New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-14
CENTENARY OF An OFFICE.
HOW THE CONTROLLERS DEPARTMENT
HAS GROWN IN THE ONE HUNDRED
YEARS OF ITS LIFE

With no other observance than announce
ment by. Controller Cirout. the one hundredth an
nIvcrsary of the Controllers Office passed yester-
day II was on September l3, 1902 that the nrst
Controller OF the city OF New-York. Selah Strong.
was appointed by vote of the aldermen and as
sstant aldermen. Strong himself member
OF the Board Of Aldermen at the time Of his cleo
ton. Concerning the history of the office and his
predecessors Controller Grout said yesterday:
ION September 9 1902 the Board OF Aldermen
passed an ordinance outlining the duties IF the
new officer. the Controller. The occasion Il the
ordinance was the friction existing between the
aldermen and .hc city Chamberlain. who for some
reason failed furnish that body with the desired
account OF his financial transactions. Under the
new ordinance the Controller was authorized 10
act as the inarcial agent of the aldermen in the
liquidation of all claims due TO the corporation or
due by II to others; to see that moneys coHecteu
by other officials of the city were flly accounted
for and he was further directed 10 keep set OF
books. His office to he kept open nVe hours
daily. except Sunday The salary OF the Il" OIL
fixed at 81 800.
of the twenty-five men who nave occupied 'hls
office in the century following It's creation, Gar
rett II. Blocker who serEel Tor hfteen S'aiS Hoih
1876 TO 1881 has the record for longest continuous
service Andrew H. Green Theodore w Myers
and Azariah c. Flagg served FOR hVe years each.
In the last century the budget mas grown from
sl1O691 20 s9S69.600 IS; the valuation assessed
both personal and real from Sel.S640Sl. to 1881
71S. In the same period the population mas III
creased from g.. iS9 to S6S2.&O
For over fifty years the office of Controller was
practically unaffected by legislation. Then. IN 1885,
an act was passed making the term OF office -FOUR
years and directing that candidates for the ONCE
should be voted for separate tickets AL that
time also various such as that for the COL
lection OF city we're created
But the great changes in the office came aiter
the day OF the great Tweed Ring and the endless
corruptOns and scandals connected WIN 'he
Tweed regime" , co,.
Concerning the Tweed days. Controller circuit
said:
iniauity into which the Tweed regime punStd 'ile
city Of New-York during the Controilorship OF
Richard e. Connolly from 1869 to 1871, the duties
which fell his successor. tOntrouer AIure" II.
Green. were unusually difficult and trying An
enormous amount of work had to be done IN eN-
animation OF claims which had grown out OF the
Tweed regime and the audit and payment OF the
same for amounts justly due.
In 1873 what known ns the Reform mar
r,ade still further provisions FOR more bureaus
collections. THIS chatter tht
Controller the financial officer OF the city In all de-
partments except the police In this year the
citv and county were consolidated and the making
of bond issues begun Since 1913 tne CITY mas
authorized the enormous sum OF s516.2o4 vI "a In
corporate stock. The greatest growth as noticed
from the Controllers books has been made since
1880 From year until 1890 the budget in
creased about s5.000VOh. The budget increased be
tween 1850 and s5J.000OO1 the difference be-
tween <S5 600 900 and 100000. The employees OF
the Office on January last numbered $50. on
January l. 1897 the beginning OF the last year OF
the old city. the number was 700. against l6i in
and n