Morning journal and courier., 1893-01-16
A STATEMENT FROM THE MAYOR

He Does Not Hold Himself Respon. sible For the Loose Methods of Dealing With the Ctty's Money He Has Little Authority and Power-But He Knows That Some of the City,s Business Has Not Been Properly Done and He Has Tried to Have 1t Done Rfght-He
 Is Ready to Do What More He Can. To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND CoUIER.
 In your paper of Saturday, the 14th, you make 8 somewhat forcible call for a to the public in the matter of | the Waldron deficit. As one of your fel- l low citizens, agree with you that we the l people should have full statement of the l matter and should know how and why an opportunity has been allowed for such sl- legged purloining, in order that such trans- actions may be prevented in the future.
 But decidedly object to your holding me in any manner responsible for the lack of a statement or any other lack connected with the matter, however much you may preface with sugar coated compliments as to my business ability your call on me for such @ statement.
 LID unla outy Ol tu0 MaJOI 15 tuat Ol drawing salary of two hundred and fifty dollars at the close of each month. It is true that Section of the charter gives the Mayor 8 show of some authority and power, and states that 'it shall be bis duty to be vigilant and active in causing the laws to be executed and enforced" But the charter immediately proceeds to deprive the Mayor of almost every glim- mer of authority and power by putting every department of the city government nnder the sole and exclusive charge of commission, in the election of the members of which he Is debarred from any voice or action, even so much as to be the presiding officer of the meeting at which they are elected, and common courtesy deprives him, under the circum- stances, of the pleasure of being present, even as citizen. Except in the Board of Health, which has nothing to do with the business affairs of the city, the Mayor has no vote except in case of 8 tie, which has never happened with me but twice and | then on quite unimportant matters, and we all know that where there is no vote | there Is no voice.
 am not writing to find fault with the charter of the city. If it suits the people
 1t suits me, and I will try to be as "vigi-
 lant and active" ss conditions allow. The various commissions do only what the | charter authorizes them to do. Each de-
 partment being placed in the exclusive
 charge of its commission, 1t is the duty of
 the commission to exclude any and all
 other persons not appointed by them from
 performing any act in connection there
 with, except that the Mayor may preside
 at the meetings of the commissioners, but | is not allowed to vote except in the almost
 unknown case of tie on ordinary mat
 ters, but never on question of an ap-
 pointment to, or dismissal from, office ol
 employment. There is neither rule no1
 law requiring the Mayor to be notified o1
 any regular or special meeting, but as 2
 matter of pure courtesy. and partly by my
 request, the rule is to notify the Mayor.
 But in order to keep the Mayor in tota
 ignorance as to the doings of the variou,
 boards of commissioners, the Court ot
 Common Council ordained that ths
 monthly meetings of most of them shall
 be on the same Tuesday evening, 30 tha
 the Mayor cannot, unless he divides him
 self, attend the meeting of more than ont
 board.
 Now, although the Mayor has only . dim shadow of right to sit with the va
 rious boards of commissioners and presid with all the departments, just little, b, ! joining in some one of the meetings ever, week, and at any special meeting of whicl , am notified. And have uniformly beel i treated with such entire courtesy that
 regard every member of every commission
 as my personal friend.
 But when it comes to the transaction 0 the business of the various departments , "business is business' and the Mayor ha , no rights and of course no responsibili . l ties. The commissioners are solely re ! ell h for hn oofc nf thoi orI f1o; | officers and employees, and of course shoul l have sole authority.
 , For this good reason when 8 contracto . desired the city seal put upon contrac . of about $20, 900, and it was ascertsine
 that the law requires the Mayor to sign a o l sealed contracts under seal, the contracto . was persuaded to accept contract signe ,. by the commissioners but without 8 sea a for the reason, as stated, that the erectio . of the building Is exclusively within th
 supervision and control of the conmit
 sioners and the signing of the contract b
 the Mayor on behalf of the city might ar
 pear to give the Mayor right to "a say , in the matter of construction.
 So in the Board of Public Works. Tn 7 Mayor has no authority whatever, excer z that of presiding, but nsver voting on au ! question except to dissolve tie, and neve ' on an appointment to office, or employ ,, ment, or on question of discharge there from. The Mayor, because he is tn , Mayor, has no more right to look at tn a accounts than haa town pauper whos usual place of abode is within the cit
 limits.
 Last Wednesday, after the eXaminatio I of MT. Wsldron's accounts was supposed t
 be completed so far as was necessary
 bring criminal action against him, tn a Mayor was added to the committee of tn . Board of Public Works, but not as ii . chairman, to consult with the States a
 torney and to lay the evidence before him
 It was found that the evidence was to vague and uncertain on which to bring f complaint or issue warrant for arrest an f not in the proper form.
 So far as have been able to ascertain
 there has been no thorough audit of th r 1 city's books In the past ten years. Bond [ seem to be required from those who neve , handle money and not from those who d
 handle money, except in the case of th
 Collector of Taxes, who ia supposed t have given a bond some ten years age
 when he first went into office, and, under , stand, although I am not sure, that tn
 main sureties on that bond have long sine
 died.
 But although have had no real powe , in the matter, and no definite resp ponsi i bility, have, on many occasions, calle I the attention of the proper officials to th 1, need of a thorough audit of the books, nc , only as to what moneys have been pal over to the city treasury, but as to wha
 moneys have been received to be pal over. I did this verbally frequently an by means of formal letters, copies of whic I now have, and the dates of these letter :. Zone as long ago as the early part of las May) show that, so far as I could, wa
 RttemptinQ to have the oikv'a inancie , affairs conducted in business-like way even before there was public clamor. If there is anything more that I can d
 to bring about better condition of thing . than has prevailed shall be glad to do i, But have been and am hampered by tn fact that I have no power to right tn
 wrongs complained of, and little more war
 rant for interference than any citizen .woul
 have. J. B. SARGENT. COURT STREET TEMPLE.