New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-24
THE BUDGET FOR 1902.
TO BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF
sos, ,724, ,541.
IN REALITY s1s4ooO LESS THAN TAMMANY'S
TENTATIVE ESTIMATE. AS THE LATTER
PURPosELY OMITTED DEFICIENCIES


The new administrators budget for the year
1902 will be about sos 724, ,541-an increase
of the tentative budget agreed upon by the
Tammany Board of Estimate last fall Of
about $4,000. From this gross should be
deducted in fairness S944. 600 in deficiencies pur-
posely omitted from the old budget by the Tam
many Board of Estimate. making a virtual net
reduction of about S194, 900. The old Tammany
board neglected to appropriate anything for
supplies for the various departments. This
amounted to about 100000. There out
standing account of S1s4.OO0 against The City
Record and Corporation Counsel Rives re-
ported outstanding claims of 100000 against the
Law Department. all of which had TO be pro-
vided for by the new board.
The Board of Estimate will finish it's labors
by tomorrow night, and on Monday, according
to present expectations. will be able TO issue a
statement setting forth the reasons for every
increase in appropriations. and also showing the
material reductions wherever possible. in run
ming the various departments
While there is more or less disappointment
inability to reduce the budget to a lower
figure than it was when it left the hands of the
old board. still Mr. Low and his associates be-
lieve that when the facts Of the situation are
made known the popular verdict will be well
done"
The mandatory laws governing the appoint
nlent of officials. the Interchangeable cnarac-
ter of the wage schedules in the Departments
of Education. Police. Fire and Street Cleaning.
together with the shortness of time allowed the
board to work in. have made it impracticable to
do pruning that seemed TO be justified
The Tammany administration increased the
budget by about So 10000 or 81, 100000 a year
until last year, and would doubtless have adced
another S6. 900 600 for 1902 if the result AZ the
polls had been different The probability that
the administration will be able to hold the
expenditures stationary for this year and next.
while the taxpaying ability of the city is
steadily increasing is regarded as a creditaDle
showing by the friends OF the administration.
If Controller Cirout is successful in collecting
about S2a,pp.00o of arrears of assessments
where the city has failed to collect from prop
erty owners their share of expense for Tublic
improvements. he will be able TO reduce the
rate largely.
The members of the Board of Estimate and
AppOrtionment have worked this month as few
public officials ever worked. and they begin TO
show the result of wear and tear The law
limiting their power to revise the budget TO
May | has made ii necessary to labor double
time.
The new budget will provide for repairing cid
buildings and building new ones that are great
ly needed and have been needed for TWO or
three years Why the Tammany officials aid
not do the work is another story. The hard
task confronting Mr. Low and his associates is
a repetition in many respects of the problem
that confronted Mayor Strong in 1894 He
found that large expenditures were absolutely
necessary in the Police. Fire and Charities de-
partments in order to the citys property
from going to ruin. After a period of upbu'Id-
ing he laid down the reins of power TO his Tam
many successors who from 1898 to 1902 did
much as Tammany did under former WigTdm
mayors