New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-25
CITY SALARIES AND VACATIONS.

The suit Of George g. Croker, brother OF Rich
ard Croker to recover money from the city sug-
gests to the taxpayers Of NewYork some causes
for reflection. Mr.. Croker held the place Of AS
sistant Clerk In the City Court. He was absent
for six months In Europe and sued the city for
his salary for the half-year when he was taking
q vacation. 1t was asserted In behalf OF the
plaintiff that the condition Of the air in the room
In which the sessions Of the City Court were
held was so bad that the Assistant Clerks health
became seriously impaired, and 1t was necessary
for him to spend six months In rest and recrea
ton on the other side Of the Atlantic in order
to recover his former vigor. NEWCOMERS have
observed with regret that the members Of the
Croker family are at times subjected to serious
and protracted losses Of physical force. Richard
Croker himself, when he was City Chamberlain
and was receiving $25, 900 year from the funds
Of the taxpayers, was stricken with some mys-
terious af1iction which made 1t necessary for
him suddenly to leave the metropolis and to
travel about Europe, SO that he might regain
his former robust condition. Ribald sceptics
pretended to discover some connection between
the sudden departure of Mr.. Croker and the in
vestigations Of committee from Albany, which,
1t was reported, intended to subject the City
Chamberlain to q searching examination as to
his knowledge Of certain abstruse problems Of
finance. 1t is deeply to be regretted that tho
members Of the Croker family have been SO
affected at times by their long and arduous ser.
vices In drawing money from the city treasury
for sinecure places that they were not able to
tolerate the atmosphere Of this capital except
after visiting Europe to acquire new stores Of
energy and endurance.
It seems that the Assistant Clerk Of the City
Court was permitted by the Judges to go on a
vacation, but most Of the Woodworking citizens
of New-York will take the view that vacation
of six months with salary was somewhat too
liberal an allowance for an assistant clerk,
whose usefulness to the court was scanty and
meagre But 1t has long been matter OF OBJ
seryation In New-York that the holders Of pub
lie offices who draw salaries from the city treas
ury think that it Is entirely proper for them
to take extremely long vacations without deduc-
tons of salary. The city Of New-York Is q
most liberal employer The Tribune has point
ed out in many editorial articles that the munic-
ipality pays q great many salaries that are
wasteful and prodigal in proportion TO the work
actually performed and the value Of the services
rendered. The rate of salaries throughout the
Most Of the city departments are overmanned,
and in most Of them many men hold positions
whose salaries are wholly excessive In relation
TO their usefulness. In fact, 1t would be hard
to discover among the tremendous army Of per-
sons employed by the city a single individual
to whom the city Is not extremely indulgent
and extremely generous.
The truth Is the scale Of salaries imposed upon
the taxpayers Of New-YOrk is so lavish that
every office-holder ought to feel 1t his duty to
work faithfully and with all his energy for al
| least eleven months In the year But 1t Is the
practice of District-Attorney Fellows and OF
many other ofice-holders to go away for weeks
and months at time when they ought to bt
hard at work In town. 1t would be easy to name
legions of officials who draw liberal salaries but
who give scant return to the city because they
are away from their offices for so many weeks
In the year, while they continue to take from
the public funds every dollar which they car
get. It was found in the Croker case tina
| Croker had been drawing q larger salary thal
| that to which he was legally entitled even wher
he was at work. This shows outrageous care
lessness on the part Of somebody, and 1t Is no
| at all clear that Croker was blameless in tni
matter. The whole case illustrates wildly tn
reckless was In which the money OF the tax