New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-24
THE PROVISIONAL BUDGET
A LARGE INCREASE THUS FAR IN THE
ESTIMATES.

THE REASONS FOR HIGHER APPROPRIATIONS
NEEDS OF THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT
SUPERINTENDENT CONSTABLE SEVERELY
cRITIcIsEs HIS sUBoRDINATEs
The Board of Estimate has got far enough along
IN its work on the provisional budget to ind'ca'e
that the probable amount which VIII nave 10 NC
raised for 1896 will considerably exceed s4ooouov"
The sum to be paid the State will have 10 De apou'
$1,000 900 more than the assessment TOT 'hs year
The Tammany plan was 70 exclude every item
nossible from the budget so as to keep down the
tax rate and make peoplo believe that the city
government was being maintained under ram
many administration on Il less sum per capita
than under anti-Tammany Mayors. For TINS
reason the taxes due the state for the care OF the
insane were left out Of tire Tammany budget OF
preceding years until 'hey reached nearly
81 900 900. which must now be met. The increased
appropriations which the growth OF the city mas
made necessary for educational purposes Io'
street-cleaning purposes and FOR the feai'ii
lice and Fire departments have all tehueo ~
swell the budget prepared this year 10 'his must
he added the cost of separating the old CHARITIES
Denartment from that Of Correction, which Will
entail an expenditure Of possibly s2oOooo.
This wears budget footed Up s39,s7696O GA, which,
deductng the amount derived from the genera
fund 81 500 00o left the sum to be raised py TAXA
90, This wear s37 47s $50 o. Experts who have
been figuring on the probable provisional esO-
mate for 1896 now place 1t at something ike
IS 900 900 over that of 1885, which, II the sum from
the general fund should be the same as last year.
would give a total provision Al budget OF about
$40 500 900 This however. may be considerably
.hove the total which the Board OF Estimate VIII
decree for the final budget 10 be settled next De-
cember.
There Is nothing conclusive in the sums aiio"eu
I'm the provisional estimates. and Ii is SAID 'ha'
this will be found particularly true this year
The Mayor and his associates. 1t was saiu yes
terday, are merely taking their bearings lheie
will be abundant opportunity for cutting anu
carving before the final budget is prepared 1or
the signature of the FIVE members OF the BOARD
Of Estimate on December 81 next
Superintendent Constable yesterday secureu ah
addition Of slO6. 900 for the Department OF huiiu
ings making his appropriation s3lo''oV' lhs'e"u
of the s2O4 700 allowed for this year. MT. Coie'
HE had asked for $3.50. $50. and based his demand
upon inability TO protect the lives ana properly
of the people unless he was permitted Thoroughly
10 reorganize his department. which, ne saiu'
was honeycombed with corruption. Under tlie
searching questioning Of Controller Fitch Mr..
Constable became excited and minated that Il
he could not obtain the increase he asked III 'e
would have 10 offer his resignation ,
Mayor Strong said that he had talked WIN
Number of architects. and they all agreed that a
etricter supervision was necessary rtsdl ul LIS,
buildings going up IN New.-o'K "a" Cons|sble
NEEDED all Of the 100000 additional for sal,
aries and the provisional estimate was settlet
on that basis SIperint endent CONS -doIe ulu ~
resign He said that he would 40 the pest o ~ ~
nomIS With his allowance. although 1t was S2O'oVv
short Of his demand. ,,
In a recent letter to the Mayor the Superih-
fha
RuiIding Department and Sid among other
things: , - 49, oorrvinp
ont Of the work passed and permitted by the
denartment and the most important employees
Jith few exceptions. are incompetent ana un-
reliable their inefficiency Is proved Dy m.Io
~ the careless work and careless construction
which can be found all the city. the ois-
tricts covered by these inspectors, II must pe
sa,d are entirely too large to be Thoroughly ana
carefully handled The system OF Inspection
and the following up Of inspections Is very
careless and tie inspection or IRON wolh
amounts TO almost nothing. No thorough eN-
am;nation is made of bottoms or foundations
for footings Of great buildings. this being lett
entirely to the architects and contractors J.,
''The whole scheme. from top 10 bottom, Is
founded upon influence and pulls me EN-.
ployes generally throughout the departmetht
of an inferior grade 10 Wna' h ,nvs been an
pointed The question OF worth ana aplnty
seems in no case to have amounted 10 any
thing except with a few men, as PREVIOUSLY
stated who seem to have always been STRIVING
70 do their duty Building plans have been
passed on the very day on which they were
tled with the department and no examination
made Of them except giahcihs oNei anu ''ee
them. Ill, ,.,onod ,r,,,
take some time. there is still great opposl-
tion being brought TO bear to emharrass the de-
nartment IN carrying out its work
or the citizens of this city do not wake up
and determine that this department shall be a
separate business organization. free from poh-
tics I cannot answer for the erect upon tne
great building and real estate interests Vi '''''
city" . A.. -, a,o,, %
the Building Department created some surpilse
as the lawyers were appointed Win one eAcep-
fion nv the Superintendent himself He SAID:
''The legal bureau of the department Is l h0t
systematic. and the work is not up 10 oaue WINE
numerous cases remain in the courts. Inc law
vers come and go from the bureau when they
please keep no regular office hours, pracuce al
their own Offices take any business that comes
along and in fact, seem TO DO just as ihey
General Thomas Ewing. Democrat of the
stripe OF Mr.. Constable himself super n zen
the law bureau and receives a salary of $1,000 a
YEAR under the title of attorney OF the Depart
ment The General has four assistant attors
neys three clerks and one messenger Ihree OF
the assistants receive salaries OF 2,oVo each a
vaar one gets 90 900 year and the clerks get
annual salaries Of 81, 400 200 and $500 respect
lively. The messengers per'h Is "oi'" 'oVO
The exception referred TO among General
Fwjng's assistants is John d. Quincy, who is a
Tammany man. He offered his resignation along
with the other Wigwamites when the new super
intendent came irto office last spring, but was
retained by Mr.. Constable.
The amount asked by County Clerk Purroy
for the maintenance of the county CIerK once
was 1872 230 One item OF 81 900 for indexing the
Board laid over TO be considered when the maj
estimates come up in December. The amount
allowed Professionally SS1,23O.
sheriff T-amsen asked for sl37.732 for his office
which was an increase of s. 500 over last year
appropriation The account for salaries, SSZSo
{rrr If
notice service the request for $500 was allowed
Controller Fitch moved that $500 be deducted
from the contingent estimate. which was adopted
The aum Of S137. 232 finally Professionally al
.sraA ha SLc-f.,s nfilna for The total .XnemS.S