New-York tribune., 1914-08-05
WAR CAUSES CITY
TO CUT EXPENSES
Mitchell and Prendergast
Plan to Save Every
Penny Possible.

New York City is to cut down It's
expenditures to the utmost. No new
work is to be started, and even in some
cases where contracts already have
been let the work may be temporarily
suspended. This is the policy laid
down by Mayor Mitchell and Controller
Prendergast yesterday as result Oh
the unsettled condition of the money
market due TO the war. II followed
meeting with the various department
heads in the Mayors Office, when each
one promised to cooperate in every
wav TO keen down the amount OF cash
needed by the city.
There is no disposition to delay the
subway work, but it is possible that
some subway contracts that can be let
later will be put aside at this time. The
city will 90 ahead with the two East
River tunnels, which will take longer
TO construct than any other part OF
the system, so that the opening OF the
dual system will not be delayed, even
if some of the other contracts are not
put through at this time.
Four things we're determined upon
at the conference:
Contracts which have been awarded
and are awaiting certification are to be
held up until they can be reviewed In
conference to see whether or not they
cannot be postponed for period Of
time.
Departments are to submit state
ments of new work they have in con-
temptation, as we'll as that for which
appropriations have been made, so that
the urgency of the work may be passed
on. If it is decided that any piece OF
work is not urgent consideration OF IL
will be dropped at once
Department heads are to 60 over all
applications for open market orders,
with view to minimizing every ex-
pense during the balance of the year.
This does not mean that the necessary
foodstuffs for the city's institutions are
to be curtailed.
No increases are to be made in the
force and no vacancies, caused by re-
tirement or otherwise, are to be filled,
except after conference.
The contracts mentioned in the first
paragraph are mostly for small
amounts, and none of them refer to
subway work. Most of them relate TO
street paving, grading and department
supplies. and they total about 81, AL
! 797 05. All of these cannot be set aside
such as those for ice for Bellevue
and meat for the Department of Chart
ties-but department supplies of no
! kind except the most important will be
approved.
The contracts mentioned in the sec
ond paragraph amount to about s8,-
600 200, which include things for which
appropriations have been made, outside
of subway contracts. IL will not be nee
essary to rescind these appropriations.
The contracts will not be let for the
present, or, if let, will not be certified
by the Controllers office.
AS to the city's ability TO put through
the subway system, which has been
undertaken, Controller Prendergast
said
"The total cost TO the city of its
share in the construction of the new
system is s164,000,000. There has al
ready been paid out by the city $780,
100000. This leaves balance TO be
financed of $l05.000,000. Contracts have
been made against this last amount in
the sum of 10000, 900, leaving a bal
ance still be to contracted for of about
| $50 100000
"The larger the number OF contracts
outstanding the larger the amount Of
payments the city has to make, but,
basing my opinion upon the time it has
required to do the work already fin
ished and the average monthly pay
ments made, under present conditions,
have not the slightest doubt the city
will be able satisfactorily to finance
| this work"
The Controller pointed out that to
throw a lot of men out of work would
react on the city, as it would cause
considerable dependency for which the
city would be responsible and would
have to pay in the end.