New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-07
WASTE AND INCOMPETENCE.
REGISTERS WAYS SHOWN Up.
REPORT ON HIS OFFICE BY THE COMMIS-
sIONERs OF ACCOUNTS.


CAREFUL INvEsTIGATIoN-A LOT OF USE
LESS OFFICIALS WHO HAVE LITTLE TO
DO AND MAKE A BOTcH OF THAT
A SAVING OF $4,000 YEAR BE-
LIEvED TO BE POSSIBLE.
The Commissioners of Accounts will to-day
hand 10 Mayor Strong detailed report OF their
investigation of the Registers office. The report
records gross Irregularities and incompetency IN
the management of that Office. This investga-
ton was one result of IN appropriation OF >iv"""
made by the state Legislature to defray the ex-
pensey Of the Commissioners OF Accounts IN max
ing a thorough examination Of all or any OF the
city departments which they felt needed at
tention. The powers Of the Commissioners were
not limited and they had practically the same
scope accorded TO a Legislative investigating
committee This is their first report on any de-
partment.
1t first calls attention to the fact that prior 10
January l. 1857. the Register was entitled to alb
the receipte of his office and he paid all the as
sistants employed. Then the office was made
saaried one and all assistants were placed upon
salary The report shows that, while the work Is
practically the same as before, the expense
has increased enormously the salary list
iumping from s273s0 paid the last year
under the fee system TO ss3.5l3 IS paid In
1894 by Register Levy exclusive of the
Registers salary. The number Of employees
increased in the time from nineteen to sixty
two. The report says that more persons are en-
ployed than IS necessary" and that many have so
little to do that they absent for days at Time
Among other things the report says "A large
proportion of the employees have abeolutely no
qualifications for the positions filled by them
and cites examples In proof OF this. II says that
the charge Of the Registe. 10 the public for the
recording Of apers is almost always In excess OF
the law" This is proved by random selections
from the books The return Of fees for the In
spection of chattel mortgages is said to be much
smaller than actually collected.
In the department where books Of records are
reconied book which contained copied records
was taken at random, and fin twenty lines sixty
two mistakes were found. Others were In propor-
ton Gross favoritsm is shown by incidents OK
incompetent men being appointed to office In
one department where fifteen men are working
seven are former bartenders or ealoon-keepers
and several have kept saloons while drawing
sa larry from the city.
The man who was at the head OF the recording
department during the term of Register Fitz-
gerald was formerly employed on trains between
Chicago and New-York tending cattle The list
Of men employed in the office is given and the
gross incompetency of mary On the employees
noted The report shows that even criminals are
employed and men under indictment
II ends by saying that in the estimation OF the
Commissioners $4,000 a year can be saved the
city by a reform in this office
THE REPORT IN FULL.
| The report in full is as follows:
Hon. william L. Strong Mayor.
MI. tbo md
York prior to January l. 1881 personally en-
ted to all the receipts OF his office and from them
he paid the salaries of his employees on that day
law went into effect giving him salary OF N2W
year. and providing that the city should be entted
TO all receipts OF the office, and charged with the
expenses Of conducting the same. The net pront
to the Register for the year 1856 was about sc'vn
Under the present system the expenses OF con-
ductlng the office have increased enormously since
1886 while the business done Is about the same
with the exception of the searching. which mas
greatly decreased During the year 1886 there were
recorded in the I.bers Of Conveyances and Mort
cages S5.167 instruments, while the number similarly
recorded in 1894 1886 according to the state
ments OF the assistants to the present Register
The receipts OF the office, except for searches ana
certificates thereto. amounted TO &s.lO2 u In iseo
ana to s 79 80 in 1891 The fees received for searches
and certificates thereto amounted to sl3,5l7 20 IN
1856 and to S652i a in 1894
BY deiucting the payments made to the searchera
who were paid fees and the recording clerks, VINO
are now and always have been paid at the rate OF
five cents per folio for the copying actually done by
them we find that the total salaries paid by Regis
ter Reilly in 1856 the last year OF the fee SYSTEM
amounted to :27 $50; those paid BY Register sievn
in 1857, the first year under the salary system.
amounted to $33 523 o5 those paid by Register slevn
in 1889 the last year OF his term amounted to 49,
55l 81; those paid by Register Fitzgerald N 1892 the
last year OF his term. amounted To Ssi 469 %, while
those paid In 1891 By Register Levy amounted TO
SS5l5 s. all such sums being exclusive Of the SZcoJ
sa.lry of the Register himself. The number OF reg.
ular employees. except the searchers and recording
clerks increased from ls in 1886 to 62 In 1884.
AN UNNECESSARY INCREASE
The adoption Of the block signal system Of index
inc which went into effect January !. 1891. made
necessary the employment of eight index clerks
Instead OF five the number employed under Register
Reilly. THIS number N our opinion. has been un-
necessarily increased thirteen. These three add.
tlonal men, two more custodans and another clerk
in the chatte mortgage department, are the only
employees now necessary in addition to those en-
poyed under the fee system This extra force
should not cost over Sc. .,O
Many mere persons are employed than are at all
necessary and the majority of them have little
TO do that hey irregular in attendance some
being absent for days at time. others attending
merely for a few hours day. Groups Of them
can be seen at any time standing together In the
building discussing matters In no way connected
with the office work. The only reason for the
large Increase in the force has been. apparently.
the desire to create places for persons. The APP
pointment OF the present Deputy Register by Reg
lister Fitzgerald in 1892 may be cited as an example
OF the way IN which places have been created prior
10 that time there had been chief clerk tho
Deputy Register and Assistant Deputy Register
being the only persons found necessary for tho
general management OF the office In that year
NJ. Hanley. who had been Deputy Register for
considerable period made chief clerk al
salary OF 5000 year. and Mr.. Won Claim was
made Deputy Register at "A salary of 5000 year.
The latter had had no experience whatever in the