Year: 1872

receipts for rents and penalties The other
reforms made in the department are numerous
and valuable, and with friendly cooperation
on the part of the Comptroller they could be
still further increased. AS the Department Of
Public Works includes the control of the Gro
ton Board, its proper management 10 of the
utmost importance to the city.


Subjects for Explanation-Win Comp


tSoiler Greon Let Us Have Light


There are two subjects upon which the pub
lilo would no doubt be pleased to receive some
light from Chat Watchdog Of tie city Treasury,
Comptroller Green, who has rendered such
valuable service in the cause of municipal
reform, and whose honesty is as notorious as
the unfinished condition of tho new Court
House. The first is suggested by the resolu-
ton introduced in the Board of Aldermen by
Alderman Gels directing the Comptroller to
report to the Board, at its meeting to-day, the
amount of arrearages of rent and interest now
due the city, especially by the New York and
Erie Railway Company, who appear to have
held possession for some years Of the valuable
property, formerly occupied as'their principal
Offices, on Duane, Washington, Reade and
West streets. without paying dollar for
the same since 1868 In conver-
sation held with Alderman Gels by
HERALD reporter yesterday. and pub
lished this morning, it will be seen that the
Erie Railway agreed to pay five per cent an
nually on the appraised valuation of that
property in consideration of twenty years
lease commencing from january 1, 1868, and
that the property was appraised at two hundred
and twenty-five thousand dollars, which is
said to be much less than its value. The
rent upon this valuation, however, would be
eleven thousand two hundred and fifty dollars
year, or in four years up to January next
forty-ive thousand dollars. Not q cent Of
this amount, Alderman Gels asserts, has ever
been paid, and he charges that Comptroller
Green, coming into Office on reform prin-
ciples, should have looked sharply enough
after the city's interests to have col
lected the amount due, if not sooner,
at least as soon as his fellow re-
former, General Dix, obtained entire pos
session of the funds and business manage
ment Of the Erie road. In addition to this
Erie swindle, Alderman Gels charges that the
arrearages of rent for docks and slips and for
ferry fees amounted in May last to nearly half
q million dollars, and that the Third Avenue
Railroad Company, with direction of promi-
nent city performers" has never paid one
dollar of personal or other taxes since the
company was first inaugurated, in 1859, to the
present day. As the Comptroller's duty is to
see that all arrearages are paid and that no
one swindles the city by evading taxation or
neglecting payment of moneys due, that
officer will probably have some reply
to make to Alderman Gels charges


It seems difficult to believe that Comp
troller Green, who will not suffer
clerk to draw days pay for work not actually
performed, or o scrub woman to include
holiday in her weekly bill, would neglect for
more than year to collect thirty or forty
thousand dollars arrearages Of rent from o
wealthy corporation controlled by fellow
reformers, or shut his eyes to the evasion of
taxation by one Of the richest railroad COM
panies in the city.





Green will probably vouchsafe reply is what
has become of the interest on the moneys re-
naming in the city and county treasury 1t
will be remembered that under City Chamber
lain Devlin the interest on the balances in the
treasury was claimed and appropriated by
that officer. A very large sum was then kept
on hand, for most of which the city had to pay
seven per cent interest," the money being
mainly the proceeds of bonds. The amount
realized by the Chamberlain through this prac-
tice was enormous, and the evil was loudly
condemned by the taxpayers and the press
Ex- Chamberlain Peter B. Sweeny voluntarily
gave up his right to the interest, if any right
really existed, and paid over the amounts to
the oity's credit. He received, we believe,
three and half per cent from the banks on
the deposits, and during his term Of Office
and that of his successor, Chamberlain Brad
ley, who kept up the practice, the fund
thus secured to the city reached some
five hundred thousand dollars There being
then no object in keeping large sums
of money in the treasury, the balances
ran down occasionally to two or
three hundred thousand dollars and probably
did not often exceed half a million. The tax
payers were thus saved the payment of heavy
interest. Since Chamberlain Palmers access
sion to Office we have heard nothing of this
interest fund. What has become of it Where
is it credited to the cityp Has it been paid at
all, or has Comptroller Green suffered the city
to lose itP


These questions are the more important
from the fact that the amounts in the city and
county treasury have wonderfully and repre-
hensibly increased until they have reached the
enormous dimensions Of from seven to nine
millions. We say 'reprehensibly, for on
this sum the taxpayers are paying at least
seven per cent interest. Three and half per