Year: 1879




Merchants.


1t does not appear to be any legitimate
part of the duties of the Police Commits
sioners to purchase cleth for policemen's
uniforms and sell it again at an advance to
the members of the force. 1t is perfectly
true that uniformity in the material of
which the uniforms are made is essential,
inasmuch as the force would not present
creditabie appearance ON parade or else
where if no half dozen suits were similar in
shade or color. But this uniformity could
be as well secured by contracting for the
supply of cloth with cne or two responsible
houses, as by establishing Police Board
agency of an Objectionable character and
capable of leading to gross abuses.


The supervision of this cloth agency
business for two years, from June, 1876, to
April, 1878, has got Commissioner Wheeler
into new trouble. The Commissioner of
Accounts in n report published in to-day's
HtRALD informs the Mayor that he has ex-
amined the accounts of this clothing and
equipment bureau, as he styles it, and finds
that in the period mentioned Mr.. Wheeler
received from the force for uniforms little
over ninety thousand dollars and paid out
tor cloth about eighty-two thousand dol
lars, leaving an apparent balance in the
Commissioners hands of little more
than eight thousand dollars. This is,
however, reduced two thousand dol
lars by receipt not yet on file, making
the alleged balance about six thousand dol
lars. The Commissioner of Accounts claims
that this money should have been paid
over to the City Cham berlain as promptly
as received, while the balance has in fact
remained in Mr.. Wheelers hands since
1878 1t is by no means clear that the
Chamberlain has anything to do with the
money. Every policeman when appointed
has to buy and pay fer his uniform. The
Police Commissioners require that he shall
purchase the cloth of them and have it
made up at his own expense wherever he
may please. The city has no interest in
this transaction and it is not the city's
money. But if the Commissioners make a
profit out of the business they make it out
OF the men on the force, and it is very
small and contemplate transaction, be-
sides being in conflict with the law. It is
fair to the Police Commissioners to say that
the advance they charge the men over the
price paid for the cloth is claimed by them
to be only for their protection against any
loss by under-measurement in the whole
piece and over-measurement in dealing out
the required lengths to the men. If so, the
balance on hand should have been paid
over by Mr.. Wheeler year ago to the
person who then took charge of the
clothing and equipment business, as
it belongs to that fund. 1t may be
remarked, however, that there would be no
deficiency in the measurement if the cloth
were supplied by a responsible firm ON con-
tract while the policemen would save the
extra price charged to provide against such
an accident. Commissioner Wheeler asserts
that if he has any balance belonging to the
fund in his hands he is ready to transfer it
to the proper person rs soon as he ascer-
tains the amount But the general care
lessness and unreliability Of the depart
ment's management is shown BY the fact
that this clothing and equipment account
has apparently never been balanced. and
that six thousand dollars of the money
could remain tor year or longer in Com
missioner's hands without his knowledge
or the knowledge of any of his associates or
of any of the officers and clerks of the de-
partment.