New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-01
CRIMINAL WASTE CHARGED.
HOT SHOT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF
CHARITIES AND CORRECTION.

V6G COMMISSlONEhS VI ACIODNIS SIoO
SEVERELY CRITICIZE THE DEPART,
MENT OF EpUoAT:oX-vAsr DIS
CREPANcIEs SHOWN.
Two reports were submitted TO Mayor Grant
yesterday by Commissioners DAILY and Wahle. OF
the Accounts Bureau, one giving results OF their
Investigation into the affairs of the Department
Of Charities and Correction during the years
1855, 1889 and 1890. and the other covering the
same IN the Board of Education for 1888. 1850,
1900 and 1901. Both departments are severely
criticised
For the three years named the Charities De-
partment was allowed $6.497.210 "a. and 1t eX-
pended S6.323112 So The Accounts Commits
sioners say that the sums charged for ferriage to
and from the islands Is too much. They also
insist that the department has no right to take
pay patients at Bellevue Hospital at fifty cents
day when the cost to the city for each patient Is
81. Other Irregularities suggested 1t Is
shown that during 1888 there were delivered az
Wards Island. or said TO be delivered at the In
sane Asylum, 176,463 pounds Of beef and 33,330
pounds of mutton in excess of the quantity called
for by the table Of that institution. The officials
said the surplus was used for extra diet" Dur
ing 1890 it appears that 1925 pounds of extra
beef were delivered at the same institution also
L. excess Of the table.
stand the remarkable md steady shrinkage in
the weight of meats between the time they are
weighed at Twenty th-st. dock and their ar
rival at the storehouse Blackwclls Island.
The bookkeeping system employed in the depart
ment it is charged. is absolutely worthless. and
the commissioners recommend that the system
Of acquisitions be reformed
The expenditures for extras receive much OF
tho examiners attention Besides the regular
fnr fIa
patients and prisoners. the department constantly
buys "extras" at private sale for the doctors.
wardens and other officers. During the years
named 1874 1857 eggs were purchased in the reg,i-
lar way, yet thousands Of dozens Of higher-priced
eggs were bought as "extras." In 1890 the
"extras' included 1900 cherlotte russes ans
1885 quarts of ice Regarding these dis
closures these comments are made:
1T is suggested that if the officers and en-
ployes in this department endowed with
such epicurean tastes that charlotte russo ana
ice cream are absolutely necessary for the render
ing of effective service BY them 10 the city. that
it Is not an unfair demand that these gentle
men provide such necessities themselves and do
not compel the city to furnish them"
The inquiry Is made why this department should
have three different grades OF -four and why the
daily per capita cost of maintenance in Belle
vue Hospital should have increased l3 cents
during the years covered by the report while IN
the pententary there decrease of per
CAPITA expense during the same period
The city's farm at Central Islip, l.. l.. it is
shown, also requires a thorough overhauling
The institution should not be permitted TO fail
into the same loose ways which characterize
the other institutions under the control of the
Charities Commissioners The report says: we
urge that such steps he taken as will minimize
~ no
partment generally it says:
The per capita and other statements ana taoies
prove great extravaganza, and il seems 70 Us
criminal waste is rampant in this department.
We charge no dishonesty TO the COMMISSIONERS
There must be some in tho suDordlnates' LOT
there can be no other explanation OF the grea'
extravaganza shown"
The Commissioners of Accounts also found ma
ter,al for criticism in the Board of Education's
methods. They say that there is no good rea-
.on why the School Commissioners should re-
quire the appropriation of unnecessary sums o.
money. or for purposes which cannot be made
effective for two three years after IL Is APP
propriated the unused balaLce lying idle TO the
denartment's account 1t is asserted that the
estimates for school expenditures are being made
at random, without clear idea of the sums
actually required for particular purposes. ms
policy ends In transfers, system when the ex-
aminers condemn These are extracts from the
report:
There can be but one opinion as 10 the manage
ment of any department that VIII ask annually
for more money than it can spend and prove IL
by relinauishing large amounts for the general
fund. 1t is not fair to the taxpayers, ana GER
tainly not economy. The system of transfers in
vogue in this department is pernicous in its in
fu.nce and should be stopped. 1t is wrong TO
The public TO ask for thousands of dollars for
free lectures to working and women for
technical manual and industrial education, aud
for teaching foreigners English, and in some years
have more than SO per cent, and In others the
entire amount not used for such purpose, put
transferred TO other accounts already well pro-
viled for Nearly 10000 was asked for work
incmen's free lectures in one year, and little more
than 5000 was used therefor
The Board of Education's workshop COSTS
the city 80 800 year The report calls 'his
"satire incarnato" TIVE only are employed
in it. The way the supplies are looked after
10 a,s, criticised: the books said to show vast
d;scronanc,cs and shameful methods Of keeping
accounts Carelessness in approving vouchers Is
horuo1 Tn some cases vouchers have been ap-
nroved before the goods services were 1ur-
nished. - t.. A..
.rhe MAYORS attention is also drawn by the
l,o,,,niss;oners 10 the significant fact that the
Favori,e Desk Company, which Tor some year,
has supplied much of the school furniture ana
which il at present one Of a combine that naf
raised the price of school furniture considerably
this year. has as its local manager one Charles
Buscall, son of the Mr.. Buscall who figures upon
CIV, nsv-rolls of the Board Of Education as fore
man Of the workshop at $4,000 a year, 'u'
whose real occupation, as he informed u.s. Is 10
.n,ervise inspectors who are sent out from t''c
oficc of the Superintendent OF Buildings 10 III
vsstigate the work done By contractors we
A. not know how far Mr.. Buscah approves 'he
v.rk done by his sons company, put we 40 Nno"