Year: 1873

means proposed.


The City Finances and tho Commits


sioners or Acc0unts-How Do We


Stand!


The city charter imposes very important
responsibility upon the Commissioners of
Accounts. They are the guardians of the
people, empowered to overlook and scrutinize
the details of the municipal departments and
are answerable for the efficiency and honesty of
all The law confers upon them the authority
to examine books, papers and accounts and to
demand from the Comptroller and Chamberlain
any information they may desire to obtain. 1t
is currently reported that these Commission
ers have not found in the Finance Department
q willingness to admit their authority or to
supply them with such information as is neces-
sary to proper understanding of our present
financial condition, but that they have found
the books. papers and accounts of the Comp
trollers Office terribly confused and almost
unintelligible. We do not know how much
truth there may be in these reports, for the
Commissioners Of Accounts have not yet
made a report There are some points,
however, to which we desire to direct
their attention, for we caution the Commits
sioners that should any embarrassment or
mischance occur in the Finance Department
of the city government this winter they will
be held responsible by the people equally with
the Comptroller. If they perform their duty
f,.& f,,1l o,,1 i,,0n IiSho
est they have full authority and opportunity
to discover the actual condition of the public
finances now, before any crisis has been
reached, and when thorough investigation
may save us from disaster.


We suggest to the Commissioners to ascer-
tain and make known to the people the actual
amount of city and county revenue bonds now
afoat which fall due this year or in the first
half of next year. 1t is impossible to obtain
this information from any statement which
the Comptroller has published, and it is esti-
mated by those in position to form correct
Judgment that the amount Of these bonds oan-
not be less than seventeen millions It is
the bounden duty Of the Commissioners of
Accounts to discover and report the actual
amount


1t is said that there will be due to the State
over four millions during the same period and
Commissioners of Accounts should look into
these figures, SO as to know exactly how much
money we shall need within the next eight or
nine months.


There is rumor that the Comptroller has
encroached upon the sinking fund to pay the
expenses of the city government The Com
missioners should investigate this matter and
inquire whether resolution to take six hun
dred thousand dollars out of this fund for cur
rent expenses Was not passed at recent session
of the Sinking Fund Board.


The amount Of claims now outstanding
against the city is unknown to any person
outside the Comptroller Office. The Com
missioners should unearth this information,
for these claims are in fact an addition to the
city debt, and they bear interest at the rate Of
seven per cent per annum.


There is clause in the city charter which
legislated out Of Office on May last, among
others, all the persons in whatever capacity
previously appointed by the Comptroller. This
vacated every position in the Comptroller's
Office and in all the bureaus attached to the
Finance Department. When the charter
passed the employees of the Comptroller and
the officials in the several bslreaus under him
were mainly the old attaches of the Connolly
regime, the legacies of the Tammany Ring.
We have not heard of the reappointment of
any Of these officers, and yet they are still
performing their official duties. The Finance
Department is full Of them, from head to foot.
They hold control Of important bureaus and
have the handling Of the books and accounts If
they have not been reappointed and their
appointments officially announced they are
not legally in the service of the city. 1t is the
duty Of the Commissioners of Accounts to in
quira into the official status of each Of the
Comptroler's employees, and to ascertain how
far he would be responsible as public officer,
under the law, in case of corruption or pecula-
ton. At present it seems as if many Of the
most important Of the Compuoller's subor-
dinates if guilty Of an official misdemeanor,
might successfully put in the plea that they
are not legally public officers.


The people will expect the Commissioners
Of Accounts to examine into all these matters,
and will hold them responsible if they fail to
do So The report Of the Commissioners will
be looked for with interest and not without
anxiety.


THE RETURN OF NJ. THEIRS TO PARIs.-Ex-
President Theirs has returned to Paris from
the country. 1t is stated that the sold man
eloquent hurried back to the city at the call
Of his friends, and for the reason that crisis
is at hand. The monarchists intend to make