New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-28
ABOLISH SHER|FF'S FEES,
SAYS REPORT TO MAYOR
$4,000 a Year Too Much, Say
Accounts Commissioners,
Revealing Waste.
CLUB" NEEDLESS
Summer Duty of Two "Engi-
neers," Who Get 81 so a Day,
Is to Care for Kitchen
Range and Water Heater.

legislative action limiting the compen-
sation OF the Sheriff to his present salary
Of $1,000 year. and providing that all
fees collected through the Sherif's office
revert to the city. is recommended In
report 10 Mayor Gaynor by the Commits
sioners OF Accounts. following an exam
ination OF the accounts of the Sherin
Office.
The law allows the Sheriff half the fees
Of his Office. Thus. julius Hamburger. In
cumbent. has an annual income OF some
thing like $1,000 above his salary OF ST.
90. The highest salaried official In the
city government Is the Mayor. who re-
ceives $4,000 year.
Ludlow street fail, for tho detention OF
civil prisoners, and popularity known as
the "Alimony club" is an unnecessary
burden on the city treasury and may be
dispensed with. the Commissioners agree
IL is recommended that provision be made
whereby the Department of Correction
would care for the few prisoners the
Sheriff is now called upon TO look after,
and that the property be turned over TO
the Sinking Fund Commission. 10 be sold
or uStd LOT OtIl'I Iuilps'''
Too Many Employees.
II tho county iail Is continued under
Tho Jurisdiction OF the Sheriff. however,
tho Commissioners are emphatic In de-
clar,nr that the present staff OF officers
and employes be reduced. As an instance
of needless expense In the management
of the iail, the report mentions two ell
plneers." each receiving 81 % a day. seven
DAYS in the week, to look after steam
heater such as is found in the average
dwelling house.
In summer their duties are confined to
the care Of Kitchen range and water
heater. The engineers" the Commits
sioners learned, had been allowed vaca-
ton of three weeks. with pay, in the
summer. a violation of provision In the
CITY charter. 1t Is urged that one OF them
be discharged.
Sheriff's Revenue Increasing.
For purposes of comparison the Com
miss,oners selected two periods or SIX
months each, one from January !, lsll,
TO June 30. 1911. when John 5. Shea was
Sheriff; and n second, covering the same
months in 1912, under Sheriff Harburger's
administration The fees In which the
Sheriff and the city were joint partici-
nants during the first half of 1911 amount
ed TO 81. s3s g. OF which Sheriff Shea re-
ceived So, 9l9 IS and the city $23,9l9 q. For
the first six months OF 1912 Sheriff Har
burger received $50, All II and the city $780,
Az 20.
Using the first six months OF the years
1911 and 1912 as examples. the Commits
siorers OF Accounts declare that the Sher
IFS fees are increasing at rate Of
about $1,000 a year, while on the other
hand the taxpayers are expanding each
year for the maintenance OF the Sheriff S
office sum considerably I'm excess of the
fees received by the city.
The net cost to the city OF maintaining
the Office was siS.39i 20 In the first six
months of 1911 and $52059 % in the first
half of the following year. Had the fees
received by the Sheriffs during these
periods been paid to the city Instead. the
excess OF cost over income would have
been reduced In the first instance. by
S23,9l9 IS, and In the other by $O.44I IL.
The Sheriff would have still received a
salary of $1,000 a year. which. the re-
port states. would appear adequate for
the services performed