New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-04
City Is Near
Default Twice
In 6 Months
On Verge of Failing to
Pay Interest on Indebt-
edness, Says Craig.
Blaming the Chamberlain
Supports Removal Bill
Comptroller Asserts Office
Is $4,000 Sinecure' and
Causes Much Confusion

In a memorandum in support Of the
bill now pending before the Legislature
TO abolish the office Of City Chamber
lain. Comptroller Charles L. Craig yes
terday declared hat the Chamberlain
was not only a 'superAuous and unnec-
essary functlonary, U the arbitrary
exercise OF assumed power by him
plsys havoc IN every direction with the
eliy's business and puts a blight upon
It's credit and fair name"
Inc Comptroller points out that the
Chamberlain is she head Of one of thu
eight bureaus in the Department A.
Finance. and that the Comptroller il
responsible for the proper functioninc
o. all these bureaus. This control 10
Intellectual. however, he says. in tho
case o. the Chamberlain, who ia an
appolntee Of the Mayor, although the
charter contains no express provision
authorizing such appointment"
Called Highly Detrimental
The action of the Chamberlain in
proceeding according TO his own per
sonaI lnclnatlons IN the deposit of city
moneys, the Comptroller states 10
highly detrimental to the handlinc ~
the cltys finances.
Any system under which the head
OF a bureau in the Department If
finance, without consultation with the
Comptroller and according to his own
personal i~nclinations. can switch
moneys from n depository to m
o'aer,, says the Comptroller, SIS bound
70 De mighty detrimental to the city. An
illustration of this is found in the fact
that twice in the last six months tho
city has all but ~defaulted in the paw
rnent OF its debt when due because the
warrants drawn by the Comptroller
could not De paid, as the Chamberlain
not only had withdrawn the deposi+.
from the accounts against which tho
warrants were drawn, but refused 70
transfer any moneys to such accounts
TO meet the warrants. The only wav
IN watch the Comptroller could avoid
8 oelau!r IN payment Of the city debt
under sucn conditions was to keen q
force OF subordinates at work nearly
al night long drawing new warrants
upon q bank specified by the Chamber
lam where the Comptroller had to relv
upon the Chamberlain to leave mon.y
On deposit long enough for the war
rants to be presented and paid.'
Denies Need a 8 Safe1uxrd
Comptroller Craig disputes the con
lention OF Chamberlain B%erolzheimer
mat the Chamberlain serves as a check
upon the operations Of the Comp
trolier's Office, and that no such check
would exist if the Office Of Chamberlain
were abolished. The Comptroller SAYS
that the safeguards against improper
payments are entirely complete without
any reference to the Chamberlain. He
points out that no warrant can be
signed by the Comptroller EXCEPT uoon
vouchers examined and allowed BY an
auditor Of accounts; that all such war
rants must be countersigned by the
Mayor, and that the Commissioner of
Accounts is required to make exanina-
tons OF the receipts and disbursements
IN the Comptroller's Office and all other
apartments making returns to the
Comptroller.
The abolition of the Office Of Cham
oerlaln has been advocated for q great
many years" says the Comptroller,
but, as q sinecure carrying a salary Of
$4,000 a year, opposition has hereto
lore IN an unobtrusive OBJ
strucsed the passage Of such legisla-
ton"