New-York tribune., 1886-01-05
UIYOR GRACES MESSAGE.

A large part of Mayor Graces message, in
purpose and substance though not in form, is
q defence of the Board of Estimate and
Apportionment, which makes the appropriations
for municipal departments, against the charge
of extravaganza. AS the Mayors influence
has been supreme in that Boari during the first
wear of his present term, this is In effect an
attempt to justify the prudence and economy
of his administration.
A table is given of the amounts appropriated
in departments, Offices, boards and courts,
which are determined by legislative enactmcnts
and cannot be diminished by the Board OF
Apportionment. Including the sums called for
by the State tax, the interest on the city debt
and the redemption OF debt, this table reaches
the uncomfortable total of $22, l4l, 597 Il.
II is perfectly true, as the Mayor points out,
that successive Legislatures have improperly
and unjustly swelled the list OF mandatory
appropriations until the burden has become
intoerable But the bulk of this burden,
outside of the sums which 90 to the State tax
and the city debt, was imposed in accordance
with the recommendations of unscrupulous
city officials and the Legislators whom their
influence sent to Albany. We are constantly
hearing complaints in certain quarters against
the wicked country legislator who goes to
Albany with the fell purpose of raising the
taxation in this city, but the acts which swelled
the mandatory appropriation for the Police
Department TO $50, GIL 1872 10, and which made
the administration of our civil and criminal
courts and our District Attorneys Office un-
commonly expensive, were devised on Manhat-
tan Island and pushed through by representa-
A.. htyf fba in arls
If our Board of Apporionment should
have that complete control Oyvr all city
expenditures that MI. Grace no doubt deems
desirable, there would be thriving tunes for the
commissioners who showed themselves
thoroughly devoted to such Mayors as Mr..
Grace, while the others would soon be rs badly
off as were the lean kline OF Egypt. The care
ful student of municipal affairs will note that
the departments where the Grace influence is
paramount have Jared well at the hands of the
Board of Apportionment For 1885 the Park
Department got $l,0l2. .lS0; for 1886 it gets
SlO75,750. Yet no one accuses the Park
Commissioners OF economy. 10 the Depart
ment of Charities and Correction 81 ,5Ol ,O5S
was awarded for last year. for this year the
sum is 81 1,552,30O. The Fire Departments
allotment was $l,709,773 for 1885; it is now
Sl.S4l,979. 1t is well known that in these
three departments whenever MIR. Grace winks
there is sim ultaneous and violent trembling
of the eyelds among al least nine OF the twelve
commissioners who make up the three boards.
Mr.. Grace is trying to get control of the Board
of Education and has been filling the places of
old, experienced and honOred members with
men who may be useful to him. That Board
got $3,S59.S last year; now it gets
"a, ,700,300. The Law Department is visibly
affected when Mr.. Grace's dinner does not agree
with him, and on that department $171, 900 il
bestowed in place of the $l6S.69S awarded for
1885. But in the Health Department Mr..
Graces will has not been always regarded as
superior to the statutes of this State and second
only to the Divine law. So down goes the
Health Boards appropriation from $l69,75S
for 1885 to $31 8, 800 for 1886.
The Mayor is strongly in favor of single
headed commissions except in the Health and
Tax departments and thinks that single head
might be desirable even in the Health Depart
ment. if power were vested in the Mayor to veto
health ordinances drawn up by the snglc
commissioner lie seems to be OF the opinion