The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-26
CITY GOVERNMENT
DECLARED WASTEFUL
Real Estate Board Severely
Critises Most Of Depart
ment Expenditures.
BANKRUPTCY Is F0RESEEN

Two Real Estate BOARD o, New York.
~ l.1 has made q study Of the tentative
...ttrt 'or 1918 and analysed the depart
.u..t.l estimates has issued a pamphlet
.ls.ug severely the expense OF rum
..s the various municipal departments
s9vs that unlimited expenditures IN the
,t. government can really heneft no one
t.I must in the end lead 20 municipal
iI,truntcv.
. Tue pamphlet says emphndcally that
...tg cln he no present increase In the
...t OF the city that there can be no
..,'ner Increase IN the tax rate, and that
...ro can he In Tho Immediate future. no
s.rtN,r burden imposed on the present
t...-.e OF revenue 10y direct taxation
The pamphlet IL specially interesting
q. %. from showing that the city debt has
t.,,l~ad by Sl.oO0,0O0.O0n since 1925. for
o., striking comments 81 makes on the
method of running the various city depart
Mcu's.
one W the things that tho Real Estate
1s,rd especially attacks IL the social
t.~v.cc work OF the city
The fundamental wrong with these ec-
-.vitlos." says the pamphlet rs that the
f-oe personal services that they render.
mar bv tho Board Of Health. the De-
tartment of Charities or the Board OF
iducatibu. are done for a small part or
the community and those only who are
.acl,lng something for nothing are bene-
Gted'
A. I'm Roman Days.
IN another place the pamphlet contin-
uea. 1t was just as much a part of the
work of government to divert the minds
- the people from their real grievances
md the corruption Of authorities in the
Savs OF CallCula, when entertainment was
free AT the Circus MaNimus, or the days
Of Cesar, when corn was free At the
SIbllc granarv. as II Is to-day
Tho pamphlet asserts that no wholly
satisfactory economy can be effected until
Shere is change bv legislation or by
constitutional provision I'm the present
methods OF tho admin stratlon OF the city's
MARS Every city employee. II SAYS,
,aoui be treated as the employee OF "A
c,us ness corporation.
TIE pamphlet then takes M practically
al the city Departments and Analyses
,hei- cost and their work. Concerning
,Ne criminal and civil courts the pamphlet
r,ys The salaries paid in these courts
.rc avod in many Instances by mandatory
legislation or by the Judges themselves,
t-d are in many cases excessive
Tho Real Estate Board thinks that
s. 100000 year could be saved II the
Borough Presidents. We're made merely
legislative Instead Of executive officers.
Taking up the expense o.: the college
- NE CITY Of New York and Normal
COLLEGE the Real Estate Board says that
q interest ON tn" City'S investment ia
t.f avcr1E" cost Of maintaining each coll
ltca student would be 1924 year T.
SUGGESTS that 1t would ne cheaper for the
CO.. 20 pay Columbia University s2no for
tuition OF each student and thus save
money
G Education rs extravaganza and speak
:. n the boards estimate for 1918 the
It,rnnlet SAYS: Unless boys or girls
! .sseSs special ability. so tins when
educated they would he Of benefit 70 tho
community. they should be given only a
grammar school education.
High Salaries Condemned.
TO Real Estate Board secs no reason
fr- paving the school superintendent Of
bindings S10O0o year, when he does
-. design school building, the superln-
t.7aent Of Supplies $500. when he is only
store keeper and the auditor $500 a
year. when he Is only an auditor. As TO
'.o Board Of Health the Real Estate
Board would appropriate for It only such
money ~ 1t needed for the enforcement
. sanitary regulations. II suggests that
'H- Eonkcfoller institute will do all the
necessary laboratory work for the city.
Similar criticisms are made Of the De-
rtrtmcut Of Charities and the Depart
u.nt Of Correction. AE for the Board
~ Aldermen. the Real Estate q ard does
It' understand why the city Clcrk should
s's'1nts There Is no criticism of the
Polio" Department, except in regard To
g." request for q private secretary for
ITO Fonrth Deputy Police Commissioner.
Ire namphlet then says:
Tie private secretary luxury IL hirhly
desired and greatly sought by Commits
oners and Deputy Commissioners, and
We have even known instances wher" pri-
VITO secretaries had private secretaries.
lg these days Of economy. however. a
lenutv who has q Stcnographer and q
telephone operator should feel that nc is
fully provided with all the help that he
ely needs
The recommendation Is made that the
Nurlc,p,l Art Commss on DO abolished,
in1t no salaries he paid to the Court
NUlvr Board while NO court house is
l..ng erected and that there should he
lar-" reduction IN the salaries 81 county
officials.
n