New-York tribune., 1907-11-08
BINGHAM AFTER METZ.
"RLOCKS THE POLICE. :.
Sans Controller NegLects Depart
ment's Contingency Fund.

,.oor,;gsio,er bingham accused Controller Metz
Yesterday of holding up the work of the Police De-
psrtrnent and hndeTing the police In their enorts
10 catch criminals by refusing TO furnish any
,uone, 10 the contingency fund of the department
The Commissioner evidently angry when he
began his arraignment of the Controller and ac-
cused him Of blocking the work Of the police in a
manner which is purely trivial"
Mr. Metz did not seem to be worried by the lrate
commissioners remarks and said that he could
stand it If the dear public could. MI Metz said
De would pay the money when he got good and
ready
was made on the Controller September q for
&93 IS for the contingent expenses of the central
departments and station houses for 1907 Original
vouchers TO cover the amount asked for were sub
lnitted. ON October :, the Commissioner says
1he requisition and the vouchers were returned
with a memorandum made by Patrick H. Quinn.
auditor Of accounts showing the alleged nature of
errors.
The Commissioner says that the question was
then placed before the Corporation Counsel, who
sent a reply addressed to the Police Commissioner
and the Controller with the recommendation that
the Controller grant the Iequisiton at once This
request. the Commissioner says, has not been COM
piled with date. part OF the Corporation Coun-
sells opinion as gwen by MIR. Bingham. follows:
II would seem that the auditor has gone entirely
,po FAR in This matter The auditor Is subordinate
TO the Controller and should not, I think assume
overrule your decision in matters OF tnis Sort
think he should refer such matters J9 me & o
the objection Even if the auditor point were wen
taken it would entirely unnecessary mar IN LS
payment of large sums of money should be held
up because Of errors in few trivial items, 49,,
Police Comrlissioners judgnent should sGveIh ,IId
1t ~ questioned bv the Controller unless, indeed
that officer is prepared 10 charge fraud OF srosS
abuse Of power, and dlscreuoh-
In his comments Mr. Bingham said
The failure of the Controllers Office to provide
r-i+G,y fort he
gent fund has greatly hampered the work OF the
Police Department This contingent fund Is used
for the legitimate expenses of the detectives ana
plain clothes men of the force. To block tLe eI-
forts OF the Police Department in its endeaVors to
chase criminals embarrasses the Police Commls-
sioner and places the department in an untaVoraoe
light before citizens who expect results from the
police"
When he heard about the complaint Mr.. Metz
said
so Bingham has broken out again, has he?
Well, I guess I stand it. if the dear public
can Bingham did not get his money promptly
because he did not come around and make 1t clear
1lIat he needed 1t in a rush. He sent Pat McCar-
rem around to see me about it. Why didn't he
come himself? NcCarren hasn't anything TO do
with appropriations for the Police Department
and Bingham ought 10 know it-and that Ism [
any reflection on AIcCarrer either. I'll give Bing-
ham his money when get good and ready
4 report was started yesterday that many. po-
lcemen had found it necessary TO get their salary
checks cashed by saloonkeepers. who charged
commission of 10 per cent. Daniel Slattery Com
missioner Bingham's secretary, said ne didn
- think that anything of the kind had happened He
said that neither the commissioner nor he had
any difficulty in getting his check scashed and
that it was preposterous TO suppose that any
saloonkeeper would charge policeman anything
for doing him such service.
When Controller Metz asked about the re-
port he said:
How can / help it? I am doing the best 1 can
in this business" He went to say that all the
checks were drawn on the National City Bank and
that altogether they amounted to about 100000.
He. said that the checks We're made payable
through the Clearing House 10 avoid the trouble
that might occur If so many persons went to one
hank at once He said that the seven thousand
checks were issued after half the city deposit
tories mad refused TO handle the checks drawn or
them.