The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-22
TO OVERHAUL CITY BOOKS.
COMMISSIONERS OF ACCOUNTS TOLD
TO SPARE NO EXPENSE.

ana the Beard or Rducation Accounts
Locked Into RspeoiaIy-No plO0. o for
DreeEiyn Newspapers- Coroners' saiariss.
The Commissioners Of Accounts sprung o
surprise ct the Board Of Estimate meeting yes
terday By asking for $4,000 for tho expenses
Of their department for 1898. At least all tho
members Of tho board except the Mayor and
the Comptroller seemed to be surprised. Mr..
Van wyck apparently took the request as
though there was nothing unusual about 1t. He
even went SO far as to intimate that the amount
asked would DO granted, although It was nearly
three times as largo as tho APPROPRIATION made
In December for this year. Tho largest sum
heretofore granted in any one year to the Com.
missioners Of Accounts was $780, 900. which
was given to Seth Sprague Terry and Rodney
Dennis by Mayor Strong's Board Of Estimate
to 60 over the books Of tho preceding. Tammany
administration. The only deficit these Com
missioners discovered. was $40 in the ac.
count Of q clerk in the Registers office. which
afterward turned out to be a clerical error.
Tho asking for so largo an appropriation by tho
present Commissioner of Accounts Is looked
upon as significant of the purpose Of Tammany
to better the instruction It got from its prede-
cessors In power.
Commissioner owen, who presented the esi-
mate, said that $40. 900 of 1t was for examina-
lions in tho boroughs Of Brooklyn, Queens and
Richmond, but as there Is u special corps Of ex-
pert accountants at work on the books Of those
districts, for whose expenses S104, 900 has al
ready been appropriated, II is safe to say that
the entire efforts Of the Commissioners of Ac-
counts will be directed to the affairs of the de-
partments which went to make up tho govern
ment of old New York.
: 81 understand that the books of many of the
--. 49, I-. a.. NhAA
30, Mr.. Oweni' asked the Mayor.
''Yes, sir" replied the Commissioner Of Ac-
counts. THE accounts of tho Board of Educa-
ton have nevor bcen looked into. 1t is also q
very long time since the books Of the Finance
DeIaTsmen (. The hsci Health h, Board 30 al, the ,b Tag xn De.
tors bureau have boen examined" >.
We'll. it's a good plan to go At them noy.
You ever make IN e~isa@ination, Of the expenses
mo, sir" replied Mr.. Owen.
did you ever look into the affairs Of the
Shore Road Commission on Long Islandf'
"Weli. Mr.. owen" said the Mayor grimly, "I
money as you win need to investigate the af-
Your ofice is at present the most important
bureau in tho oity Government, and we have
S SS' tS So 1SiY 7 G pno what sG Spe can ana fr ysaF e %6iis I do 5st
nothing but good q him; IN the arst PLACE, we
VAIN " W tuIh VI " oiO Nho Si0
now in the office of the Commissioners of Ac-
counts and get in their places good, active, ag-
and who can 60 against the Mayor, if necessary.
You must watch the Mayor Just the same as all
The estimate was then referred to the Comp
troller. There isn't the slightest doubt that the
Commissioners of Accounts will get every dol
i'l rh Sseg Ci Wig Service aSrii Board asked for $4,000,
an increase OF S48 900 over the amounts al
York and BROOKLYN. President Charles II,
Knox OF the Civil Service Commission said
OF rating L C Which was formerly done 81 by the Pc.
leo Department and the Street Cleaning De-
when were the new rules made under which
az can't say. exactly" replied MIR. Knox. but
That's it." said the Mayor, "As soon as the
old board found that the people were not with
. sasm o thss h ssssn to w RssS So sa'f The to m P51tssss F Of
this board. / removed them the other day, but
I can't recall their names"
colt, William Jay schieffelin," read the clerk
Of the board. -,
serz Aes r t9esS @sh R Inferrsp se e the s'a Mayor e''n l.
.,,JI Dc %, not wish to q %er dtndidI my Prssd tSs;. ora
are binding until new ones are made
IT should think'you ought to be aide to find
some way to undo their work. said the Mayor
and the estimate was turned over to the Comp
cY Wl Rs1ord 4. .i RstlG ssr r. s4ss s S9S' hfs o Of tho
included 100000 for municipal advertising in
the Brooklyn papers.
Who tSla y9p to put that item n your, e ss t.
well. somebody has been after. you about
after nearly every man connected witt the
present city government; move that the
nioipai II authority to 60 on record in this mat;
ter until 1t has been thoroughly Investigated"
EttrthaF a1NnD In his afafamAnf Mr. RlflaR
recommended that the 100000, be trans
f9rred 70 The Finance Department estimate.
cause 1t was indicated in the skeleton budget
sent to him by Comptroller Coler. =.
said ni a tho M to strike sf HSs ' ssocsiSn psp sas'S Win
have to be treated exactly, the same as the
New York IGPers. They n TtlI receive ely I pay for
more more The motion '" Was aeSopsed and and the esti.
mate was referred to the Comptroller.
Ing a salary Of SS1i2,6oo each for the two
$50 the Coroners of Brooklyn want a salary
well, they Won't get It," The estimate was
Manhattan asked for S73, 800, an Increase Of
$l6,soo over the amount sllowed by the old
patrick asked the board to fix the salaries of
the Coronsrs I'm this borough at s 5000 a year
sae@ . %ssls er sSSut Tie 'd dignity nsfye and IL The sp @ani-
fold duties of tho office. but the Mayor cut
we understand thoroughly what you want,
Coroner" no said.
Probably you do. Mr.. Mayor. but / think
you do not" retorted Mr.. Fitzpatrick. Tho
estimate was referred TO tho Comptroller. as
were the estimates of tho Coroners of Rich
m9nd, Queens and the Bronx, all of whom
asked for 1880 a year apiece.
Tho Justices of the Special Sessions of tho
Second Division, which takes in the borougbs
OF Brooklyn, Queens, and Richmond, asked for
$es,oo3.27. which included tho salary of three
ri don't SEQ what this court wants of three
interpreters," said the Mayor. 1T never sits
in more than one place at a time, and II tho
court is able TO move around, I think the inter.
prefer ought to be able TO move around, too"
The estimate was referred.
The Supreme Court Of the First Department.
for the salaries of Justices Of other depart
ments who sit here.
"How many out-of-town Judges are there
sitting In this Department. asked the Mayor.
Two at all times, and sometimes I'VE" re-
Piled Col. Wagstaff. clerk of the Supreme Court.
y should think we had enough to do to sup.
from the country, said the Mayor,
we ought to elect more Judges in New