New-York tribune., 1911-11-22


only bs sorry that thev we're acting IN 80
short sighted a manner
on the deficiency tar item however. he
rsrned them that thew we're exceeding
.heir powers snd were lining up IN direct
IMPOSITION 70 tho rr1ytsiors Of the charter
Section 24s of the charter" said the Bor-
ouah President provides that the Board
If Estimate and Apportionment shall an
nuallv include IN its anal estimate the FOL
lowing su-n which shall ANNUALLY hs raised
and approrristed-e sum equal 20 - much
n the deficiency on the preceding hrst dsy
~ January in the product ~ taxes there
tofore levied and deemed h. the board ~
ra uncollectible "a shall not have been
provided for IN prior tax levies or hv the
issue n corporate stock ~ tho city If New
York. or rs such corporate stock duly an
tAorizad b. said hoard 70 be issued
oeAction 77s provides that the Board ~
Aldermen may. reduce the said seveisl
amounts hxed ~ the Board of Estimate
and Apporti tionr1ent except such amounts a.
are now or may hereafter be fixed by
law"
Mr. NcAnenv explained that by The Hner-
ter provisions quoted there could be No
doubt that the S67l2S S3s item for deficiency
taxes in the budget was mandatory pro
vision Bv Section 24s of the charter. he
said. the Board ~ Estimate was forced -
put n in the budget. and by Section 226 the
Board Of Aldermen was Just as plainly pro-
hibited from taking it ont or reducing II.
To the cur in the Board Of Estimates
own appropriation Of S216900, which was
chiefly composed of the COOS o00 for expert
investigation Of the budgetary demands Of
departments and for Standardization pur-
poses. NIr McAneny addressed the arsu-
ment that by such action the aldermen
would be putting the city in a position of
begging from private sources for money 10
attend 10 city work Of a nature that no
big corporation would think of neglectng.
That particular cut was fully expected
and for some time past II had been the
open boast Of the Tammany majority in
the aldermanic body that they would XIII
the appropriation for the Board Of Esti-
mates proposed scientific Investigation
Mr. McAneny warned them again, as he
had done before the Finance Committee
before. that # that item was cut out the
Board Of Estimate would BE- strongly
against any salary increases. on the sole
ground that they would have no expert
force TO look into the question OF the need
for such increases
/ He explained that the item or $4,000 for
the Bureau Of Weights and Measures was
for the purpose Of providing a proper In
! spection force for snow removal carts, 10
see that the city was not swindled by short
measurements in those carts as II had been
/ in the past. Last year. said Mr.. McAneuy,
he loaned the bureau sixty inspectors from
1 his own department for that purpose. but
had been advised by the Civil Service COM
mission that such transfer was not al
/ lowabe.
That is cut full Of significance" he
said. particularly as the work done last
year along those lines saved the city some
thing like sJo.pO But YOU are cutting out
| that $1,000 under the guise Of economy. 7
want the people 20 know what particular
/ kind Of economy that is"
Alderman Dowllng. in response. remarked
sneeringly: He CMcAneny) thinks there Is
something wrong with that cut Wen.
that's the way they always talk"
| on the cut OF S216.SOO from the Board Of
Estimates proposed investigation and
standardizs ton fund. DowlinG advocated
that the work be done by the Commis-
| eioners of Accounts. and as TO tho defcien-
cv tax item. hc said. the total true de-
/ fciency" was $685. 70 The Controller g
statement. he added. shows a total de-
ficiency Of s12.7.1 Sr7. Of which S10,O00000 was
put into the budget.
There IS no such deficiency" he said.
"A deficiency is made 10 appear only by
false bookkeeping. The items Included in
the statement "a deductions from special
franchise taxes aggregate T.4622i4, which.
deducted from the total deficiency OF S2,-
721,sE. leaves a balance Of S.e69,542. which
Is the total true deficiency"
Commenting later on the ingenious srgr-
rnent advanced by the alderman Douglas
Mathewson. Acting Controller, pointed out
as had Mr.. McAneny, that the charter pro
vision left no liberty 20 the aldermen 70 de
terrnine what was or was not deficiency
tax"
The charter provides that such amount
Of the tax defciercy as shall he deemed
by the board TO be uncolectsble shall 10
Included in the budget" said M Mathew
son. "and il Is ridiculous for the aldermen
10 step in and Try 10 reduce that item. when
they are expressly forbidden by charter
provisions from touching r.
That item Is the crystallizadon Of Con-
troller Prendergasts method for redeem
Ing the city debt. piled up by years or
Tammany administration. II is serious
question Of law whether the aldermen have
snv right 10 touch H. and FOR the aldermen
10 lump in on two hours consideration
NJ n. which Is practically no consideration
At I'll. and reduce a.. Is Preposterous. II ts
not 2 savins 10 the city no any sense Of
the word r is nothing more than put
ting of OF the citv'- Just obligation. which
must inevitably be taken up sooner or later.
and should be attended 70 immed'ateir m
exactly the way provided hy roe charter.