New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-01
SPLIT OVER ECONOMY.
alderman Meyers Ready to Resign
Leadership of Board.

James cowdin Meyers. leader OF the majority in
the Board Of Aldermen. who not sustained on
Tuesday when he urge, the defeat of a resolution
increasing the salary OF Oliver L. Stanton seer
tary the Controller. said yesterday thar ne IL
tended 10 call majority together ana ailo" the
Republicans and Municipal Ownership aldermen 10
choose another leader IL thev want TO do H. IL Is
not at all probable that any one will be CHOSEN
IN his place Re is well fitted for the th%hh'ess
task OF hghting "grafters' in the board.
Many distinguished men, who. In TINS e"Se'
fsppeu 10 be Democrats. have put 'nemselNes Oi'
aec9rd In speeches being for r1t7enchment anu
economy in the adminstratioI - "h CITY o'Pa't
nlents Going record fog "ctne;ny III Il e,''-
and being for # IN actual :--uce are quite di"tr
ent things. however. Ex-Cortroii"r trout rsduoed
TIE ga ~-as OF nla-v member = is 'hmeaia'e
stan when he became .'o:':- Yea ? ." SeaTS 49,
but lust before retiring from ~ ao''0"''
q lot OF increases. -, "a
Borousb President Coler also Is in favor OF re-
,renchr,ent but IN the Board OF Aldermen On
Tuesday he urged the increase Of the saaiy y.
the secretary 20 the Controller from sSv" 70 ~"
without advancing a valid argument TOT the AZ
crease ,,.
ems economy hut he also in favor OF the increase
% The salary Of his secretary from 5000 TO *SVV'
This is the way the economy idea works our WITH
three men who have been Controller
Alderman Meyers took UP the Board OF hsur
mates request for an increase In Stanton saldiy
vrben =, came TO him in the regular order OF ousi-
ness and made sure that the Board OF Estlhia'e'
as az present constituted was IN FAVOR OF d % pei
cent increase in the salary OF an olnclai VIM
worked for four years under Controller circuit Ior
t.nno a ,eer without q threat OF resigning. The
Committee on Rules and the Finance Committee or
the Board OF Aldermen recommended an increase
OF 1900 a year. When this report rea0Heu 'N'
board on Tuesday II was repudiated
The fight for the larger increase was leo py l-it-
,la Tim Sullivan Borough President Coler' Al
derrnan Billy" Wentz. a Republican who can DC
depended upon 20 vote with the SulliNehs WHEN
they ask IL. Alderman JOHN Ham, hepuOhcail.
Brooklyn; Reginald S. Doun, Frank DOWNING anu
three OF four Hearst men. II was vote on d
matter ~ rrfnciple and Alderman Meyers had the
courage TO insist that raise Of Sl.cp was enough
for one wear Alderman Good man said that he
might be in favor Of raise Of 5000 later but that
loo was enough now. Borough President Coier
asserted even $500 was not enough
NIr MEYERS directed attention TO The prooaDlIty
thar a rrecedent was being established and that
the board would be flooded with applications for
increases as large that asked for by the friehos
Of stanton
The Tammany men Invariably are ready TO spend
he citv's money Il, makes little difference 10
them whether it is for salaries, funerals or cele-
brations
I believe in handingsout the sugar 70 the boys"
said Little Tim Sullivan al the lily Hall recent
" in declaring his working political principle. 1t
always IS the citys sugar that Mr.. Sullivan is
willing TO hand out literally.
Il Is no surprise 10 the friends Of Alderman
Meyers that he is disguised and ready 10 step
aside for some else. 1t is not AT all likely
that the majority, when they come to hear from
their constituents, viii allow him retire A lot
OF little steals being organized by the graft
ers" in the board and the friends Of good govern
ment are writing Mr.. Meyers 10 stand by his guns
and fight them. He is going TO do il whether he
retains the leadership not In referring to the
Tuesday incident yesterday he said:
4, % +lna foo
that a number of Brooklyn Republicans and TWO
three Municipal Ownership men Joined with
TamInany I'm OveTruling the report of the Com
nittee Salaries and Offices regarding the salary
OF the secretary to the Controller 1t seems to
rather display Of cheap generOSty-a case of
liberality with the citys money which does not
cost the giVers a cent.
When 1 talked TO representatives OF the press a
few days ago about "A policy OF economy and re-
trenchment told them that ] realized that II was
bound 20 be most unpopular programme. felt
that ! riding for fall, aud If i cannot get
The support OF my colleagues I'm that policy shall
Cheerfully pass The leadership some
else. There should be question OF my person
ality. il should be entirely Of policy. / have
been characterized boss. hut ! have never
felt like a boss wanted 10 be a boss.
! cid not want 10 he the leader OF the majority.
I preferred the freedom OF action enjoyed by a
free lance such as ] have been IN the past
took up the unwolCome task because II offered
unanimously and because there seemed be g
IF Aldermen. ] shall call a meeting OF the
5Crlty before the next meeting OF the board, and
change OF leadership, Il really desired be read
Ny obtained.