New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-07
Accuses Charities Head OF
Gross IncOmpetency
and Extravaganza.
SAYS HIS BUDGET
WAS BIGGEST EVER
Commissioner Replies Report
His Predecessor Objects TO
Was All Garbled.

piied 70 Nj Kings b4TV'c reported a.
isek upoD him. lir Drummond &C
cused the Commissioner with gross In
compCtcncv and extravaganza.
"Coror,iSeioncr Kiacsbury was hard.
Is IN Office Mr.. Drummord SAID
when he began making statements that
he would conduct the department upon
business basis would introduce
economies, secure large savings. stop
waste and extravaganza and by meth
DDS a. efficiency. IN which he pretended
70 be an expert. would give the CITY
an economical and satisfactory aomln-
isfraron.
'I made 10 comment upon these neg
Gtive slurs and usiruatious, although
upon one occasion Mr. King bury. %
CORRECTLY quoted went so Tar as 10
say thai h. intended 10 save S666, 600.
/ would not now reply were il not that
when criticised recently by Controller
PrerdcrCast for having exceeded his
appropriation. Commissioner Kings
hurry made the following unwarrantcd
statement:
Michael j. DrUWmond' my pTeno,
Cessor, had the budget figures prepared
for 1914, and the funds provided ran
out by May !. Medicine and clothing
had 10 be bought for the poor and
sick, and as ! had no funds asked
the Controller 20 provide means. lie
refused, and ] went out and bought the
Had Riogest Rudqct Ever.
whoever knows anything about g
departmental budget knows that 4
Commissioner docs not make il. He
asks for what his experience teaches
Rim is necessary. He endeavors 70
E 10
Board OF Estimate. but in the end must
accent the amount fixed by the com
mittee.
"To say ] did not provide enough
for 1914 is wllful attempt TO deceive
the public. The budget in 1914 was
the largest apportioncd to the depart
ment in its entire history.
Il secured for 1914 s3,722 ,9S3 36,
which was Sl0'.l76 Is more than the
budget appropriation for 1918. When
] left the department December 81.
1918. the storehouscs were we'll sup
plied-thp shelves were full. There
we're GOOD stocks Of medicines and
clothing on hand. and there was an
unencumbered, unexpcnded balance Of
the 1918 account. when everything was
settled, Of 81 ,453 90.
"The real excess 7 provided for 1914
was tho advance | secured and the
amount did not use in 1913. or Sl18,-
63O97.
vast balance "h mana
"NIr Kircsburv evidently docs not
know that on Nav /. 1914. the time.
he saws. beyond which | had made no
provision. he had an unencumbered
balance Of S1.q17.762 80. and he had
nal. ,r5Cv ., tbof dofn 1pOO
which the greater part of the deliv-
cries had not been made. amounting 10
Sg7I .36l IA. In addition 10 all this he
had orders nlaced for 500 9s9 is. the
Iarger mart Of which remained 10 be
delivered
"Nr Kinpsburv also specifically
states that because nv apportionments
ran out Nav L and he had no funds
and the Controller refused 70 give him
any. he had 10 90 out. contrary TO law
and the prohibitions of the charter, and
buy clothing and medicines for the
poor and sick, whereas on May ! he
had an unencumbered balance for
clothing Of SI3.2Oi47.
For the medical and surgical sup
plies for 1914 | had secured sS0.50O.
ON Nav I. when the medicines were
al gone. as Mr.. Kingsbury saws, and
he had 30 buy. ne had d balance Of
S74.g6g 81. against which there were
undelivered contracts Of S72,1l4 sc
The contracts for these supplies con-
tanned a clause over or under per
m,,l"t Inc PSas"9 A. t,,o Pf' o oom.
,r o 20 ~, NJ r Kircsbn,v e he DO
- ,o,,I5 - nbanocd ,bo ;.a,,s IF
~, .e'3 80 ;to,,Ys
- 80 a,,,o,,,,t r. e OF 20
"ins,oa5 90 roo5,r,, -,odic,ra for .be
.ooor "a .;cyi on NJ ,,ca,I,. ,broo.
mace 81 he ,os,,s s,,nn;, nos not
80 .s,oaI g., ,,,.,,.,. 100 IA
- ,',.l p"S ESQ sso "a -, H.
"a 81 ,be vesr 81 bsIance iett of
81 200 o6
,T-aio,, l.,.o hoo, ,,,;.;, ,o,,,,.0a
NJ Kjnrsbnr,, - snord;rs tsg o0n for
nu,,ire, IN cIsss n.r,itiors in tbs Cbar.
ities Danarfmen, am also informed
-, to r. J,rs-,ed GO -o0 IRON, No.
food supply item in the budget 10 pay
social Investigators, illegally appointed,
,,,cb ms and frro,s ~ have de.
chs,ced ZION, nubIic mairtenanca some
no cb;Id wards Of The city In 1870
hefore these eYperts were ever heard
~ 1IIb children were thus discharged
s,d 912O recommended for retention
Tor loss than a wear. thus giving TO
their parents a chance 10 rchabilitate
tb,ir homes"
L;L V,lsi,.
shaun tho foregoing statement he said :