The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-15


the legislative committee which is in
QuirinG into New York city finances, ques-
toned Mayor Mitchell yesterday regard
Ing his action in signing certain bills
which contain mandatory salary pro-
visions. a feature to which the Mayor
n the Board OF Estimate have made
particular objection.
Mr.. Mitchell had testified that he
signed the measur combining the two
divisions Of the City Magistrates Court
despite tho mandatory salaries. for he
himself had advocated such a consolida-
ton. He signed also h board Of parole
bill. also carrying a mandatory feature,
"in order to get the good with the bad"
"In signing such bills did you make
a memorandum objecting to the manda-
tory legislation" Senator Brown asked,
II don't remember that ] did, re-
previously made my position sufficiently
clear and that the objections I had
offered brought n reduction In the mum.
Der OF bills OF that nature"
"Oh. you cannot educate US In hat
way commented tho chairman.
, TO Take III Court House site.
1t Is considered likely that the Brown
committee will BOON begin 10 exploit the
court house mudd1e - an instance OF
extravagant and inefficient city govern
rnent. IND will use II n n proof that
the high taxes are not caused by the
State administration but by the city
officials. who are kousdest In passing the
blame to the Legislature.
Senator Brown " believed to he armed
with facts obtained from certain no.
bers of the city administration. He has
laid his plans, and will try to obtain
admissions from city officials to show
that the acquisition Of thu court house
site was originally a great blunder and
hat the city has made other blunders
equally great in trying to conceal the
original mistake.
The site has cost the city $4,000 900
and the carrying charges on II are more
than $4,000 a day. When the ,ity orig
inaily purchased a site It's engineers
failed to discover that the laIi. whore
years ago the Collect pond vas located
was unavailable for building, because II
was not solid enough. The original site
cost $7.l4s.76O: when It's unavlilability
was discovered another adjoining site
was acquired at a cost of 1888, 900.
City officials planned to buih the court
house and stll the land which was left.
Now comes the question OF the con SIT
tutionality OF this proposed sale. &C.
cording to an amendment to the Consti-
tuition. the city Is allowed to acquire by
condemnation only the land II needs
| plus enough to form suitable building
sites Abutting on land SO cordemn,d d.
Senator Brown liz inclined to bslieve that
Il tho farf that fha city Officials nlQn IN
ssal almost . third Of the land acquired
In proof that the city has violated this
clause Of the Constitution
The affairs of the Board OF Educa-
ton were considered at the afternoon
session. President Thomas W. Churchill
and John Martin, a member from Staten
Island. taking opposite views OF the
| equal pay for teachers law. Mr.. Mar
| tin emphasized the higher value which
| he places on men teachers.
III l felt as ne does" said President
Churchill. he was called to the
stand. ~ should advocate IA law to pre-
vent women from teaching at all"
Mr.. Churchill promised to present a
list OF recommendations of the cho
boards needs az he sees them to the
COMMITTEES at II o'clock this morning,
He will be followed by Miss Grace
Strachan. who led the Albany fight for
equal pay fOr women. Later Comp
| troller Prendergast. who has been out
spoken in criticism of the teachers
lobby, will be a witness.
LiveIier Sessions Likely.
So far there has been no more than
a suggestion of acriniony in the COM
mittee's hearings. though INDICATIONS
that subsequent proceedings may as
sumo a livelier turn have not been
wanting. Asked yesterday what TIRE
Moore report was. President Churchill.
said:
1T was a report rendered In 1911
| which the Board OF Estimate itself re.
| pudiated because the report recon.