The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-01
Bill to Be introduced at ALBANY
Creating Division Of
Administration.
Is FAVORED BY BRUERE
Act Will Abolish Present Offics
Of Commissioners Of
Accounts.

| a dOOisHIHH inc OTnCe OF tOn.
nnssioners Of Accounts as now cons,,.
tuted and creating in its place a division
OF administration OF the Mayors Office
| with a single head and two deputies. win
sweeping powers OF investigation in and
outside Of city departments. will be In.
troduced in the Legislature Tomorrow
| 1t is based upon a report by Chanlber
| lain Bruere. which Is approved By Ray.
mond Il. Fosdick ex-Commissioner Of Ac.
counts. and is presented by Mayor Nit.
chei. who also formerly held that pos.
The general purpose Of the exchans.
is Indicated by these sentences from IN.
Chamberlain's report TO Mr. Mitchell.
| Executive leadership is the grea, ad.
nninistrative need Of the city governme,.
In the past the Mayor has been slngl.
, handed and Enthusiastically inpoten,
The agency Of inquiry and administrat,y.
reorganization should be a part OF the
executive department.
Would Keep Mayor Informed.
| Under your programme of making tina
| Mayor In fact as we'll as in name thu
| executive and administrative head Of Nh,
government. the Office would be not only
| the means of keeping the Mayor informed
|
would be OF constructive and helpful ser.
| vice to the departments themselves
At present each OF the two Commission.
ers Of Accounts gets $1,000 a year The
| new Commissioner Of Administration
would probably receive $500 and each
! of his two deputies. one OF whom must
| be lawyer and tie other an efficiency
| expert or a specially qualified accountant,
$4,000 apiece. The budget for the presen,
would be no larger than that OF the
Commissioners of Accounts.
II this bill becomes a law the Com.
missioner may compel the attendance ~
| any witness or any books or records by
subpGna--a privilege heretofore doubtful:
, may investigate the relations Of any per.
son. firm or corporation with the ci,y
| or its counties and may make spec!al
examinations of the accounts and meth de
| OF any department. board. mm.ssi1H.
| bureau or office which has an Office in the
| city or any county therein. and the
| salaries OF whose officers are paid In
whole or in part. directly or indirectly,
from the city treasury.
These powers are similar 10 those o.
| the Comptrolers office. Mr.. Fosdic..
said last night he thought they might be
| construed as permitting the Commissioners
| Of Administration to go so far as TO H.
vestigate the Public Service Commits.
| sion. whose Commissioners. counsel and
| secretary are paid by the State, buy
whose other employees are paid by the
| city
Com missioner Removable by May0S.
/ The bill amends Section 40 and Sec
ton 1875 of the city Charter. II makes
| the Commissioner OF Administration ap.
pointable and removable by the Mayo.
Once IN three months the Commission,
would have to examine the accounts ~
. a
give the Mayor detailed Statement ~
the city's financial condition. He would
also make special examinations OF de-
partments at the request Of the Mayo
All officers or employees under the
present office OF the Commissioners ~
Accounts would be transferred to the
new division.
In his report Chamberlain B-ue-e
points out that Mayor Gaynor reoog-
nized the need for a single Commissions
| OF Accounts by falling to appoint Sc.
ond Commissioner during the term o.
Commissioner Fosd!ck. He says that 4;
| addition to its examination OF depart
| mental conditions the plan is to have tie
new division inquire into such qu' stiors
az unemployment, the cost of living "anf
| other social policies to determine 'H"
data upon which municipal policies may
be determined.
Much OF the energy OF the Comm
has been devoted to unnecessary dur.
cation OF work of other branches % tie
| city government. This is especially 'rur
| he says. of the Department OF Finance
which appears TO have been run zoo
| much az an independent agency Nithou
regard to the general programme.
| Thinks Expense Of Audit Too Hish.
The new division" says III" repu.t
lis to serve as an agency always aNau'.
| bic to the Mavor to accomplish NithNI'
| delay. so far rs Charter and ordIua' -"
provisions permit, the removal Of 80
| stacles TO efficiency and economy aTi
| the promotion of more effective work on
the part OF municipal agencies respo.
| sible TO him"
The present Commissioners of Accu.r's
| office has ninety men on the payroll
| salaries aggregatiug $4,000 and an 81
| ditional allowance OF $4,000 for ten
poraiy expert service Fourteen Mon
are employed and s26, 600 a year sptW
, on the audit of the Chamberlaiu.s 3'-
| counts. Mr.. Bruere says that the c\-
pense of this audit il too high, that lie
| finds from his own experience as Chat
berlain that it is not effective and That
recommendations for improvement made
i by the Bureau OF Municipal Research
| 1907 have not been put into effect.
Except for the routine aud,t>. -
| says. mo study is under WAY Of any O.
| portant character. The entire for.
waiting reassignment and the WAY is Co.,.
| tirely clear to the introduction Of u 'rN
programme"
lie says that reforms suggest
| forty reports submitted by the Go.
| sioners OF Accounts last year have -
| been adopted by the departments air'''i
| He suggests that acting Commas. ~
| McGinlev ask each department Wh' 60
proposed reforms We're ignored .'H
| recommends that they hc ad"
| Among these reforms are the ah.'
of the Brooklyn Discipliuary Tr,
| School. the abolition Of the county ..
| OLudlow streeD and transfer az
prisoners to the Department uf tn.'
| tion. that details Of inspection Of '.|'
| Ing picture shows he sent to each l'
ough President and Fire Commits .'.
| with n view to remedying dangeruus
| dtions that the Penal Law he ann '.l
| to prevent body snatchlng by 49,
| takers and that immigrants shuHt
! more carefully examined by the H'H.l
| Of Health.
Mr., Bruere credits David Ferguspi
pervlsor of the Guy Record, with ha'
| suggested, in n memorandum 10 Nh''.
Kline. the creation Of Il "Departn'u
| Administration" with "A single head. -
| MI n serious gap in the existing Cove