New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-23
WON'T SHEAR CONTROLLER
Continued from first rage.

powers Of the Controller to such an eX-
tent. They were only trying to simplify
tho language of the present charter,
which was rather complex. as every one
would OF course, acknowledge.
Mr.. Mathewson said lie wished the in
tentions of the committee as to audit had
been known by him before, as 1t would
have saved him the preparation of II
long argument. whereupon Senator Gull
len. meaning only 10 excuse the commit
tee. gave the entire thing away, saying
That was found out after We had
taken the recess"
Tammany Hail had devoutly wished
the powers of the Controller as to audit
curtailed to the last degree and has not
given in without a struggle. II is esti-
mated that to permit the Controllers
present power of audit to remain will
mean that the $3.50, 900 600 disbursed an
nually by the city will be subject to some
check other than that OF the heads Of
various departments.
The Controller now makes an investi-
CATION Of every claim in which notice
of intention to sue has been filed. and
no settlement can be made without his
approval. The proposed charter would
give the Corporation Counsel the eXclu-
sive right to settle all claims for less
than $1,000. Against the deprivation Cf
this power Acting Controller Mathewson
protested and Senator Cullen said MS
1n III *
doubtful. however, that the committee
will yield on this point, as Corporation
Counsel Watson is insistent that the
settlement of such claims should be left
entirely to the Law Department of the
city.
1t is conceded that the Controller
should have the power of approving or
vetoing all claims for 5000 or more,
and it is provided that the Mayor shall
agree to all settlements in cases involv-
ing $4,000 or more.
Mr. Mathewson contended that if an
examination by the Controller was good
in cases involving $1,000 or more, It was
Just as good and needfui in smaller
cases. He gave figures to show how the
amount of money paid out on such
claims had steadily decreased since the
Department Of Finance began TO look
into such claims. most Of them damage
claims of various kinds. The year be
fore the examinations by the department
were started the amount paid out was
S24S go %. The following year, 1908,
examinations were started, and the
amount paid out that year was only
$3.50. Isl. In 1909 it was S124,6j9 and in
1910 $50, 939.
Later i'm the afternoon Cornelius f.
Collins. Assistant Corporation Counsel
contended that these good results were
due entirely (" the activity Of his de-
partment He and Mr.. Mathewson had
a lively controversy over the response
bilitv for the settlement in a number of
cases given by name.
Mr.. Mathewson presented statement
showing that the mandatory increases
provided b. the proposed charter would
mean about s.. 1861 .000 year. His ac-
countants had estimated about SGT ooD
more than this. but he had cut the fig
ures. as he believed the estimate too
high. It was brought out that about
So. 600 900 OF the estimated annual in
crease would he attributable 10 the
school system.
Henry Bruere Of the Bureau Of Mu-
nicipa Research argued In favor Of the
creation of a department Of city reve-
nue., and suggested n number of techni-
cal changes.