New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-24
USELESS COMMISSIONERS.
AN OFFICIAL ACCOUNTANT WHO Is FAR
FROM BEING AN EXPERT
MEssRs. HoLAHAy AND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
THEIR 1sEvr1c1ExcY BEFORE THE
pAssETr COMMITTEE.


nection with investigating the various departments
About the general bookkeeper's Office in the finance
department he said that he had visited 1t twice. but
had not made any special investigation.
Thereupon Mr.. Wins remarked: You told US yes
terday that you did not understand double entry
Weu,' said Commissioner Holahan sharply. y DO
not understand double entry, II is true. but can 20
into any department and lind out whether the city
ceves all the money that is due TO II. or whether
there is any crookedness going on
Mr.. WINS asked him what the Commissioners Of Ac-
counts had been engaged in the way Of invesliga-
lon since the close Of the Dock Department nvestigar
ton.
In endeavoring' said the witness. to ascertain
whether the money received by the various depart
ments went into the treasury, but he added. we
have not been conducting public Investigations b.
they cost too much for senOS1aphers and coun
se fees
Mr.. wins referred to the West Washington Market
investigation. On that subject he propounded long
series of questions Of which Of the last was hat
was the net result Of that market investig,tOn'-
Well" said Mr.. Hoialan gayy. lit resulted in
Of the principal witnesses skipping out Of town.
on being asked about the instgatOn Of the market
investigation he said that some Of the maret-men had
sent letters TO tile Mayor saying that they had not
been properly treated in ttc redistribution of stands
and the Mayor promptly investigated the matter.
Mr.. Ivins-What did II cost the city
Mr.. lIoatan-Well don't Know. Perhaps $1,000
ME v"Ena5 S@ pay Rs a's' Sfs
tween him and the Corporation Counsel.
Q.-Wrt did Frederic Coudert get Al heard that
his Zee W., 5000 aId that the !SaN Of Estimate ana
Mr. lvn, returning to the question Of the appoint
ment q T"otor% HamonmDGn You know tf hs,S Mr..
ment pa her. by Commissioner Giiroy
Mr. II,la!an replied that he did not know anything
of the II might be so.
Then Mr. WINS back to the subject Of the Dock
Department investigation. He wanted to know what
he cost of IL had been. What lawyers were employed
Well the witness said. the Dock Commissioners
under INVESTIGATION had MeS@rS. Root. Peckham and
Irish Mr. Holhan had never INVESTIGATED what il
cost the city He presumed that TIE city would have
10 700: the bills Of all the gentlemen MENTIONED.
In The case Of John H. Strahan. who VA; concerned
in the invest cation a. lawyer. Mr. WINS asked he
Is no cheap man. J. he
HnrIph" SAID Mr.. lIolahan. 81 don't know any
lawyer who mX-> UP with municipal affar- who is
cheap
Mr ITn not fact thai the D D Pep%F5me9'
that have been Investigated bv The commissioners Ot
Accounts are also the ,ny department, in III" citv
s 1rg roHtr, AI doat Nnow md ii that we're
it had n";l'i1c - Do win me prompting I" the IN
Sir. ivinI-W1ui va ie surprised to learn that the
Dock Investigation cost the city tmately S2oUooF
Q.-What :ood has that Investigation done
NJ. Holahan thought that it had secured a better
adm niStr-,tion Of the department.
O.-Op what do Won ht-e that opinion. At l. a
matter Of common rumOr. That IDEA Is ~ the puhHc
mind.
Q-What is the public mind
senator McNaughton nterfered TO suggest that that
hardly proper matter for the committee to 30 IN
Mr. WINS said 81 think it is quite proper that
should endeavor to show what manner Of man 1t is
that receives Appointment TO the ONCE OF Commis
sioner Of Accounts.
~ tho park
Mr. WINS asked what had retarded il. Mr.. Holahan
said that his collra .ue Mr.. Parker. had intended to
investigate the Park Department when he wa APP
pointed Commissioner. hui hat deferred doing 80 uul
he could the assistance Of sufficient nn'n''r
Of the oGic, force.
Nr. Ivine-what did the Park Department invest,
cation result in Am showing that there Wa a
very large shortage the forage account that the Park
m msaT import.d here for sale and that there was
shortage also IN accounts Of Old ard new uniforms
w What disposition wa made OF it, Att WAS
referred by rhe Mayor TO the Park commissioners for
AoIYou are a lawyer. are Won not A.-No. wish
I v:,S Then | wouldn't be commits 'oncr Of Ac-
counts.
Mr.. Ictns asked him about the general fund. Mr..
Holaan said that e was long time finding out about
that himself Indeed. II took him about a gear.
o-EI.ve Won ever made an Investigation into the
rnvenucs u The general fund With the view 70 seeing
f'a 1 I t la our tofkeepe? kecpS track OF that Ills
nam. j, owen. He ha> been N the Commissioner Of
Accounts Office eight OF VIE years
In an.ver to some further questions by Mr.. wins
a. 10 departmental affair. Mr. lIoiahan expressed the
opinion that every department should b. examined
onrc year. But he aided. we have NOT money
enough to DO II.
Mr. WINS asked him if tie selfconfessed fact that
nc WI, not \ practical bOokhc"p"r did not handicap
him f.: making examinations. He sad he Thought
nor: that his slbordinate> would attend that.
Then Mr. WINS. preceding TO the question Of
sndtug asked the witness about he auditing Of the
accounts in the Police Department. Mr. Holahan
admitted that the accounts in thar department had
audtng at all except what III department Itself
70 Thorn Mr. Wins put II in th, way. that here VIZ
the anomaly Of department that collected and andt
and did everything else with rs handling Of mou.y
Itself and asked Mr. HOlnhan who the actual
auditor in the Police Department. Mr.. Hollllan As
serted that he didn't know. o. didn't remember. "r
something Of that sort: he thought it might ~ th-
treasurer. And 10 the auditing Of tA' aroln'> "
,he Dork Department. Hike everything else conn"ttrf
with the finances Of the city. HOlahan profeSSei
either comparative inter ignorance.
Edward p. Barker. the Commissioner Of A. ~,
appointed by Mayor Grant or the last day Of janu"N
lsee sid that for ;evers he had been @rrt"gv
Of the Park Board. and that he had resigned dunn
the siAth year Mr.. wins wanted t. know how M
happened TO become Commissioner OF accounts.
The witDes, answered that the Mayor sent not"
asking him TO can. 4 few days sferward. although
the witness did not like the position offered HIM. he
took f.. the urging OF the Mayor. with this under
standing. however. that ne should not be b""nd 10
the Jitre FOR any great length n time.
The Mayor did not ask him il he were professional
accountant
Like Mr.. Holahan Mr. Parker said that he h1h
never examined fully the methods Of keeping accounts
IN the MAYORS Office, did he fully comprehend
the workings Of the sinking Fund
Mr.. Barker confirmed the idea conveyed hy Mr.
iIoahar that there is practically no external check
ON the accounts OF the POl.e Department
Mr Melville. one OF the bookk-elers IN the once
81 the Commission of Accounts. said that the big
bousc bordering on the old country Club house prop
city in the new PARKS mad been rented to Mr..
Cgder for ~ 900 u month