New-York tribune., 1899-02-11
RENDER STARTS OUT TO SAVE
M MORE WASTE on THE STATE CAP
ITOL FORCE.
b, STATEMENT RY THE SUPERINTENDENT

=. STATEMENT BY THE SUPERINTENDENT
OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AS TO PRES
rNT AND PAST DEFICIENCIES.
.,hanv Feb lO-Since II. II. Bender, Super
.,tandent Of Public Buildings. went into office.
- February l. he has been investigating the
erarc,al condition and needs Of his Department.
A, the result OF his examination he has just
,oode q report 10 the Trustees OF Public Build
,nos from, which it appears that he came into
oFace with only SS922 81 OF Department funds
On hand. and that to meet the deficiency and
,,uo,,de for the maintenance of the Department
sror, now until the end Of the current fiscal year,
senternber 80. even on the most rigidly econom-
,co, basis he will require $2l29JI ~. OF this
sr,ount s4491ss SO is reeded TO cover bills rem
dsrsd 10 and debts contracted by his predeces-
.o In discussing the deficiency Mr. Bender
said:
r+,s the legitimate fruit Of the "rOb-Peter-to-
,a,, paul" policy which has been in vogue I'm
- Department of Public Buildings Tor years.
II seems that the practice mas peeh 20 CHntr"SS
dshts in anticipation of the appropriations oI
~ f,,nds with which 10 meet them, and as a
conseoucnce the money which the l-eglslatuIe
- made available for the use OF the Depart
-, for specific year has necessarily gone, TO
a considerable extent. 10 settle accounts OF 'He
previous y ear . - ,l.ie.d ,,,de~ former
s.-nr,,terdeuf Dciehanty who has made
t.o,,,y, IN the contrary in the public prints
aS o,lv show the following facts which. now
sver I DO in no controversial spirit Dut SNIP!
- rrete The situation clear: When Mr. Dee
baDtv went out Of ONCE. on fehruaIE l. l'''''
accor5ine 10 the records of the Department ne
isf, balance on hand Of 23l6O - with eight
,,n,tbs Of the fiscal year for which MS appTo-
nriation was made uneXpired. from fcpruaiS
- ond i,,cluding September 80 1924 the cor
resnonding eight months of the preceding nscaI
,ear, his own payroll alone amounted 10 Sll''-
3e9 al This taken as a basis. would leave only
e. -QG n for his successor with which 70 meet an
80 other expenses of the Department Tor tAe
balance Of the fiscal year. or less thah SI''V d
r,onth--a manifestly dspTOporuonate ana lhsui-
Ncient sum only two nferences are posslple
.roro this state OF things. viz That MI Dele
hanty was the victim Of the bad habit nave
auuded 10 or that he was exceedingly Wld III
Sc estimate of expenses for the year III ques-
lion The circumstances all point TO the FORMER
horn Of the dilemma
DO not propose TO continue TINS way oi us uolhs
business and in order TO put the Depai lneItI ~ OH Oh
q sound footing with no legacy or dept from
nrevious administrations ] have careiully pre-
nared and submitted TO the trustees OF fupic
RnDdincs an estimate Of the absolutely heces-
sarv expenses Of the Department TOT tne lc
r-ainirg eight months Of the fiscal year. That
saving can be effected and the standard OF EN-
ciencv in the Department raised at the same
time bv busnesslike methods my Investigations
warrant me in confidently predicting. ,,
In the matter Of the payroll purpose making
q saving Of about $1,000 month, or aboul ="
,,er oent OF course. this means that every III,
rompetent and inefficient man ana woman wiz
be dismissed. and that all places not actually
necessary 10 the interests OF the STATE VIII DE
abolished The employees who serve IN the DV
nartment during my incumhency VIII ne ueaIVu
with fairness and mpartiality but they VIII DE-
expected and required to do days work TOT
days pay. -, 49, ro 1I,,
/ consider that the Department has been paaIy
demoralized IN the past by the want OF proper
organization and discipline, and the failure 10
NM che right man in the right place NhHe
SO far as ! can discover. the employees mere are
In the main willing and faithful, some OF mem
who would he valuable In certain Dranches "l
the service are in positions wholly unsuited 70
their capabilities ] find also that portions Oh
the work suffer because Of divided responsibility!
for its performance. These difficulties In the
1rs,, of giving the State full value for It's money
7 shall 10 the limit OF my ability speedily re-
move. -,,,., .,
| desire to make one statement very empift"-
cslI,, and that is that have no intention OF re-
Aecfing in any manner upon my predecessor :
integrity OF act purpose. The present sltua-
,,on I regard as the result of system rather
than a personality, which II is obviously easier
for a new than an old incumbent 10 correct ana
rro0tnc by the experience Of those VINO nave
zone before me- ] earnestly desire, and shaH as
earnestly insist. in starting right ana IN stand
ing or falling solely on my own administration
nd record