The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-01
the GAME OF reform"
Father Knlckerbooker Loses
at 1t Ten Million Dollars In
Cash and Twenty Mill
lions In Expecta-
tions.

The platform Of the Committee of Seventy
said: "Tho government Of the City Of New
York, in the hands of It's present sdmipis-
traitors, is marked by corruption. inehicienoy.
and Extravaganza"
Tho special committee Of the Chamber Of
Commerce reported that the figures Of the
tax levy con their very face indicate mis-
management extravaganza and corruption
on, . scale almost unparalleled in the history
Of municipalities" 1
Tho Press" the newspaper that sat mp 10 10,
the Republican organ during the municipat
campaign of 1894. said that under Q faithful
administration tho burden Of taxes on the Poo.
pie of New York might DO reduced 01oooooool
. year." .A@.
The total amount appropriated
for the expenses of the City
Government in 1894, the last So
year of Democratic admins
tration, S35, 06A, 9BI1o
Tho total amount appropriated VI.
for 1897, under Republican
reform administration. was. IS, ESQ, 2e7l7
Increased cost under reform. 1o.622, o3o.AQ
II the figures of 1894 indicate Extravaganza
and corruption, what must DO tho meaning Of
tho figures Of 1877
What has become of the $40, 900. 600 which
was to DO saved ON the appropriations Of
1891
What has become Of the ten millions and
half that have boon added to the appropriations
Of 1891
The "Reformers" have stopped talking shont
what they termed tho extravaganza Of Demo
cratic administrations They are busy trying
to explain away their own extravaganza.
In doing this they ignore altogether their
| promise to make o ten.million saving ON Demo-
cratic expenditures. and they start with the
assumption that these were In the line of the
strictest economy.
II they were not, tho "Reformers' would
have to explain not only the ten millions and .
half they have added to the tax levy, but would
have to account for the ten millions they under
took to save ON the cost of the previous admin
is~tration.
Combining their attention entirely to the slo.-
622,O39. which this years budget shows in
excess of that of 1894, they aredevoting all their
ingenuity to prove that 1t went somewhere else
than into the cost of governing the city.
Part of 1t went into State taxes. they say.
That 10 true-S1. $3.50. s44 went that way.
But how did the State tax for 1897 como to DO
80 hight
The Republicans controlled every branch Of
the State Government and Legislature. and they
made 1t SO. Is
If the" Reformers" say they could not help
that. how about tho 100000 that was appro-
priated in 1894 for the care of the insane by the
City Governmenti The insane have since been
cared for by the State.
The Reform" administration recouped
5000. 900 Of the State tax excess Of 81. 339. s44.
It got the use of that 5000, 900.
Let them and the Republicans at Albany settle
about the odd $439. 600; but lot it be understood
that this is all they can deduct from their
budget on the score of higher State taxes. In
truth, their apparent excess of expenditures in
1897 over the Tammany expenditure Of 1894
should be stated as $ll 500. O39 instead of Slo.-
622.O39.
Butthe" Reformers" plead again: LOOK at
the amount paid for interest on the city debit"
Let us look: 1t was 80, l34. 1879 in 1894, and 10
SIS, 654, 25s in 1897.
Who incurred the debt that calls for this extra
expenditure OF $520,O00i
Tho Performers" themselves. They found
the debt at $1O5. 900. 600. and they have brought
it up to 1929. 900. 600.
The third plea is that the Performers" have
TO pay moro for debt redemption this year
than the Democratic administration did in
1894.
So they have. TO the amount of 81. 2s5. 1858.
But why did the Democratic administration
draw less from the taxpayers for the redemp-
tion of the debit
Because they took better care OF tho city's
revenues, the excess of which. over and above
the purposes for which they are pledged. 10
available for the redemption of the debt. other
wise payable out OF taxation.
But where does all this leave the alleged OK
travaRance and corruption OF Democratic adj
mini5tratiOn
The boot seems to be on tho other leg now.
There is $ll, 522, O39 to be accounted for. over
and above that $4,000 900 the "Reformers"
said they would save. but didn't.
The State took $439, 900 more from the city In
1897 than 1t did in 1894. but where has tho
other $1l .0S3. 039 gonef
Even allowing for the two millions odd spent
in debt redemption. there Is still some nino
millions missing. not 10 mention that ten mil
lions which was to have been saved by putting
an end to Democratic extravaganza"
II IL be argued that a yearly expenditure OF
thirty-fve millions showed corruption on it,
1 face" how much more corruption must there be
in an annual expenditure of ~forty-hvc millionsf
The tax rate was l.79 per cent. In 1894; 1t IL
2.ll per cent. in 1897.
The net funded debt OF the city was $l05,777.-
| 1861 90 on Dec. 81. 1894; it had risen 10 $780,
| O04. 406. % on Sept. 80. 1897.
The population OF New York was. according
| TO the statistics OF the Board OF Health, 1907
1853 in 1894; 1t is .090,5 500 in 1897.
The population OF New York has grown at tho
| rate OF ten per cent.
The tax rate has grown at the rate OF nine
teen per cent.
The city debt has grown at the rate OF twenty
two Der cent.