INDORSED: Admission of a copy of the within as served upon us this 22d day of October, 1888. ABRAM S. HEWITT, Mayor. THEODORE W. MYERS, Comptroller. GEORGE H. FORSTER, President of the Board of Aldermen. President of the Department of Taxes and Assessments. Present-The following members, viz.: ABRAM S. HEWITT, the Mayor. THEODORE W. MYERS, the Comptroller. MICHAEL COLEMAN, the President of the Department of . Taxes and Assessments. Absent GEORGE H. FORSTER, the President of the Board of Alder men. The minutes of the meeting held October 16, 1888, were read and approved. The COMPTROLLER presented the following: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, No. 31 CHAMBERS STREET, NEW YORK, October 19, 1888. Hon. ABRAM S. HEWITT, Mayor and Chairman Board of Estimate and Apportionment: Sir,In the Final Estimate for 1888, $216,000 were appropriated for "Laying Croton-pipes," of which $30,000 were set apart for "Laying Additional Pipe to Blackwell's Island and for Testing for Water Supply by Boring," leaving $186,000 applicable to laying water-pipes to extend the water-service into new streets. The demands for laying pipes to extend the service are far in excess of this appropriation, while from the sum specially set apart for the additional pipe, etc., to Blackwell's Island, $14,000 can be spared. I therefore respectfully request that the sum of $14,000 be transferred to the appropriation "Laying Croton-pipes," for 1888, from the appropriation "Laying Additional Pipe to Blackwell's Island and for Testing for Water Supply by Boring," for 1888, for the purposes of which the said amount is not needed. Very respectfully, D. LOWBER SMITH, Deputy and Acting Commissioner of Public Works. And offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the sum of fourteen thousand dollars ($14,000) be and the same is hereby transferred from the special item of $30,000 included in the appropriation made to the Department of Public Works for the year 1888, entitled "Laying Croton-pipes (Chapter 381, Laws of 1879, Section 194, New York City Consolidation Act of 1882), including $30,000 for laying additional pipe to Blackwell's Island and for testing for water supply by boring," the same being in excess of the amount required for the purposes and objects thereof, to the regular appropriation made to the same department for 1888, entitled "Laying Croton-pipes (Chapter 381, Laws of 1879, Section 194, New York City Consolidation Act of 1882)," for which it is required. Which was adopted by the following vote: Affirmative-The Mayor and Comptroller-2. Negative The President of the Department of Taxes and Assessments-1. The COMPTROLLER offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the sum of $3,250 be and the same is hereby transferred from the appropriation entitled "Interest on Revenue Bonds of 1886 and 1887," for 1887, the same being in excess of the amount required for the purposes and objects thereof, to the appropriation for "Jurors' Fees, including Expenses of Jurors in Civil and Criminal Trials, etc.," 1888, for which it is required, for September, 1888. Which was adopted by the following vote: Affirmative-The Mayor and Comptroller-2. Negative The President of the Department of Taxes and Assessments-1. The COMPTROLLER moved that the following dates be fixed to hear heads of Departments and others relative to the Provisional Estimate for the year 1889, viz.: Wednesday, October 24-Law Department, Department of Public Works and Department of Public Parks. Friday, October 26-Department of Public Charities and Correction, Board of Education and College of the City of New York. Saturday, October 27-Department of Street Cleaning and Fire Department. Monday, October 29-Health Department, Police Department, City Record and Civil Service Examining Boards. Tuesday, October 30-District Attorney, Surrogate, Register and Sheriff. Which was agreed to. The COMPTROLLER presented the following: CITY OF NEW YORK-FINANCE DEPARTMENT, October 23, 1888. TO THE BOARD OF ESTIMATE AND APPORTIONMENT: The Comptroller, to whom was referred, on October 16, a resolution making an appropriation from the Excise Fund to the New York Diet Kitchen, respectfully submits the following REPORT: By Section 210 of the Consolidation Act the Board of Estimate and Apportionment is authorized to appropriate, according to its discretion, all excise moneys derived from licenses for the sale of intoxicating liquors, to benevolent and charitable institutions in the city, for the support of the poor, and it was provided that, "no payments shall be made in pursuance of this section, except as a per capita allowance for the poor and destitute persons actually supported, treated, cared for, or educated in the institutions referred to in this section." Prior to the year 1885, a portion of the excise moneys were appropriated to charitable institutions for the care and support of destitute children committed to them by the courts, as provided by law, the remainder, after providing for payment of the salaries of the Commissioners, and the employees and expenses of the Excise Board, being appropriated annually to various charitable societies, homes and asylums, and hospitals and dispensaries. The distribution of the excise moneys among these societies and associations was based upon a " per capita allowance," in the discretion of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, which allowance was ascertained and determined upon statements and returns made to the Board by such institutions of "the poor and destitute persons actually supported, treated, cared for, or educated." All such charitable societies were required to make returns to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment according to printed forms furnished to them, stating all the facts relating to the nature and objects of the societies, their receipts and expenditures from all sources and on all accounts during the fiscal year, and their actual operations as to the numbers of patients treated, and persons supported, and the amount and kind of relief and assistance dispensed to the poor and needy, such as meals, clothing, fuel, groceries, etc., or by donations of money. The information thus obtained was made the basis of per capita allowances and appropriations from the Excise Fund, according to the discretion of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment. No appropriations of this kind have been made from the Excise Fund since 1884, the whole amount collected after that year being required and appropriated for the support of committed children, the number of which had increased immensely, and has been paid into the Police Pension Fund, pursuant to Chapter 364, Laws of 1885, and to the |