New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-25
MAYOR VETOES
PURCHASE BILL
Outwits Legislature by
Killing City Measure at
Eleventh Hour.
OPPOSED NEW POWER
FOR ESTIMATE BOARD
Permitted Hampering of Ad-
ministration in All Depart
ments, He Declares.

Too late Tor the Legislature 70 pass
3: over his head. Mayor Mitchell vetoed
Senate Bill 1872 last night, which was
an act TO amend the city charter IN
relation TO the purchase Of supplies
for the city and the establishment OF
a department Of purchase.
The Mayors principal objection TO
the bill was that II would make the
Board OF Estimate the head Of the de-
psrtmcnt Of purchase, instead 81 ploc-
ing that authority iu the Mayor Mr.
Mitchell said on this POINT;
A careful distinction t.st been mann
tanned heretofore bctwee= aominlstra-
tive ard executive functions committed
20 and discharged Ey ;S- Mayor, the
heads OF his departments and the Dor.
ouph presidents. and the functions OF
financial control and policy making
committed to and discharged by the
Board of Estimate. [, make the Board
Of Estimate the head Of a department
Of purchase makes that board an ad-
ministrative agent. which u was never
intended 20 be. and which, for pur-
poses of effective and responsible gov
eminent. il should never become
The Mayor pointed out that the Board
Of Estimate would appoint purchas-
ing agent. with broad discretionary
powers, including that of disapproval Of
requests made by the heads OF depart
ments and Borough Presidents for sup
plies under and pursuant TO the terms
Of appropriations heretofore made by
the Board Of Estimate. This power
alone would give 10 the purchasing
he
tunitv 20 obstruct and hamper the ad-
ministration Of any or all Of the de-
partments Of the Mayor or the Borough
Presidents.
AN officer as potent in matters of
departmental administration as the
proposed purchasing agent would be
come under this bill" continued the
Mayor. should be responsive and re-
sponsible to the executive who Is re-.
sponsible for the administration OF
these departments in other respects.
Appointed by an administrative board
consisting of the members Of the Board
of Estimate, this officer would not be
directly responsible and might not be
responsive TO the executive.
LET US assume that, as has hap
pened heretofore, the Mayor was elect
cd uron ticket opposed TO that OF
the remaining members of the BOARD
of Estimate A purchasing agent .ap,,
pointed as prescribed under this Dill
might easily, under certain political
conditions, be used TO obstruct and
Illustrate administration. This legisla-
ton is designed not for to-day or to-
morrow, but presumably for the In
definite future"
The Mayor said that after a confer
ence with President McAneny OF the
Board of Aldermen and Controller
Prendergast q bill had been prepared
avoiding this defect, but that this bill
had received no attention from the
Legislature.
The Mayor cited in his veto twelve
specific defects IN the bill, some or
which were merely mechanical. In the
first instance he objected TO having
"the Controller a member Of the board
that will control the largest purchases
of the city, when, as the head OF the
Finance Department, he will be called
upon 10 audit purchases for which he
will be responsible"
The provision for two branches or
the new department-on under the
purchasing agent and the other under
the general storekeeper- invite
conflict, he said. Other provisions Of
the bill would cause confusion and be
far from promoting economy IN admin
istrstion.
Other objections we're that there was
no provision for emergency purchases
bv department, and that the unlim-
tied mower given to the purchasing
agent would be n constant temptation
TO favortism and dishonesty