New-York tribune., 1895-10-25
CONSIDERING ESTIMATES.
MR.. TERRY PRESENTS FIGURES WHICH
DuMroUND THE REGISTER,

INCREASED APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE ooM"''
sIoNERs or AccouNTs-rHE ALLOW
ANcEs FOR LIBRARIES AND THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The Board of Estimate yesterday, as result Of
the recent report of the Commissioners OF Ac-
counts on the management OF the Registers Of
eca reduced Register Levy's provisional esti-
mates for 1896 from slSO,25O to ssO,2oO. drop OF
$50 ooo After Mr. Levy appeared before the
Board to urge his appropriation. Mayor Strong
remarked: I'VE will hear what Commissioner
Terry has to say about these estimates The
senior Commissioner OF Accounts. who sat beside
the Mayor, smiled pleasantly In MI Levy oirec-
ton. but the smile had no soothing erect upon
the Register. Mr.: Levy looked as If be was hKely
to be attacked with aporlexy, He gared wlidly
at the Mayor and at Mr. Terry alternately, ana
then blurted outs
81 did not imagine when came before this hon
orable Board that was - meet Mr.. Terry. lie
has made a report concerning the management OF
my office. and am prepared to prove every one
of his statements false.
Nobody paid any attention TO Mr.. Levy out
Mr. Terry, at the Mayors request, proceeded 10
give his reasons for believing that the REGISTERS
estimates could be cut $4,000. The Commissioner
produced a typewriter document with paranel
columns Of figures and read comparison OF the
cost of the Registers Office last year with the cost
the last year under the fee system He took up
the employes one by one told what their duties
were gave their salaries and pointed out wnere
reductions could be made. When he had finished
the total of these reductions s527O0. The
Register sat as one stunned. but Controller Fitch
was not at all disturbed.
You are satisfied" he asked, that these reduc-
tons can be safely made?"
Il am" replied Commissioner Terry.
Well" continued the Controller in view OF
the fact that the Registers office is about to
change hands. don't think Mr.. Levy will object
] move that the sum OF s52.5oo be deducted from
the $3.50 $50 requested by the Register, making the
appropriation for 1886, s17,55O.
Mr-Terry suggested that the reduction be not
carried beyond $50 000 but the Controller adhered
to his motion. On call of the roll 1t was lost
The Registers appropriation was then fxed at
$S0250. The item for copying the records was re-
duced from sl9.SO0 to $1,000.
I'm glad I'm not expecting d reelection" was
the solace Mr.. Levy gave himself, as ne sought
the exit from the Mayors office.
The estimate made for the Bureau Of Accounts
by Commissioners Terry and Dennis was $4,000,
an increase of $4,000 over 1925. This Mr. Terry
said was absolutely necessary 10 carry on the
Investigations needed. Some departments had
not been examined for five years He spoke or
the shortcomings discovered some time ago in the
Public Administrators office, where irregular-
ties began in 1890 and said the Commissioners
low were trying to discover whether centain sig
natures were genuine. Checks, he said, had. been
rdiSed referring t0 the defdiclttOn Oh AfnvlutJ
Il. Miller q bOORkeeJer in that office, now dead
President Barker and Controller Fitch SAID
that they were willing to vote for the sum asked
for. provided the Mayor. to whom the Commis-
sioners Of Accounts were responsible, was salts
fed that the amount was needed. Controller
Fitch suggested that reports should not he given
cut Just before election time next year
I'VE have two mora reports which we could
get out before November g." said Mr.. Terry but
we are purposely withholding them until after
election"
rba Mavor .houqht that se5 900 would be the
proper figure for the Commissioners Of Accounts.
and the allowance was settled at that About
$4,000 of the 10000 specially authorized last
spring by the Legislature for investigating city
departments has not been Ised by the Accounts
Bureau. and goes back into the treasury.
When the library appropri alton was taken up
Mayor Strong said that the city library in the
City Hall had been sadly neglected in the past
records and books had not received proper atten-
ton, and IL was common report that books hal
disappeared. He said that the Legislature should
be asked to pass bill permitting the recopying
of mutilated records and providing a proper
place for the library. its present quarters being
inadequate.
The New-York Free Library received $4,000.
the Aguilar Library $4,000 the Webster Library
1000 and the Mechanics ard Tradesmens Ii
brary $1,000 The Increase allowed the libraries
over last year amounted TO $1,000. -,
The Fire Department was then considered.
President La Grange secured $1,000 increase IN
the salaries because of the newly annexed terri
tory. He said that he wanted to establish nine
new companies there. each TO consist of hVe men
ana Il captain iHt N'HIdHIcS Nti' IoN ~ ~
equipped with engines. as the water pressure
sufficient o.
The total amOunt asked for by the Fire Com
mssoners 81 .23S. or more than S5Oo,0Oo
over last years appropriation. The Controller
said that the amount was too high. He had be-
fore him the figures granted in former years.
They were In 1892 50 300 OO0 in 1898 80 200 000 in
1894 80 24O 600 and in 1925. S2oS40O0 The Commits
sioners said that the increase was caused part
ly by mandate legislation raising salaries. The
salaries increased by law amounted to S312140
The amount allowed Professionally s., 1884. =
55S Controller Fitch declined 10 vote. saying
that he had some data 10 bring forward concern
ing insurance companies. which would rroba bly,
change the amounts when the final estimates
were considered in December.