New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-19
FREE BATH FIGHT
WON,CONTROLLER
STILL OPPOSING
Mayor Mitchell Backs up
Marks, Releasing
Needed $4,000.
JEFFERSON MARKET
TO GO UNREPAIRED
Prendergast Warns He'll Kill
Appropriation-More Cuts in
Departments Predicted.

Borough President Marks Of Manhat-
tan won his fight for the operation Of
six floating baths at the meeting Of the
Board of Estimate yesterday.
Controller PrendergaSt opposed the
proposition TO the last, but IS he
Mayor said he was willing to approve
the use of s22 900 that had been saved
in the Bureau Of Public Buildings and
Offices for the baths on the understand
ing that Mr.. Marks would ask for no
more special revenue bonds, other mem
bers Of the board acquiesced. No vote
was necessary.
When the Controller announced that
II the $4,000 was used for baths he
would not vote to give President Marks
the money he wants for repairs to the
jefferson Market police court the
Borough President remarked with a
flourish Of his hand:
81 would rather see Jefferson Market
20 without repairs than deprive the
poor people of the city Of the right to
battle"
Cheers. cheers" was the sarcastic
comment of Controller Prendergast.
ut seems to me that any action Of
this board on the question Of using the
$4,000 for baths is supererogatory,
said Mayor Mitchell.
Easy, easy" broke in the Controller
"Anglo-Saxon's the thing. The, people
like it better. They understand it."
The Mayor smiled, and so did other
members Of the board.
Among those at the meeting OF the
board ready to fight for the baths, II
necessary, was Mrs, William Randolph
Hearst.
President Marks announced last night
that within few weeks he would have
baths in operation as follows: Two on
the sea wall at the Battery, one each
at Pike Street and the East River, at
Fifth Street and the East River, at
Fiftv-seventh Street and the North
River and at Ninety-sixth Street and
the East River.
Cut In Terminal Committee.
Cuts in the various activities Of the
city were foreshadowed when the Board
of Estimate abolished the paid staff I
it's committee on port and terminal Ia
cilities.
Kerner Easton, who had been secre-
tary of the committee since July IL,
1914. at q salary OF $4,000 a year, de-
clsred last night that the action hal
been taken in accordance with a rec
concentration he had made in report
that was submitted of the actlYities OF
the committee since the beginning OF
the Mitchell administration. He declared
that the committee was handicapped
because the Controller, who IS It's cnalr-
man, has not more time to devote 70
the work. H, said there had not been
a meeting of the committee since Marcn
%. The power of calling meetings now
rests with the chairman. Mr. Easton
felt that unless some other means OF
getting action could be found there was
little need for the services OF an ex-
pert upon traffic, railroad and port de-
velopnent.
"There should be a rule that would
nermit the committee TO convene at the
will of any member" he said or else
the entire authority over port develop
r,ent should be transferred to a city
department headed by a man able to
devote his entire time to the WORK
stenographer at $1,000 a year
and a messenger attached to the staff
of the committee were transferred 70
the Finance Department.
Controller Defiant.
In suggesting the discontinuance of
the staff the Controller said 1t was a
waste of public money, and that the
ork could be done by members Of the
Finance Department staff. Borough
President Pounds Of Brooklyn and Dock
Commissioner Smith joined in the rec
ommendation, but Borough President
Marks objected. He called attention TO
the fact that the Controller had asked
some months ago to be relieved from
the Craftsmanship of the CON mittee, and
IL another chairman was chosen the
work could not we'll be done In the
Finance Department. -,
az shall remain as chairman" said
the Controller. 81 did ask to be re-
Iieyed. but IS the board did not see fiji
70 grant the request | have withdrawn
The main things that have been under
alteration by the port and terminal
committee, as outlined in the report
have been the removal of the New
I York Central tracks from the surface
of the street on the West Side; the ia
maica Bay improvement, the margin1i
freight railroad in Brooklyn pier de
velopment in the vicinity of Forty
sixth Street, the improvement Of Hell
/ Gate, the East River and the Harlem
River, the location Of the fourteen
barge canal terminals and general riv
ers and harbor legislation.