Resolved, That the amounts proposed by the Surrogate to be paid according to the names, official designations and salaries of the respective clerks appointed by him, to be paid out of said appropriation, be and the same are hereby approved and fixed as the amounts to be paid to them respectively, as stated in said communication, for the periods named therein, as follows: James J. Barton, Collateral Tax Clerk, ap pointed June 4, 1888, at the rate of year Emma C. White, Copyist, appointed June George Emmet Best, Assistant Accounting Clerk, appointed prior to June 1, 1888, prior to June 1, 1888, at the rate of David Doven, Assistant Recording Searcher, appointed prior to June 1, 1888, at the Matthew Quinn, Court Attendant, appointed prior to June 1, 1888, at the rate of Clerk, appointed prior to June 1, 1888, $690 00 460 39 400 00 200 00 200 00 50 00 100 00 Thomas M. Marsac, Recording and Entry Clerk, appointed prior to June 1, 1888, William H. McIntire, Calendar Clerk, ap- Bonynge, Copyist, appointed prior to $100 00 150 00 50 00 50 00 50 00 to end of year. 499 61 Which were adopted by the following vote: Affirmative-The Mayor, Comptroller, and President of the Board of Aldermen-3. Negative-The President of the Department of Taxes and Assessments-1. The COMPTROLLER presented the following: CITY OF NEW YORK-FINANCE DEPARTMENT, July 12, 1888. To the Board of Estimate and Apportionment: Gentlemen,-In accordance with your resolution adopted June 22, 1888, I have considered the evidence taken by 4 the Counsel to the Corporation as to the facts and the true value to the City of New York of the services rendered by John H. Strahan, in the years 1877 and 1880, for which services a claim has been made by him for payments of $25,000 and $5,000 respectively. Careful consideration of the evidence in question, supplemented by several interviews with Mr. Strahan, and by an explanatory letter from one of the gentlemen testifying before the Counsel to the Corporation, Mr. Orlando B. Potter, which letter I beg to submit in connection with this report, has convinced me that the services rendered by Mr. Strahan were not only arduous, delicate and extended, but were productive of very large pecuniary benefit to the City of New York, reflecting great credit upon their performer. But in computing what pecuniary value should be placed upon the same, I am compelled to differ widely from the amount which has been claimed by Mr. Strahan. It should not be overlooked that from the time such services were rendered until now, a period of some eight or ten years, no claim has ever been filed for payment of the same; and that there is nothing of record to show what, if any, understanding originally existed, or was subsequently reached between Mr. Strahan and the then Comptroller, in accordance with which the services of the former were engaged by and rendered to the latter. It seems peculiarly remarkable to me that not only has no formal demand for payment been previously made, but that no intimation even was shown during the entire term of my predecessor, the Hon. Edward V. Loew, that any claim for any amount existed or was intended. Apart from this, the matter would seem to reduce itself to the simplest of business principles, and the question of how much should be paid appears to me to hinge upon how much labor has been done, and in no wise upon what results have been accomplished through such labor. With no desire to begrudge a spray of the legal laurels to which Mr. Strahan's labors in the City's behalf justly entitle him; but considering the question solely practically and with a conscientious regard for the equity of both parties in interest, I would report the sums of $5,000 and $2,500, or $7,500 in all, as the amount at which I recommend this claim to be audited and allowed. It is proper that I should add that such an amount, when suggested by me to Mr. Strahan as an equitable one, in nowise met with his acceptance, and that all conversation with him has proved an inability to decide upon any mutually satisfactory sum. Respectfully, THEO. W. MYERS, Comptroller. } POTTER BUILDING, NEW YORK CITY, July 9, 1888. Hon. THEODORE W. MYERS, Comptroller of the City of New York: Dear Sir,-In reply to your letter of July 6, in reference to the claim of Mr. Strahan, I have to say that Mr. Strahan must have rendered a large amount of service in this matter with Mr. Kelly and with the Deputy Comptroller of which I was not personally cognizant, but for the services of which I was cognizant, my opinion is that if the same service, affecting equally large interests and with equally beneficial results, had been rendered for a private party or for a business corporation, twenty thousand dollars would have been a very moderate compensation, and twenty-five thousand dollars would not have been excessive. I refer, of course, to the services referred to in my evidence upon the Bonded Indebtedness Bill. Very respectfully yours, O. B. POTTER. Which were received and laid over. John H. Strahan appeared before the Board and made a statement in explanation thereof. The COMPTROLLER presented the following: LAW DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE COUNSEL TO THE CORPORATION, } To the Honorable the Board of Estimate and Apportionment: Gentlemen,-I am in receipt of a communication from the Clerk to your Board, enclosing an extract from the minutes of your meeting, held June 22, 1888, from which it appears that the following communications were received by you and referred to the Counsel to the Corporation for his report, as to how far the expenditure referred to therein is deemed to be necessary. The communications in question consist of a certificate signed by the Chief Clerk to the Health Department, and addressed to the supervisor of the City Record, certifying to the necessity of printing indexes of births, marriages and deaths for the year 1888. A communication addressed by the Register of the Bureau of Vital Statistics to the Secretary of the Health Department, stating that the printing of these indexes would greatly facilitate the clerical work of the office, by reason |