The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-14
THREATEN TO DELAY
SALARY REDUCTIONS
Estimate Board Members Dis
agree on Value Of stand
ardiZatiOn Plan.
SEVERAL CUTS OPPOSED

II the Board OF Estimate were to
take u vote to-day, the elaborate plan
OF standardixing city employees. involv-
ing a sa wing OF $3.50, 900 a year In sal
airy reductions, would be cast over
board for this year nj least. 1t IL likely
that at best the programme Will be
considerably modified by compromise.
! Differences Of opinion. to put 1t
mildly. among members Of the board
were obvious after u three hour confer
encs In Comptroller Prendergast's office
yesterday. The members Of the budget
committes-Mr. P%rendergast. George
! McAnsny and borough Presidents
Pounds and Mathewson-called IN
Mayor Mitchell for consultation, The
only thing actually decided was that
hereafter, whenever possible, this ON
mittee will sit with the budget SUB
conmittee--'the slashing board'-in its
hearings on standardization.
Up To this time the Subcommittee has
been making recommendations to the
Estimate Board after hearing, depart
ment by department the report OF the
bureau Of Standards and the protests
of such officials as cared TO appear.
! The main budget committee mas beeii
hearing appeals from the findings OF the
I subcommittee. but has thus far taken
no action ON any specific case of salary
reduction. increase or job elimination.
Hereafter, to we time and duplication.
the main committee will hear all the tes-
timony and parley directly at the same
time as the subcommittee.
Disagree ON Decreases.
with this matter decided, the bulge
committee in the conference with the
Mayor debated the whole subject oil
Standardization. 1t Is understood there
was no dissension as to the need OF
abolishing "A great number or useless
p~ositions-Sl, 900, 900 worth. according
to the recommendations of the Bureau
OF Standards. This bureau has also rec
commended salary decreases totallIhs
abou $3.50. 900. This is the feature OF
the plan upon which the Board of Esti-
mate does not agree.
President Mckneny. 1t is said, has
come to believe hat the cuts should no.
he made this year. With him In this
position stand all the thorough Presi'
dents. On a showdown they would cas-
ten of the sixteen votes IN the Board o'
Estimate, against the six votes of th'
Mayor and C1poptroller Prendergast
The Comptroller is ~outspokenly III favoi
uf going through with the programme
az adopted by the board before IN
political and other results of salary cut
ting are emphasized. 1t is understoo'
that the Mayor also favurs immediate
standardization
The bureau OF Standards has cost TIT
city $500, 600, and the Mayor is repre-
scented as urging that there be no furthe
delay in applying the results OF Its work
His instructions to the heads of tn
twenty-nine departments under this con
troll stiil stand. lie told them that II
their budget estimates for 1916 the
must conform to the salary specifiCa
tons recommended by the Bureau q
Standards. Even IL the Estimate Boar
voted against Standardization these de
p~artin.nts would probably go RICH
ahead with il. The saving would h
considerable. II all the cuts advised b.
the Standards Bureau were made tn
saving OF $3.50 900 a year would lowe
the tax rate by nearly half a point.
scuiIy Opposes Cuts.
City Clerk Scully on appeal t" tn
budget yesterday said II
thought all the recommendations of In
subcommittee were VERY drastic AN,
not JUSTIFIED OF Joseph V. Scully. as
I, ststant city Clerk In charge of tn
Brooklyn office. whu was slated for
decrease from $500 TO s2,N50 a yeai
Borough President pounds said He /
the one man in Brooklyn who kDO~s al
, about the old city OF Brooklyn. He is
most valuable official"
, Justice O'Kecfe Of Special Session
protested against the Topping OFF a
:. Chief Clerk Frank smiths salary fror
$1,000 to S5,l6O lie also appealed 70
. other clerks.
|. The Subcommittee serenely kept o
with its work yesterday. 1t recon-
mended that S1l.@03 bc cut from TN
budget request OF Borough Pres!der
, Mathcwson of The Bronx. Among tn
cuts recommended We're General Book
keeper .John Osborne, from $4,000 I
$500 Her bert Unison, secretary To Il,
Superintendent Of Public Works, froi
$4,000 10 $1,000. and General lnspecto
Henry Hafen, a relative OF eN-Boroug
President Louis +. Haiien, from S2,iO
:, , to $1,000. Mr.. Mathewson agreed I
most OF the reductions.