ments
In 1873 law was passed making the Assessment
Bonds outstanding the to which assessments
had beee vacated, charge upon the Sinking tund'
and prohibiting the vacation or modification OF assess,
ments for local improvements subsequently contracted
for exccut to the extent thai the cost of the improve
ment was I'm fact increased by fraud. The courts,
however, now require the City TO apply the money
received from current assessments TO the payment
OF tho prior claims OF property owners who may have
been illegally assessed. In other words the money
received for one set Of improvements Is applied to the
set Of Improvements The consequence is that there
Is no money in the Treasury available for the out
standing Assessment Bonds as they mature. and the
Comptroller has thus been COMPELLED to renew these
obligations, thus constantly addlng TO the amount OF
Assessment Bonds issued by the City. The loss and
damage thus resulting now reach the enormous sum
of 50OO00, and this loss Ia daily Increasing Fur
thermOre the admlnistra ion of the system Is por-
rise TO more law suits than all other concerns Of the
government combined, and today the action and
Law Department more than seven tenhs OF all the
II igaons In which the city is involved This system
cnnt ,fnrnla ffnn hn
pendtures for the improvement should be subject to
the supervision of the Board OF Estimate and Appor
tlonment as all other expenditures to be provided
for from taxation subject, and when approved
the lien should be made final upon the property bene-
issued or the security thereof may be raid they
ure, according to the policy pursued I'm this city
from time immemorial and the original design Of the
legislature
am indebted for this suggestion to the late Con
troller, Mr.. Edward V. Loew, whose retirement from
office regard public loss and take this occa-
sion to express my personal thanks to him for the
patient and successful efforts he has made to carry on
the financial department in harmony with the other
branches II tho city government, and to add that he
Is entitled to the gratitude of his felow-ctlzens for
cult duties Of tho great Office which he has admins
tered with so much honor to himself and advantage 10
the city.
Of the United for money advanced to the Union
Defence Committee of this city in the 1861 and
for the war, and In providing arms and equi pments
The amount originally advanced was Sl,000,00O, OF
mcnt the sum Of siO4 4S6 10, leaving an unpaid bal
Of 1905 81 for which In the year 1862 bonds
interest, were issued by the city These bonds are
not yet due, and the interest is st being paid while
the Treasury Of the United States is overlooking with
money for which there Is no authorized outlet The
General Government has within tho last twenty years
refunded to all the states of the Union all money
which advanced for the purpose Of putting troops
in the field. The claim Of the city has never been
presented to Congress- and seems to have been or
tenton to its equity. 1 recommend, therefore, that
memorial be prepared, to be forwarded TO CONFESS
by tho Mayor; Aldermen and Commonay OF ms Guy,
the principal of the debt and secondly as to the very
large amount OF interest considerably exceeding inc
principal, which has already been paid by tho CITY.
From my experience In Congress i am satished that
the claim Will BIO recognized provided the delegation
from this city shall press the claim with energy
The sources from which the revenues of the city, ex
elusive OF that raised by taxation, arc derived VIII
appear by the statement hereto IKE
81 s3 o6os 81 IS pledged to the sinking Fund for the
redemption OF the city debt balance, amounting
duces taxation TO that extent 1t is very desirable
that the income 20 be derived from sources not peugea
to the Sinking Fund should be increased IN ever pos
duccd. During the last year there has zen gres s
energy shown in tho various departments OF inc CITY
and am not aware, at tho present tme OF any case
In which increased vigilance IS necessary IL VIII 90
ths Mayors Office have increased from SllS.2oe 20
to 1897 rs But the largest increase Is 10 o oe
tho amount collected was 1851 44o. In 1887 1t has
been raised to showing an Increase o
sSoSaeo is estimated that s during o the sSm
total from this source.
There is o considerable revenue derived from tne
bs So aha lns receyed from tho
surrogates oaice Is less than $1,000 There Is no
reason why the fees derived from that once ~
the merit OF succession taxes which ought to DO MADE
to yield. under existing law, large revenue pu' On