Year: 1875

srs IN eacn case forwarded 20 YOU. may add that,
with exceptions inseparahe irom the employment Of
large numbers OF men, the inspectors have proved
themselves competent discharge their duties Your
own life demonstrates the TACT that men often
that they possess ability TO conduct other business
than that for which they were trained public
oaioer may be misled bY confidence reposed IN the
source Of recommendation, as you have occasion 20
know IN your own department You convey
false impression when you assert that a blind
appointed by me 10 be inspector. | have
the evidence OF the engineers Of the bureau In which
the referred 90 employed that he IS not blind,
and am assured that although the occasion OF his
first visit 70 your Office he suffering from tenn
IDrary injury 10 one eye, and accompanied by his
20 identity him for payment on the second visit
that defect did not exist Tho piece Of work-an un-
derground drain-whch he supervised has been I'm
shed and by competent engineers has been declared TO
be not exceed IN quality


The testimony that viii interest taxpayers
as 20 the economical conduct OF the affairs OF TINS de
partment viii be found in the comparative cost ol
equal work under my care and that heretofore con-
Quoted under the care of others. may, under the
circumstances properly anticipate my official annual
report and say that the saving TO the city VIII 20
over thirty three per cent for work of equal quantity
and quality. You scarcely claim credit LOT TINS.
! am we'll aware Of the danger OF prosecuting pubhc
work by days wages, and am aware that eyils may
system was begun and that II was advocated by you,
and that you for long time justified 1t and condemned
the contract system.


Here follows quotation from Mr. Green, strongly
ndorsng the days. work system for city work, espe
cially in laying of Croton water ppes.l


APpo0rxENrs


As the appointments, 1t has been the misfortune OF
our governments-federal, State and municpal-to
sideratiOus Even the Civil Service law OF
the federal government does not seem to
have lived active life. The Park Depart
ment has been exception in this matter Of poit-
cal Influences In making appointments TO Office. In
1869 the Park Department expended $6Ol 1 "a on the
Boulevard Improvement for days labor; and Ia the
fall Of that year Mr.. Fields elected to the Assem-
bly, rom the district in which the work located. 1t
may have been admitted by of my subordinates to
the Senate Committee that political appointments
made in this department; but truly assert that
no appointments have ever been made here unless
there actual work TO be performed for which
the applicants deemed competent II is also true
as stated before the committee, that in no case
where incompetency has been shown have hesitated
q moment IN removing tho officer have more than
requested you to indicate to the presence of
unnt or inefficient men in this department, but you
have kept silent upon that subject in direct commyni
cations TO me, and the Senate Committee was your pre-
ferred channel Tor conveying the information Those
who know you have no difficulty in divining reasons
for that course | am sorry TO say that from my
entrance upon the duties of this Office, / have
experienced nothing but interference on your
ul administration OF this department On the 18th of
April last you required me 10 dispense with the time
honorcd system OF ripcate vouchers which is one or
the strongest guards against fraud and IS the only
means oil keeping correct account of expenditures and
balances and in its stead you demanded that the system
OF single vouchers be substituted Under the former
system each creditor Of the city had TO give this depart
ment riplcates Of each bill; one OF these was Kept
here and was compared with the ripcate returned by
your department alter payment.


Actual collusion between this department and the
Finance Department had to take place under such
system to render fraud possible. Against my
STRANGE, you despotlcally broke down this safeguard
which could by no possibility do any harm. Under il
all reductions or changes ia accounts ware promptly
reported 70 this department Not only did your de-
partment ''audit and CONTROL /" but this department
had constant evidence of the exact change you
had made or the exact amount paid. 1t
had also the means OF fixing where II
Nigh. belong the rssP0psiby Isl for improper mp PEI,
uniform and simple riplcate record of the city pay
ments-almost aboshng the danger coming from ac-
cidental intentional destruction abstraction of
vouohers-you have broken up without assigning any
reason but 10 promote uniformity and simplicity in
the form of rendering accounts and this existed at the
time section of the charter, which was intended to
give you power to increase the security of the city in
matters of accounts, you have perverted and have
made source OF danger TO the Treasury discussion
TO what motives are Is not germane TO this note


THE OBSTRUCTIVE POLICY.


Notwithstanding your record as official favoring
large and unnecessary expenditures oil the puohc
money your present 'r0ie is that of reform and re-
trsnchment. To this reasonable objection will be
made. But anxious as all classes OF citizens are 10
adopt sound policy of retrenchment they will
promptly distinguish between mere obstructive
policy and genuine reform. Your interference with
the duties Of this department ever since your ac
cesson to the Comptronership has crippled It IN ex
tending the system for giving the city better supply
OF water and to il, through your influence Is mainly
due the failure to secure authority for additional mains
to increase the supply OF water in the lower aud bus
ness portions Of the city which were needed ana de-
manded as urgently as now for the preservation OF
property. notable instance of the damaging effects
OF your ODSrucve interference mas just occurred
fire which destroyed large amount Of property in Mas
and Ann streets few days ago could readily have
been checked had the Croton mains been laid which
this department. has been urgently asking the power
TO do.


you think property holders and insurers likely
to mistake your policy" these matters for true
economy, you underrate their sense and lnal judg-
ment


Finally had not forgotten that upon my accession
to this office you had the temerity TO say to upon
OCCASION which you have not forgotten, that il did
not rid myself of the influences about in this de-
partment and down there tpointing toward the
Mayors ofice), you would ''make feel your
power" The prompt apology which was required
from such exhibition of insolence TO have
been retraction of your words only and not aban
donmen Of the purpose to attempt what the words
pressed. During my continuance in this office shall


faithfully endeavor perform its dutlcs unconcerned
to the opinion Of one whose cooperation once
earnestly desired and by the side Of whose official
record shall fear comparison.


Respectfully, FlTz JOHN PORTER,


Commissioner OF Public Works