The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-16
PASTOR INDICTS
CITY HEADS FOR
JOBLESS MISERY
Board of Estimate Bitterly
Attacked by the Rev. John
Haynes Holmes.
PARADES. RIOTS. BOMBS
FEARED BY CLERGYMAN

While the Board OF Estimate was de-
batting the unemployment, situation at
City Hall yesterday aId setting next Fri
day as the day Tor finding out just how
much city work can be hlstened. the Rev.
John Haynes Holmes, pastor OF the
Church Of the Messiah, Park avenue and
Thirty-fourth street. asked for "a hearing
and got IT, lie then delivered a bitterly
reproachful speech. all Of which was
keyed up to the opening sentence:
what ! have seen and heard this morn
Ing has made me ashamed OF you"
lie taxed the board with not under
standing the emergency, with being pur-
posely slow. with lingering over a ma
hogany table to compliment one another"
while thousands are starving and frees-
Ing" and with dallying over the question
what can be done" when the real de-
mand is what must be done"
lie insisted that the city is responsible
for the unemployed He offered no definite
suggestion as to what the city should do
except to say he had been informed that
the Federal Reserve Bank had 500, 900 900
with which to buy city warrants and that
New York could raise money in that way.
sharp Retort by Prendergast.
He was sharply answered by Comptrol-
Ter Prendergast and President McAneny
OF the Aldermen Mr.. Prendergast, who
recently studied the whole situation from
the standpoint Of the citys chief financial
officer. lrritated the Rev. Mr.. Holmes still
further by saying that neither sickly
sentiment nor maudlin socialism" could
swerve him from his duty as Comptroller
There is no need OF elusive promises"
said Mr.. Prendergast. The city cannot
provide work at any time and at any
cost. 1t Is not responsible for unempoy-
ment As trustee OF the cty's funds
have no right to assume a course that
takes US beyond the law. We are not in
a position to find work No municipality
is II We belonged TO the same school
OF economists that you belong to. Mr..
HOLMES, there would be no argument.
But we do not--not one member of this
board. We are willing to do anything
that is legal, but nothing else"
And this from Mr. McAneny while
tile clergyman leaned against the rail,
obviously worn out. he said he was,
physically and mentally, by his day and
night labors of the last few weeks In
behalf of the voorhees, workers:
when you come here, Mr.. Holmes,
and ash us to do something that Ia not
permitted by law. and when you do this
without a suggestion concerning how we
L
say. sir. chat you are doing Infinite dam
age. do not say W. Gan do nothing
do say that we are trying to find a
way. Every man ought TO help his neigh
Dor. The city Is doing the best it can"
Says He Fears Riots.
Mr.. Holmes retorted, "That means
nothing. To my mind the can do moth
ing attitude will breed riots, parades and
EXPLOSIONS"
AS to the personal animadversions
expressed by you ! have nothing to say"
Mr.. Prendergast said little later in the
long colloquy. III did might suggest
chat you preach charity. l challenge
any ono to show a single act on the part
OF any member of this board to delay
one dollars worth OF work We can
sell all the securities we wish to-day, but
the whole question is, Are we to accept
view of the city's responsibilities which
no member OF the board believes Is the
right view"'
The Rev. Mr.. Holmes insisted that in
the case OF a great fire the city would
have no trouble In providing emergency
relief "This is a situation that Is not
dramati,: II is terrible" ne added IF
there's a will things can be done, as Lin
coin did them for four years"
Last night the clergyman supplemented
his remarks with statement sent TO
the newspapers. In which he says:
In answer to my. statement before the
Board of Estimate and Apportionment
this morning tho Comptroller made two
perfectly definite points, which should be
known TO tho citizens of New York:
In the first place. he made 1t plain that
there is no lack of funds to be used
for meeting the unemployment situation.
Ho admitted my statement that the Fed
eral Reserve Bank held hundred million
dollars at this moment and was buying
city warrants was true--that warrants
had actually been sold TO the amount OF
si000,0O0. Again and again he laid en-
phasis on the fact that there was all the
money the city wanted for this or any
other purpose. but that II simply could not
he used for the relief OF the unemployed
for lack OF power under the law. Let
il be understood. henceforth. in all discus
sion of this question that money Is al
hand II we want it and can find way
to get II.
Holds City Responsible.
''ln the second place Mr. Prendcrgast
sought TO absolve the city officials from
the charge OF inactlon in this crisis on
the ground that the city was not respon-
shle for the relief of the unemployed. On
this point I am well content TO take issue
with the Comptroller The city is mos,
emphatically in a position OF responsibility
in this matter. When a woman faints
from hunger in the street city police
man picks her up and puts her In the
City's hospital for treatment. When a
man freezes to death from cold and under
nourishnient a city policeman puts his
body in the morguo and II Is buried In
the city's potters field. When "A starving
man steals food or TIN ows bomb a city
policeman arrests him and no rs tried IN
tho city's courts and confined in the city's
prison,
what the Comptroller means IL that
tho city IL not responsible for the unem
ployed until they either sicken, die OF
revolt. II Is not responsible and II moi
obliged to take action so long as they
starve and freeze In silence.
Never have [ heard more direct In
vitation to the |. w. W. and other sgi
tators to organize parades, start riots
raid churches than is contained in thi:
statement Of our Comptroller. My plea I,
that the city's responsibility is just a,
great before death and outbreak as II Il
after. and that the one way for the city
to save the situation is to act. and to ac
now.
The present situation takes on thu
proportion OF a calamity. The Mayor see.
this with clearncss and every good clt
zen should support him In his laudabl'
endeavors to cut endless red tape anC
4, l. ,