The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-10
mitchell TAKES
THE REINS OVER
PRENDERGAST
Orders Department Heads to
Help Give Work to the
.Joblcss.
,CT CLOSELY FOLLOWS
SARCASTIC REMARKS

N,yor Mitchell. for the purpose Of help
Ing the iobless. made this request in
,,,,e- sent to tho heads OF all city de-
,ar,men's Yesterday:
won will please expedite wherever pos
,blo the preparation OF plans and con-
,-,,ts Tor work 90 he performed in your
t.n,rtmcat which is necessary and for
which YOU have obtained funds. and have
This work undertaken promptly"
tn MAYORS letter was made public
altar COMPTROLLER Prendergast had said
q, sharp interview that he was "op-
roe.d 70 the government OF the city as
sun,,rg responsibility FOR unemployment"
aid had alluded sarcastcally to some
c,o,l mentioned people with a passion for
7dyc-iisrs themselves" who. he said,
,ysr, giving ont misleading information
and causing the city to shoulder tho bur
de- Of distress caused by economic con-
d.iors
" is obvious that the proposal OF Cham
he-lsln Brtiere and the Gary committee 90
have The. city accelerate SIS, 100000 worth
~ nublic work this winter has irritated
,hs Coruptrollcr because Of what he takes
10 ~ an Implication that work already
authorized has been delayed. He and tho
Vavor sharply disagreed at Fridays Sc
,,rst meeting Of the Board OF Estimate as
10 how Gar the city could properly go In
aid NJ the unemployed. Mr. Prendergast
s3il Yesterday that he had no Intention OF
saving anything publicly. but "as some
hody else had seen tit to repeat the discus
.ior- that took place AZ a private meeting
= 'he board he felt compelled to give
The facts.
H.. H.
IN discussing this question OF unemploy-
-rent facts seem to be very much below
rar IN the Board of Estimate yesterday
I did charge Commissioner Klngsbury
WITH having exceeded his appropriations
and entering into obligations for which
there were no appropriations My state
nent WAS absolutely true. and the proof
OF Il consists In the applications now pend
Ing before the Board of Aldermen for spe-
cial revenue bonds to pay for goods pur-
chased nv the Department Of Public Char
ties and for which II had no appropria-
lions. Furthermore, the obligations were
not entered into in accordance with law.
rs certificates OF necessity, as required by
the charter, were not furnished by the de-
partment.
81 have resented the attempts to make
Il appear that the city is delaying public
work and assert that no such delay
has been INDUCED in and that a calm In
yeStigatou Of the facts--tha; Is, II calm
ross Is possible am~ug some people--will
vndcat, this statement in every respect
"Mr McAnenys fine sense OF diplo-
macy exhibited itself. and he proposed
that the committee on social welfare OF
the board which consists of his Honor
The Mayor. President Mathewson and Mr..
Mcineny as chairman. should cooperate
with the Commissioner OF Charities In
oder to determine to what extent We
should give relief of the character pro-
,osed aud that the committee should
authorize expenditures from the appropria-
tlons Of the Department OF Public Chart
ties for this purpose II In It's Judgment
such expenditures were warranted"
In his letter b department heads the
Mayor said
You are aware that there are now pre-
valng in this city and throughout the
country abnormal conditions OF unemploy-
ment The only remedy for unemployment
IS employment. Experience has shown
that temporary relief work undertaken by
-tes dies not materially help an acute
unemployment condithn and generally
'eads to abuse. II is the conclusion. how
ever. OF those who have studied this ques-
ton that since the citys work is con-
'.nuous Il should So time it's public work
wherever possible as 70 have II performed
when for various reasons private indus
try r. slack
Please understand that I do not wish
the depa rtmeuts to make work, but wish
iNem 70 make every effort to have work
which in the routine course of business
might he deferred until later In the year
begun now, II II is possible TO perform
such work under winter conditions. In
ths way some relief will he afforded
N unemployment and the city will be
reRlect'ng no present opportunity for
aelping the situation in sane and eco
nom'cally sound manner"
Commissioner Kingsbury admitted yes
'erday that he had exceeded his appro-
priation, because the money appropriated
IN tho 1914 budget for the Charities De-
patment ran out last May.