The New York Herald Newspaper, February 24, 1876, Page 4

t ROBINSON CRUSOE'S MONEY. The Island Statesmen Inflate the Finan- cial Bladder Till It Bursts. SYMBOLIC VALUES AND IDEAL WEALTH. Pictorial Beef—Illustrated Milk—Coats of Paint—Documentary Profits—Mul- tiplication by Division. ances Hard Money Truth at the Bottom of Mr. Wells’ Allegory. Mr. David A Wells has prepared an interesting little | work on the currency, intended to simplify the subject and bring it to the level of ordinary popular apprehen- sion, It is profusely and aptly illustrated by Nast and is | & vehicle of amusement as well as instruction. We in_ sert from advance sheets some extracts, which will give an idea of the felicity and pungency of its illus- trations:— SYMBOLIO MONEY. It followed, of course, that to have and enjoy any- thing and everything, it is only necessary to create and Use ils symbol oF representative; and 10 pay for value fecetved it is only necessary to imagine a correspond- Ing and equivalent value and pass it over in exchango And settlement, Son, then, it was decided by the three leaders of the plulosophers and their friends, who had control of the overnment, that (he future money of the State should based, The former inscription on the currency in use, “promise to pay,” they were clear, was en- tirely unnecessary; for why promise money'when the | store on hand of money was to be made practically un- | -lmited, or at least always equal to the wants of everybody who desired to have it, whether traded or not? Mathematical calculations were also made by a scientist, which proved that the amount o labor which would be actually saved to the community, and made available for other purposes, by using some- thing as money which cost lito or no labor to pro- duce, in place of gold or commodities which repre- vented much labor, would be so great as to require the tnmediate enactmont of a law prohibiting any one from working over six hours per day, m order to guard against the evilof too great abundance. The same tcientist had previously been so cartied away by his demonstrations of the utihty of a new stove which eaved hal the fuel that he had recommended the pur- chase of two stoves in order to save the whole, With few exceptions, to be hereafter noted, the whole | population of the island were jubilant, and’ proceeded as rapidly a8 circumstances Would permit to adjust all their commercial transactions to the new basis, But Joy at the prospect of the coming millennium did not | extinguish feelings of gratitude in the hearts of the people, and they resolved to send ample testimonials to all, in foreign lands, to whom they had been indebted for wisdom. IDEAL HONORS. To each of the judges who had so intelligently de- fined value they accordingly voted an ideal castle and estate, possession of the sume conferring nobility upon their owner, with the title of “Baron Ideality,’’ to which, by special patent, the recipient was authorized to use (if he pleased) the prefix of “damn.”” To the most notable advocate, in foreign lands, of the idea of aon-eaportable money a gitt of 1,000,000 of “instru. nents of association,” represented by ideal currency, = voted, But as this currency, both by law ana the Itness of things, could not be exported irom the isiand, | ible to pay this gift, and im its place a xplaining the circumstances, and re- questing that the resolution to pay might be accepted ts a “sign of transmii To the eminent financier who defined money “ ense of Value in reference to | currency as compared with commodities,” there was sent a plastic image of the ‘What Is It ¥” while to his | colleague, who had given the opinion that “the | less costly the material out of which money was made, | sho better tor the community which uses it,’ was sent & large box, contaming contributions of the most worthless things everybody could think of, with a | polite note requesting the recipient to make his choice | aut of the collection of what seemed to him best adapted as a token, and forward a detailed report of his experience in attempting to use it asa representa- lye of unrequited service. PICTORIAL BEEP, preparations of the government of Pending the slow the island to provi und use of the new money, Various enlightened imndi- viduals attempted to anticipate offictal legislative action Dy putting into practical operation, on their own ac- count, tue principles involved 1m the new fiscal system. ‘The first of these who thus acted was a secretarv forthe interior part of the island, whose chief business | was to supply the heatheu—for whom, it will be re- membered, Robinson Crusoe took up contributions— with beet, There bad been a suspicion for some time past hanging over this official that the heathen did not get all the beef that they were entitled to, but the sus- picion probably bad no further foundation than the in- Ability of the heathen to make the sense of completion harmonize with the sign of transmission, To satisfy ‘he heathen and at the same time effectually clear up 8 character, the official in question now hastened to have prepared a large nunrber cf pictures of fine, fat tattle, which he despatched by a Quaker to the heathen, with @ request that they would kill and eat and be sat- stied, adding, in a postserip lo begin to learn economy by Quaker never came back it was deemed reasonably cer- tain that, at least, the first part of the request had been complied with. PAINTED RAIMENT. The managers of the Island Provident Society also promptly determined to develop and apply the ideai system in their sphere of uselulness to 1 at circum: permitied. Thus a large part of the business of this old and respected society was the di tribution of clothing to the destitute; and, as is alway the case when times are hard, the extentof the d mands made upon it for aid’ tended to exceed the means of supply contributed by the charitable The | managers, however, knew that it would never answer in using the ideal ‘system to subserve the work of tharity to put the locally needy on the same footing 4s the heathen, and in answer to uppeals fur raiment distribute to them elaborate pictures of fine clothing, cut trom the fashion plates; for there was this essen- tiat difference in the situations, that the needy were at their doors, while the heathen were a great way off. They, therefore hit upon this happy mean:—They employed a com- petent artist, with a full supply of paints and brushes, and. when any destitute person applied for clothing they painted upon his person every thing he desired in way of clothing of the finest and most tashionabie_pat- terns, from top-boots to collars, and trom blue swallow. tailed coats to embroidered neckties, with jeweiry and fancy buttons to match, Of course, the first man who peared in | see thus arrayed created a protound jut the idea was so novel aud bad obvi- ously so many advantages over the old way o/ clothing one’s self that the supremacy of the ideal over the real was at once greatly strengthened. For exampie—and ere Was one of the greatest merits of the new system— it not only symbolized, but practically applied, the riews of the most advanced financial philosophers; lavored mocracy and less aristocracy in the clothes marke: ,”” «d encouraged the use of the leust costly material out which the community could make clothes; while the painted cotton, silk, wool and leather could be made to look so exactly ‘like the real articles, that it was only when the attempt was made to exchange the representative for the roal that the difference was clearly discernible. Furthermore, every garment de- vised in accordance with the new system Was, in all cases, a periect fit. The piague of butions was anni- hilated, Every man could save time enough in dress- ing and undressing to enrich himself, if he only em- ployed bis economized moments usetuliy. Every man might, without embarrassment, sleep in his cloth and i be desired to change his monkey jacket 363 times ina year for an overcoat, Gran overcoat for a moukey jacket, ho could do it most expeditiously, without the waste of any raw material more expensive than paint; and thus the system, aiter a time, by a happy thought, got | the name of the “three-sixty-live jnterchangea. ble.” Of course, this answered very well so long as the weather continued mild and pleasant, but later in | the season, when it became cool and frosty, experience soon showed that the warming qualities of different | Kinds of paint were not essenuaily diferent; that some- thing more than confidence was necessary to k the cold, and that the temperature and circulution of the body physical remained unaffected whether aman ted himself sky blue one day and pea green the xt APPRECIATION OF PROPERTY. Again, two shrewd fellows, Peter von Scrapehem and Israel Double, owned each a farm worth $10,000. Peter sold his farm for its full value to israel! and took & mortgage for the total purchase money, and Israel, in turn, sold his to Peter and took a mortgage also for its full value By #0 doing each of ‘hese worthy persons clearly doubiea the prop- erty in his possession, mmasmuch as while each bad at he outset only $10,000 worth of real estate, each now tad $10,000 of real estate and $10,000 of personal prop- Orly; OF an aggregate of $40,000 between them, in the place of $20,000 originally. This method of muitiply- ‘by property by multiplying titles was so casy, and the fesuits spparent, that tbe example was very geper- ally followed; and whe & few months aferward, m were amazed at the rease of wealth that had foliowed the ery of tithes, é THE GREAT MILK WAR. Up to this time the supply oi milk on the island had been mainly controtied by a single corporation, which, under the name of the “Lacteal Fiuid Association,’ owned ali the cows, and for the parpose of facilitating supply had long beon in the habit of issuing tickets, ood for a pint or a quart of milk, and dispos of milk vo those only who had tickets. These tickets revolved periectly in the closed cirele of exchange ve- tween the milkmen and their customers, satisfying all demands and being accepied as the same thing as mil for the more tickets, the more milk, and no tickets, During the war the cannibals, in lack of any ‘meat, bad eaten a large number of the cows be- the “Lacteal Association.’ Many had the government for the the war was over there On these conclusions of law and rea- | he | detho requisite laws, for the ivaue | e Tull extent | (as the orator-philosopher wishea) ‘more | out | simple recognition of the true nature and value | more cows than the island absolutely | NEW “YORK “HERALD THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1876.-TRIPLE SHEET, needed. All at once the “foot and mouth disease”’ in- vaded the island, and, attacking every cow belonging to the jation, rendered her unable to re milk. ‘Then arose such’ @ piteous cry from every household where there were babies as carried a pang to the stout- est hearts. There was no need of any concerted ac- tion, for the people assembled spontaneously and de- manded action, An immense public meeting was at once organized, A highly popular and humane man, a special friend of children, familiarly known as Uncle | Dick, was called to the chair, He was supported by a | long list of leading citizen: Vice presidents and er, had had any prac- | ce their childhood, ex- cept im the formof punch. The chuirman made an eloquent speech. He did not know whether he was most agitated by pity or indignation—pity for the poor | babies, whese sufferings had become intolerable; in. dignation at the cruelty of the chartered monopolist who had wantonly refused to issue more tickets at the | very time whon the demand for milk was most impera- | tive. MILLENNIAD MILK, | The assembly was of one mind with the chairman, | and uuanimously resolved that the Lacteal Association | } should immediately increase their supply of tickets, and hat, in default thereof, their charter should be altered and amended. Unable to resist the storm of popular indignation, the association at once complied, | and every patriotic citizen went home to the bosom ot | his afflicted family, carrying an abundant supply of | milk tickets, and feeling conscious that for once at | least he had risen to the level of the occasion. That | night the babies were all supplied with milk tickets in | | the place of milk. Milk tickets hot, milk uckets cold, milk tickets sweetened, milk tickets plain, milk tickets with their backs printed green, and interchangeable | with milk tic drawing cream skimmed from | other milk tickets. But, strange to say, the | Davies, one and all, with that same sort ol instinctive perversity which’ induces children of a@ larger growth to refuse to accept shams for reality, aud be | eee in additon, refused to take to milk tickets, he uproar of the night preceding was as nothing to the disturbances of the night following, and morning dawned upon an wnrefresbed and troubled population. OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF SUCKLINGS. As soon as the necessary arrangements could be made another meeting assembled. fut the meeting this time was composed of babies, backed by their | mammas and nurses. There was bo theory in their sentiments; and, though young in years, ove and all felt that they had lived Jong enough to know what their fathers apparently did not know—namely, the difference between milk and paper. The resolutions | voted were brief, but to the point, and wore substan- ually as follows :— | Pirst, that the exigencies of the times demanded more milk, and not more milk tickets; second, that the ‘way to get more milk was to have more cows; third, | that the way to get more cows was to go to work and raise them, or raise something else equally valuable, and then with this something else buy cows; fourth, | | that there are certain eternal verities against which tt | 1s useless for either babies or men to contend. A com- | mittee was appointed to. procure a mill ot the gods to | grind up those who disbelieved in the last resolution, and the meeting then adjourned. IDRAL PINT POTS. This was the first indication of anything like popular | dissent from the views of the Frieuds of Humanity. Others, however, soon followed. Value having been | declared to be an ideal thing, and ideal measures of | value having been substituted in the place of the real | and tangibie measures formerly im use, it had been deemed proper to substitute ideal measures of length, | weight and capacity in the place of the foot rules, yard | sticks, pound weights aud bushel measures formerly em- | | ployed. Shopkeepers, plumbers, charcoal men, gas | corporators and ail others who had anything to sell accordingly provided themselves with slips ot paper, | upon which Wore printed respectively, This is a foot, "3 | “Phas is a bushel,’? This is a pint,” *-This is a pound ;” | and the services of the arithmetic man wero again | called tor to prove how much more cloth, beer, char- | coal, gas and all other measurable things the commu- | nity would certainly have by the saving of jabor and | capital contingent on the avoidance of the necessity of further manufacturing, purchasing and using the old measui But the new system did not work smoothly. | There was no harmony of sentiment between buyers and sellers, and What Was one man’s ideal of what he should give or receive in trade was always different | | from every other man’s, ard before the community | were well aware of what they were about they found themselves drifting back to the adoption of the old sysgem of barter which had been tried and abandoned in the early days of the island’s history, SCALES OF EXCHANGE. Instead of one price, every ove who had commodi- ties or services to sell udopted a scale of at least tour pri Pay price,” “money price,’ “pay as money price” and a ‘trusting price;”’ and the ler, beiore fixing his price, invariably asked bis customer how he | would pay.* | “Pay price’? was barter; ‘money | price’? was payment in foreign coin; “pay in money” was in the idea! money of the island; “trusting”? was an enbanced price, according to time. Thus, supposing | acustomer wanted a knife, its price in “pay” would be a bushel of corn; m ‘money price,” a fifty cent gold or silver coin; in ‘pay as money,” sometimes as much as he could bring in a basket, at other times as much as he could bring in a wheelbarrow; and belore the ultimate abandonment of the use of ideal money, a cart had to be employed to bring the money, Trade in this way became ‘most intricate,” ‘THR TAXATION TALISMAN. News came also, about this time, that the heathen, not being able to stay their stomachs with the pictures | Of fatcattie that had been so abundantly sent them, and considering themselves humbugged, were prepar- ing to declare war, To meet a tureavened increased ex- nditure on this account, the government, therelore, jevied new taxi and as the valuation of the property island, under the influence of the new fis. | cal system, had, as before stated, enormously in- | | creased, it was anticipated that a small rate would veld a large revenue. But as soon as Scrapehem, Houle and their irienda, who had been multiplying their property by multiplying titles, fgund | out that the titles were to be Valued and | assessed as wealth equally with the property which the titles represented, they hasted to swap back, and cancel their mortgages; and immediately half the reputed wealth land disappeared. TIGHTENED REALITIES. All who had loaned valuable commodities desired to avoid tapping, and consequently hasteued to demand rm meut belore the ideal money could be exten- sively issued and put intocirculation, and having once | obtained payment were very cautious how they lent | it again, All this contribuied, in the language of the day, to make money very tight; but this language | had, toa great extent, no meaning The only money | | that was tight was good money, and this had been gone so long that the younger part of the | population dian’t even know how it looked, | wale of the bad money there was a contina- | ally increasing quantity. Besides good monty, all réal capital, timber tor building ships, factories and houses, un for the construction of machinery, cloth jor clothes and grain for food were tight; not | because there was any lack of all these useful things, but because the owners had all become afraid that if they once loaned or parted with them they would | never receive back an equivalent, So the island, in- stead of being lifted up to great presen was | plunged into the depths of adversity. There was a | general lack of confidence. Socictary activity wi | abated, production arrested and men desirous of be- | img industrious had no opportunity of following any | industry. | BASE ACTION OF PORKIGN CAPTITALISTS, | Gold had long disappeared from circulation. Al- | vhough produced in large quantities on the island, | none of it would stay there, but flowed off to foreign | countries in a steady stream. The common explana- tion of this phenomenon was, that gold had become the cheapest thing the island produced, and was, therefore | the first thing exported. ut a majoriy said and heard this did not clearly see that the | erage purchasing power of gold the world over had not | varied in any degree, but that the price of almost every other thing produced on the island had so varied and re- | latively increased, by reason of domestic fiscal circum- stances, that it was far better for the foreigner to take pay in’ gold for all the commodities be gold to the island, aud then, with this gold, purchase in other countries the very things which tle islind specially produced and wanted to sell. As already intimated, the | Isianders found at diiliculty in understanding this Littie arrangem but the foreigners understood it as by intuition, and’ never failed to act upon it All of this furtber contributed to turn upside down and inside out the industries of the island; and while the friends of humanity continued to loudly proclaim that the is- | sue of more money would cure all difficulties, the people, sorely distressed and ready to accept relief | from any quarter, began to joudly murmur in turn at what seemed am unnecessary delay in making the issue; the fact being, that although public opinion w: nearly unanitous on the subject, the regular time for the Congress of the island to meet aud enact laws had not come round. STILL MORE IDEAL MONEY WANTED, At last the long expected day arrived, and Congress assembled, All the special and immediate friends of “more money,” of ‘ideal money” and of “humanity”’ were mombers; and hardly bad the presiding officer taken bis seat’before fifty men sprung for the tloor, seal | each with a resolution di ng immedi fi | legislation. The first resolution adopted was that tho | government should once supply all the money | | which the wants of everybody and every trade and | inaustry might, could, would or should require, and | that the money thus issued should be a legal tender ior | the payment of all debts, past, present and prospec- | tive, | DIVIDE AND MULTIPLY, The next important question was, In what manner should the uew and unlimited supply of money be distribated? All saw at once that it would never do | to commence on a system of giving enlmited some- thing for unlimited nothing; and yet, if this was not done, bow was it possible for the wants of those who bad nothing aud who, of course, wanted money for most imperatively, to be supplied? Be- sides, to create an unlimited supply of the new money | | 1 would be n to have a good many hundreds | of thousands of slips of paper with the words, “This is a doliar,” ‘This is ten dollars,” or ‘fhis is—" some other amount) properly and artistically printed on them; all of which, in turn, would requir expenditure, not only of ink and paper, bi @ necessity of the hour was tor imme- relief, especially to trade, | decided to leave th estion of equal distribation for @ time unsettied, and endeavor to | first relieve trade by doubling the volume of the | currency, And in order to do this at once and with- | out cost to the government for engraving, printing, | paper and ink, it Was therefore enacted that every one having legal tender currency might cut or divide the same into two equal halves or pieces, and that each of | these halves or pieces so resulting should be a legal t hat the whole had pro- viously been, At first thought this proposition to ex- | elude all those who bad po money from participation ly seemed most palpa' 4 alt consideration satisfied to tl wary unless it was to give away 0 money it was obvious that those only would yet | | time; while th OUR WATER SUPPLY. THE NECESSITY FOR LARGE MAINS—CONDITION OF THE LOWER WARDS—DANGERS OF A CON- FLAGRATION—OPINION OF AN OLD FIREMAN. ‘The large fires which have lately occurred in this city have distinctly shown the necessity of a plan being adopted and carried out without delay by which the deficiency of water with which to combat the opposing element may be obviated. The Gre in Broadway and Howard street clearly demonstrated the fact that the mains through which the water is conveyed to the hydrants, whence the fire engines alone draw thelr supply, are totally inadequate to the demand that may ‘be made upon them in case of a large fire breaking out in any of the downtown districts below Bleecker street. In case of any such conflagration occurring similar to those which happened at Chicago or Boston the consequences to both life and property would in all probability be even more disastrous than was the case in those instances, In fact the threat- ened danger is so imminent that immediate steps ought to be at once taken by the authorities to remedy the difficulty. However, notwithstanding the lessons taught and the illustrations afforded at so much cost of the necessity for some prompt remedy being pro- vided, the oflicials, to whom the people must look for the initial action, appear to be supremely indifferent to the exigencies of the case and appear satisiled to let the existing and inadequate system of our water sup- | ply remain in the same condition as tt is and has been for years past, forgetting that as time passes and the population and the buildings increaso the demand for an improved and more eflicient water supply also ad- ances in a more than duplicate ratio, The difficulty at the present moment, so far as can be ascertained, appears not to be so much A SCARCITY OF WATER, but the inefficient manner in which it is distributed through the city, more particularly in tue lower dis- tricts, as already indicated, and where the demand at any momeut is likely to exceed the supply. In fact, it appears to be the almost universal opinion among those well acquainted with the subject that the mais through which the fire hydrants are supplied lack the capacity to sustain any unusual call being made on them, and, further, that the hydrants also are too email for the necessities of to-da; An instance was furyished in these regards in the case of the Broadway fire, where the whole of the water used had to be drawn from the main pipe in Broadway of thirty-six inches, which, in turn, had to supply the cross’ and back streets through twelve and six inch pipes. The experience in that instance was that often the engines were powerless to act through their inability to secure a supply of water, which reiused to flow in many cases | from the side street hydrants after the principal mains had been tapped. The opinion of many eugi- neers Who have been consulted tends to show beyond doubt that, had another fire of large dimensions broken out further down town—say in the neighbor- hood of Broad or Pearl street, powerless to act, through the impossibility of obtuin- ing a sufficient supply of water with which'to make an | attempt to check the ravages of the flames, The con- sequences, it is apparent, would have, of necessity, | been that’ any fire then ‘breaking out'would have at tained such headway as would make it almost impos- sible to ovtain control over it by any other means than the razing of blocks of buildings to the ground by means of explosives. Aun old fireman who took an ac- | tuve part in the operations of the old Volunteer De- partment, and who has watched the workings of the Public Works Department im the matter of the w downtown tires, stated it to be his opmion that to-day the lower wards in this city are in no better condition to figut the fire fiend than they were during the time of THE GREAT FIRE IN 1845, He thought that if at any time a fire was to occur in any of the large warehouses in the lower dis- tricts the results would, in all probability, be the samo us they were then. Infact, ead be, the quanuiy of water now obtainable 1m these localities would be found to be less in comparison than it was in 1845, when the size 9! the buildings, the quantity of merchandise and the inflammable nature thereof should be taken into consideration. His opinion agrees with that ol engi- neers, tha. What {s wanted is additional mains of large size to conduct the water from the reservoirs down through the city. These mains should ve laid through the principal thoroughfares and the paralle! streets, and be connected together with pipes of smailer diinen- sions. If such asystem were adopted not only would there be jess danger from fire, but these pipes, distributed throughout eve part of the city, would form an additional reservoir by which all possibility of a water famine ocdurring through a breakage in the Croton Aqueduct would be prevented, It is calculated that these pipes would hold an amount of water equal to the storing capacity of the present reservoirs, which can only contain a reserve sufficient for ten days’ demand. ‘The extra quantity contamed in the pipes would give full and ample time in which repairs could be made, The statistics of the Depart- ment of Public Works go to show that in the summer time the supply of water carried through the aqueduct is more than suflicient to keep the reservoirs full and to mect every cail made upon it and still leave a sur- | plus, which is allowed to flow to waste over the dam. Tue madequacy of the aqueduct is only felt during the most severe weather, When the inhabitants of the city | adopt the wasteful system of allowing faucets to ran in order to prevent their pipes from treezing. Could a cheek be placed upon this wiliul waste there would exist no fear of ‘THE WATER SUPPLY FAILISG for any purposes for which it might be wanted. In fact there appears to be no doubt that the q for all legitimate wants, and that the only thing re- quired is an improved method of distribution and on mora in consonance with the requirements of to-day. As it 1s, however, 11 would seem that, with the excep- tiou of the uptown districts, the system still remains about the same as it Was when the aqueduct and res- ervoirs were first opened, THR NEW AQUEDUCT. All conversant with the subject of New York’s water supply appear to agree that eventually a new aqueduct | will have to be built, but that there is no immediate necessity for its construction, Under any ecireum- stances, even should it be decided to construct an aqueduct such as was indicated by the report publi im the Herato of Tuesday, it is asserted that in order to make the increased supply thereby to be ootained avail- able an aadition would have to be made to the present bated of mains. The building of the aqueduct and the reservoirs at Jerome Park would of necessity take several years, and it would become a necessity then to increase the Humber of mains in the city for the peopie to derive any benefit from the extra supply. {t is therefore asserted that the laying of the mains might at once be commenced tn order that such relief as they would necessarily afford might be secured in the mean- time and the danger from fire 80 much lessened, WATER METERS. The engineers and other officials in the Croton Water Department admit the necessity of sone steps being taken to at once give addisional supplies of wat they are well aware the present supply is insu: to the demand, especially iu view of the fact that the number of manutactories in the city 1s yearly inereas- ing, thereby creating the drain, In Jact they now look upon New York as the largest manufacturing eity in the United Sates, The imerease in the size of the build- ings used for offves, hotels and other purposes ts also | another cause of the increased demand, for now 1% 18 the customn to provide water on every floor and im al- most every room, while in former years this custom did not prevail, In many of these places they have placed water meters, They do nut, however, appear to place much feliance upon these as a means of eheck- ater or increasing the reserve in the reservoirs. ay the moters may answer for a time, but not be found to be of Any practical bevefit within a short period, The opimion of these officials ws un- questionably in favor of the building of a dam above the present one and the construction of an aqueduct either along the line of the Broux or the Sawmill rivers. They also appear to take a fuvorable view of Jaying mains of enlarged dimensions, as already re- ferred to, MUNICIPAL NOTES, The Board of Apportionment held ashort sesstt the Mayor’s office yesterday afternoon. Mayor Wick- ham, Alderman Lewis and Tax Commissioner Wheeler were present. An application was received from the Board of Education for a transfer of $100,000 trom tl expended balance of their account for 1875 to the appro- priation for 1876, which was laid over, No other busi ness of interest was transacted, aud the Board ad- journed to meet on Tuesday next A roguiar meeting of the Board of Aldermen will be held to-day. Several important matters will be up for consideration, among them the Croton water and Hack- man's resolutions. Comptrotier Green being absent yesterday no meet ing of the Sinking Fund Commissiouers was held. Mr. Charles H. Swan was soot to Alvany as the Comp- trolien’s representative, with a copy of the lengthy doc- ument dilating upon the administration of erty aflairs in answer to a resolution of the Legisiature calling for formation, ig the callers upon Mayor Wickham yesterday was Colonel Wilham 1, Pelton, nopnow and private secretary of Governor Tilden, The Aldermanic resolutions in recognition of cour- tesies extended to representatives of the Board while on a trip to Ireland with the American Team have just been shipped to Dublin. They are beautifully en- grossed, and will be presented to the Irish Team, An order was yesterday filed in the County Clerk's office giving Mr. Wiliam A. Butler, receiver of the Manutacturers and Builders’ Bank, thirty aays addi ime in whieh to pay the urst dividend. He has $37,000, and expects to realize as of this thirty days, when be expects to pay thirty-five per cent to depositors, ACCIDENT TO GENERAL DODGE. While driving a light wagon on Fifth avenue, near had money, and that the proportion which all such would oviain would be in proportion to what money they already had. It was, therefore, | anticipate what was certain to be t and distribute it in the manner indicated, No. 309 Madison avenue, was thrown to the dand deemed wise to | slightly injured. The horse took fright and ran down ultimate result, | Filth avenue, but was stopped at the corner of Twerty- | second street by a policeman, or on Broadway, pear | these localities—the firemen would bave been utterly { | © | Saluries supply, When questioned yesterday upon the subject of tity of | Croton water brought into New York is fully suilicient | Fortieth street, yesterday General Charles Dodge, of RETRENCHMENT. Reducing the City Expenses Two Million Dollars. Comptroller Green's Reply to the Legislature. ALDERMEN TO SERVE WITHOUT PAY. Large Reductions in All the Departments. INTERESTING FACTS AND FIGURES. In reply to the resolution recently passed by the Legislature requesting him to send to itacomplete list of all persons paid from the city treasury, the | amounts each received and to what extent such sala- | ries could be reduced, the Comptroller has transmitted | his report, the gist of which will be found in the follow- ing tables: STATEMENT OF THR AMOUNT PAID FOR SALARIES IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK iN THE YEAR 1876, ALSO, SHOWING TUR REDUCTIONS PROPOSED BY COMPTROLLER GREK, AMOUNT SAVED THERERY. ‘oF 3) 2 $8 Departments, Offices and at iil £| ments, i * ify) oF; Z | | ise | Pee $ The Common Council, Salary of the President of | “the Board of Aldermen. | —$6,000|Nothing.| $5,000 | | Sataries of 21 Aldermen, ie | _ at $4,000 each. . ’] $4,000|Nothing.| 84,000 Salaries of clerks aud offt- | cers of tho Board of Aldermen... .{ 20,000] $10,000] 20,000 | Total saving .......+e++ $99,000 | | The Mayoralty. | Salary of the Mayor......] 12,000) 10,00, $2,000 | Salaries of the clerks and j | yrdiuates, 20,000] 10,00¢} 10,000 | | Salaries of the e | POrmMits.....sseeeeeeese] 12,000] Abolish.| 12,000 | | Total saving,.......+-++1 | $24,000 | The Finance Department. | Compensation of — City! (charter, Chamberl cl P. ions for salaries ave already been made | from $225,000 for the year 1875 to to $180,000) for the year 1876... eee $20,000 Total saving........ The Law Department. Salary of the Counsel to the Corporation of assistants, | _ clerks and messengers. . | Salary of Corporation At } | trey... seesseeesenes | Salaries of Public Admin | istrator and clerks. | Salary of Attorney for Col- lection of Arrears o! | Personal Taxes......... ‘Total saving... 7 | *And costs, +Paid by fees. | _ The Police Department. Salaries three Com- missioners — at $6,000) each, and President of the ‘Board at $3,000... For one head of the de- partment ....... f | Salaries of Superinten- tendent, inspectors, | surgeon's (no reduction jon captains), sergeants and doormen , : | salaries of clerks. depa | “ties, stenographers, tele- | graph operators, clean. | doth em. 15,000 73,000 6,000] 8,000 *7,000| $8,500 15,000 | 2,000 8,000 60,006 4,000) Es 2,000 “ie $35,500 a 26,00( | Abolish. 7,000} $19,000 413,000] 871,700] 41,300 ployGs .......++ Salaries of patrolmen, $1,200 each, to’ be graded at $700, $900 ‘and $1,000 each... | Bureau of Street’ Clean- | ing—Salaries of clerk: 2,713,200 | 2,261,000 }*452, 200 1,700] 9,809 |§ens,500 ay be effected by future | on the pian proposed tor Total saving.... * The saviag of this amor reductions of swlaries of patroli establishing grades of service. Department of Pub- | Pane orks | Salary of the Commission-| | er of Public Works..... Salaries of the clerks and ployé Nore.—1 | are made on salaries only | which are paid from taxa | tion; the salaries puid) | from proceeds of bonds | Snd for appropriations for ! special purposes, embrac- ) Ing engineers, inspectors, | superintendents and ali classes of employés above} the grade of laborers may’ be properly reduced 2¢ | percent. This would et- | fect a further annual say: ing in this department timated at ‘Total saving. . 10,000} 100, 000 7,500] $2,500 75,000] 25,000 40,000 | $85,000 | ‘The Department of Public Charities and Correction, Salaries of the President, $6,500, and two Com: at missioners, each For on partment Salaries of cler ordinates........ $5,000) us 16,500] abolish 6,500) $10,000 210,000] 53,500 363,500 233, Total saving... Tie Fire Department, Salaries of the President, $7,500, and two Com missioners, at $5,000! each sees . For one head of the de- | _ partment ...........+. Pay rolls of Headquarters, Chief of Department, Barean of Combustibles, Bureau of Fire Marshal and telegraph force, | Salaries of toremen, | sistant foremen, engi- { 11,500] Abolish. 6,500] $11,000 105,260] 84,208] 21,052 neers, firemen, , lad- dermen and hosemen (future — appointments proposed to be graded at $300, $800 and | | $1,000) .. 871,310} 700,000] *171,310 $208,362 y be made in future by Cadetship. ‘Total savin *This amount o' ing at least the proposed system of grading a The Health Department. Salaries of , Commission. 8, clerks, &c......... ommended to the Po- Nice and other depart. ments at an estimated expense of ....... 130,540) Abolish. 10,000] $120,540 $120,540 Total saving. ........ The Department of Publre Parks. Salary of the President, $6,500, and three Com ‘no salary)—| chitects, clerks, &e, | Salaries ot police, gate- keepers, &6... Note—These reductions; are inade on salaries only, which are paid from tax, tion; the salaries from proceeds and from appropriations! | for special purposes may, | be properly reduced, and, | @ further saving effected in this department esti- ated at least at.,.. . 30,000 $49,700 | | Total savin; | Tie Department of Docks. | Salary of the President,| $6,500, and two Commi sioners, $8,000 each Saiories of cngineers, clerks, subordinates an employés, paid trou. proceeds ‘of bonds—say The duties should transierred to a bureau) in the Department of Public Works at an esu Mmated expense Bot OXCOO. ..- see eeeeeeree Total saving. sonve 12,50] Abolish. | $12,600 | 200,000) Abolish. $6,000, and two Commis- siouers, $5,000 each. Abolish the two Commis. Salaries of clerks and sub- ordinates... . Salarics of Board of As- sessors; four Assessors at $3,000, to be reduced to} one Assessor at $3,000, . Salaries of clerks. ‘ Total saving......0..++) The Department of Buildings. Salaries of Superintend- ent, clerks and subor- dinate: To be u ¢ | Fire Department at an estimated cost not to} OXCOO. .... sereerereees ts, $20,000, thus saving... Total saving. .........+. The College of the Ci New Fork. we The appropriation for aries, including $5,750 for salary of the President and $3,000 for his house rent and for hooks, supplies, &e., and repairs to baitding,| We ecceccecece ee eeee . A saving in salaries can| be elected to the! amount of $40,000, to include a reduction 0 the President’s salary’ and house rent fre $8,750 to a salary of $6,000 and no allowance for house rent... Total saving, . Board of E: Salaries of three sioners at $5,000 each, tw be reduced to one Commissioner at salary Of $5,000 ..... Sularies oi clerks and subordinates and other] expenses, including! reat, she The Commissioners of Ac- counts. Salaries of two Commis. Total saving.......+6 joners of Accounts $3,000 each. For clerk hire. Total saving... * No authority at law. The Judiciary—Supreme Court. Salaries of clerks, criers, ographers, librarian attendants ; (The salaries of clerks, riers, stenographers and librarian, amount- ing to $34,500, shou d be reduced filty per cent, and the duty of the at- tendants should be per formed by policemen) retired upon pensions, thus saving the whole cost of this service amounting to $25,800, making a total saving of $46,050). Total saving.. Superior Court. Salaries of clerks, criers. stenographers, librarian and attendants........+ (These salaries of the clerks, criers, stenograph- ers aud librarian, amounting to $45,875. should be reduced fifty per cent, and the duty 0: the attendants should be performed by policemen retired upon pensions, thus saving the whole cost of this service. amounting to $18,600, making a total saving of $41,537.) Total saving...... Court of Common Pleas. ot the clerks, its... eee (These salaries of clerks, criers, stenog-! raphers and 'Ibrariap, amounting to $46,575) should be reduced 16,500} 6,500 - pe —| $10,000 83,400) 50,040] 33,360 12,000] 5,806 72,600] Abolish. a - non $32,500 $82,500 armen oa pe 150,000) 15,000 82, per cent, and the duty of} attendants should ” be| pertormed by policemen Tetired upon pensions, thus saving the whole cost of this service, amounting to $19,500, makiug a total saving of $42,787) The Marine Court. Salaries of six justices at $10,000 each, to be re-| duced to $7,500 each... Salaries of clerks, stenog- raphers, igvecprecatt aud attendants i (The salaries of the clerks, stenographers and inter. preter, amounting to $50,000, should be re. duced 50 per cent, and the duties of the attend- ants should be perform. ed by policemen retired upon pensions, thus saving the whole cost of this service, amouuting| to $21,600, making a} total saving of $46,600, ) Total saving sae District (Civil) Court Salaries of ten District Court Justices at $6,000) per annum, recommend. @d to be reduced to five District Court justices! ut $4,000 cach Sal of the clerks, interpre: ters, attendants and jan. tors, amounting — to $132,200, to be reduced toone clerk at $2,000, one assistant clerk at) $1,000 and one interpre u who shail act as ay tenaant, at $1,200 fo: each of the Give court: proposed... Total saving........++| The Court of General Ses- sions and Oyer and Ter. miner. | Salaries of clerk, deputy, assistant, stenographer, interpreter and attend- ants... bi seieecey Police Courts. Salaries of police jus. tices....... Salaries of clerks, attond- ants, stenog: hers, in- terpreters and — jani- tors, the record clerk! and secretary of Board of Police Justices. ... Total saving. —| $7,000 $7,000 110,000] eS —| $40,000 } $40,000 6,000} $10,000 20,000, 12,600 | $23,800 Abolish. $6,000 | 6,000 $12,000 17,250} $46,050 | $40,050 a $41,537 | $41,807 23,287] 42,787 | 60,000} 48,000] 15,000 71,600; 25,000) 646/00 60,000] 65, 88, 000| The Court of Special Sessions, Salaries of clerk, deputy clerk, stenographer, in- terproter, subpaua sery- ers and messengers, , Total reduction on judiciary The Surrogate. Salary of the Surrogate. .. Salaries of chiel clerk, clerks, assistants, ste. bograpbers, attendants, and messenge: ‘ thy Total saving. . The Register, ‘The expenses of this office except for heating, « ing and preserving rec. ords ure paid from fees collected by the Register, It is recommended that the entire expenses of the oflice should be puid by him. A saving may be eifected if this course| iy pursued of atleast, ... The Sheriff. The clainus of ty Sher by the bills rendered to the Finance Department may be estimated at] $40,000 per annum, aud by adoptung the a | PE 20 000) 1,000} 111,200 | 88, 850) 11,509] 50, 400] 13,000 $61,600 $40,000 $151,200 $15,000 mendations respecting the Sherii!'s ollice the amount paid for his services would amount to about $16,! aiaking & yi say to the county of,....... The County Clerk. Salaries of County Clerk, deputies, assistant clerk and messenger, amount- ing to $40, recom. mended that areddetion| in the number of em- ployés be made, and in amount of salaries equal to at least twenty cent of the amount now paid, and that the salary of the County Clerk ani the officers engaged in| duties for which fees are the benefit of any excess| of fees above the amount; of salaries... 40,725] 99, ca 6,000 19,000; 71,000 aie id for} salaries of clerks 5! The amount now messengers should reduced 20 percent.....| 25,000] Esti Pg f thi ‘stimated expense of the fees of coroners, attend- ing physictans, includ: ing salary of clerk to| Board of Coroners....) (By reducing the num. ber of coroners to two, at) @ salary of $6,000 each, ith one deputy for each, salary of $2,500, and one cl for both, at al sulary of the say. ing in this service would, be $71,000 ) The hapr seid of rors, Salary of the Commis- sioner clauned to be $10,000, should be re. duced to $4,000. Sal of clerks and as- estimated at} payable, as) 99,000) $14,709, claimed, f Total savin, The City Record. ‘The salaries of the Super- visor and other em- ployés should be re- duced is da er e8@ SOV Feductions amount in the aggregate to $2,136,072, and it is claimed by the Comptroller that they can Ge made without working any detriment to the eiliciency of the several departments, THE CABLE COMPANIES. THE ANGLO-AMERICAN AND DIRECT CABLE COM- PANY NOT LIKELY TO BE COMBINED, For some time past a rumor has been in circulation among parties concerned in telegraphic interests that the Anglo American Cable Company was endeavoring to purchase and merge in itself the Direct Cable Com- pany. Yesterday a HeRavp reporter called upon Mr. Ward, the superintendent of the .atter corporation, to ascertain the truth or falsehood of the report. In re- ply to his inquiries touching the real relations of the direstors have aimed al slong st securing’ s movopoly irectors fe aim: at sey ng a of the cable lines, Of late a movement had been started to purchase the Direct Cable, and circulars had been distributed among the shareholders of both concerns embodying @ proposed basis of incorporation. As the matier was taken in hand entirely by English share holders the chances of their determi 4 any specific course is not known on this sid OF the wets, but from the latest advices there 1s reason to believe that some of the most influential directors are not dis posed to favor any ineeting Of the Anglo-American Company, Hon. Srimiions, Pecence on behalf of the Presiden! Monck, that the policy of purchasin, cable was reprehensibie, imasmuch as it t, Lord every new ived the ler into an) the rival ¢ he iancied taal ne further action would be taken ta the matter, A SIGNIFICANT CELEBRATION. A dinner was given to Governor Tilden on the 22d by Mr. George W. McLean, at the residence of the latter gentleman, No. 8 West Thirty-fourth street. Several distinguished guests besides the Governor were present, and the entertainment took something of a political significance from the character of those invited. Dur- ing the evening a telegram was received by the host from the Washington Light Infantry, at Charleston, S. C.. containing the following sentiment:—‘The day we is Country. celebrate; the birthday of the Father of h He who was first in war ana fi peace is, will be, first in the hearts of his countrymen.” Governor Tilden being called upon wnen the senti- ment had been read made a patriotic which he enlarged upon the necessity of L Acro ener to the herp whieh di degen it a Washington’s days, and of adhering to plea estabiished gy distinguished patriot, rand statesman. @ centennial year of the nation’ the Governor insisted, should be marked as the date a return to the sterling qualities of the fathers of the otter tie example of Wasblogton should be respected other, Saar joleged by the on jh the toll ington Lig! beaulied cus if the oth sul or the of er tarnished by those who have nobly their title to the perth ‘Valor and Virtue’? Behind this patriotic fervor there was a political as pect of the diner which will attract attention among the party leaders, Mayor George McLean is known at the | leader of the ung aw. in 1871, and asa rmined oppone mmany as at present con- stituted) Among the guests were, a Judge, @ general and a member of the Stock Exchange se sentiments are known to be in active te Juha Kelly's rule, which the Governor is un to regard as an obstacle in the of a union of the New York democracy, The dinner drew together those whe are harmonious in their teeling on these subjects, and ahah to prevent a democratic disaster next Novem. er. THE OASE OF GEORGE W. M'LANE. Post Ovrior ome ei Wasuixotoy, D. C., Fev, 21, } To tue Eortor or tux Heratp:— returned by tele Tesponse to the sentiment:—‘The of Charleston ; their honored ‘ag. Fhe purity of the one will not i that he never did consideration for , the wal inst, as ir. Hazen’s loyment there, at number of clerks in to McLane’s em, Se be. seen wheleee’ whether your Washington special correspondent will exhibit’ the Psy spirit sufficient to take back a positively false stato- ment, which I would not care to notice ouly that it i corroborate the administration of the. tia” tht depareat Very pit OP, BURNSIDE, rl jtenden Post Ofte D Department, A NEW HAYTIAN CONSUL. Consul General ©. A, Van Bokkelen, of the Repub lic of Hayti, who has held office in this city for the eng five years, is to be supersedea by Mr, Lazare, t, Lazare is well known in Hayti from tion with the National Bank of Haytt Beets yr arrived here, When he does come it rumored among Our merchants that Soe 7 the United States govern.