New-York tribune., 1908-01-07

lion over s3s'osi $40 u
After allowing various deductions for revenue
honds outstanding the debt incurrng capacity OF
the city is still further reduced to the figure al
ready gfven-s3s I23 81. Since October last the
cirvs expenditures have kept right on so that on
January It is doubtful if the city had a iee"ay
OF more than sSo.cooooa- AS usual, however. the
taxes for the year tentatively on the DOCKS,
and after the usual period there viii be the usuai
annual increase in the assessed valuations tnus
raising the debt incurrins capacity Of the city to
around s15 oeo, 600
of the budget and the causes for its steady in
crease the Mayor says:
In spite of the rigid economy TIE budget fSn ct
sliS572 e56 Il for the year 1905 TINS increase "a
cost Of city government caused by two reasons, >,
First the enactment by the state LegisatuFe f @ OF
laws interfering with the local reguiaton OF OUT our
expenditures. thus entailng upon the city every every
s6l,it "a and second the constantly increasing
volume Of the city's business ana the hlgner @
Inijes The city cannot be accused Of any ex-
iTayagance in allowing these increases 1t mas
nor has it countenanced any general raise OF sal
ares, Zhsb siIbous fhey appeared TO be fair
" warranted had TO be disallowed on account OF
necessary TO refuse the request of the Board of
Education for an increase of pay Tor the , scnooi
teachers although some increase for these teach.
ers seemed to all the members of the Board OF
Estimate and Apportionment to have Deen de-
$ long as the city continues TO give the public
account OF the city must continue to grow pc
reve however that i al mandatory legislation I were
lis affairs without the state forcing II TO pay
+ 5o,,Id keen its annual increases down very
much smaller figure than al present
N-:th reference to the proposal TO exempt from
tire terms Of the constitutional limitation bonds
Issued for self-supporting enterprises the Mayor
says.
As 10 the adrisability of such an amendment l
i attractive From practical standpoint % now
T. be found d. nEerouS and ll-adNlse1
The possibility of extending the present constitu-
pris-s which in the end would result in shaking
SIS financial stability, encouraging extraVasance
The Mayor also suggests that the charter should
be so amended that the Commissioners of the Sink
ing Fund might in their discretion issue corporate
stock redee,Yable at option OF the city after
brief period Of from five years. and payable
IT any in ten to nifty years.
OF the proposed Fifth avenue widening the mes
sage says:
III, ne epl lif hs autRSes 10 proceed @ In the matter
OF the rrfih avenue widening. BY such widening
cr6aciments bevond the building lire the curtaii-
n,-nt of fhe outer line of the. sidewalks by about
seen and one-hdlf feet on either side CT tie ave
and the consequent enlargement Of the road
Nay BY about fifteen feet.
During The last few years several cases have We
testing the ci1ys right to demand the removal OF
these encroac achnlents. The decisions Of the courts
months. have uniformly upheld the contention of
that ali distractions beyond the bullclnS
lire illegal. and the way is therefore now open
for authorities TO compel the removal of these
encroaclrnents. ] have accordingly Instructed the
Corporation Counsel TO have prepared the neces-
sary surveys and mans showing all tie cncrcach-
Fifth avenue from go street north far the
present congestion OF traffic exists the less
crowded portions OF the avenue be dealt with
later. As socn these maps ale prepared the
Corporation Couns-i win send notices TO all
property who shown to be maintaining
ercroachn1ents beEonds the building line ordering
them 70 have such obstrUctions removed In case
anv property owner refuses to comply with this
re1uesf the city will Immediately institute pro-
ceed,ngs 10 compel such action through the courts
The message says that the spans of the
BlsckwefTs Island Bridge will be connected by
June J.
The Mayor recommends the doing away OF the
Aqueduct Commission. He saws:
The running expenses of the AQue6uct Commits
son during 1896 sS0s go S. of which s2s4.53 %
for salaries The expense of this commission
is vastly OFT Of proportion 80 the work IL has
hand that its abolition IT any time would seem
% advisable
The message pays a warm tribute to the ge-
of DR.. Dariingtons department II closes
with z brief review Of the years of consolida-
ton. The MAYOR says that the results have been
satisfactory in the maE. ard that all the five bor
oushs benefited by the union.