The sun., 1916-11-05
r busy for twelve hours if th4

or fall below the s2ll 900 900 that is -
come out of Daddy knlckerbocker'd
pockets ncNt year
II does cost to keep Father Knickefs
booker in sound health and spirits.
Such Is the speed and vigor of met.
ropoitan life that the cost of governs
ing the city has increased $l2 0O0, 900
within the year. iiut the budget Of
1915 Was s2l2,?35lll. or. in point Of
figures. more than next years contem.
plated upkeep. In point OF fact tho
1915 budget was sias.9Sll55. II had
to tack on $4,000, 900 because the
state felt itself verglng on bankruptcy,
This city. a. always. had TO take up
the main burden.
Many times in the last three years
there have been cries that New York
ylty was bankrupt. Every time CLERK
N the Tenement House Department
asked for an increase of $500 year
in his pay somebody would rise to as.
srrt that the granting of this increase
would provoke a financial crisis.
OF course. New York il not bank.
rupt Instead 1t il in better financial
condition than ever before, according
to some authorities Father Knicker.
booker has not 50 much money in his
pocket, to bn sure. but there have been
devised ways and means that events
uL.N viii give him a bank account
IF s.2e Mayor Mitchell. Comptrollar
l'rendereast and tho other guardians
II his property ana person have saved
The old man from himself until he has
begun 20 Ike il.
They have told him for instancA
, that Il is not a fair or sportsmanlikO
! thing for him to go Off on a spending
frolic ana leave the bill to poster!ty.
+ 50 they have set out for him n pay-as.
you-go policy. 1t is a simple plan. ItS
operation only compc,s the payment to-
day of bills that previously were left
over for the next generation. Mature
ally the immediate cost Is felt and the
/ budget reflects il.
, II IS because OF the operation q
this scheme that Father Knickers
booker cannot indulge himself on the
magnificent court house he has had
his eye on for long time. He must
wait until he gets out of the hole first.
, II he goes into building he mus. have
some money set aside. his financial ads
mnistrators tell him, or else invest
/ in something that will yield returns.
! With the high cost OF living on the
. bound there must I've provision for thin
in the budget. There are certain ins
creascs that cannot he avoided. ThfA
year sl.0O0,o00 Is prov .ded for these in
the Po.!ce Fire. Correction and Educ
cation departments.
Another increase that had 10 be pros
vdcd for was the widows pension law,
which now is operative. THIS social
service outlay for 1917 is sloS2.Oo0.
To make up the deficit caused by peos
Pile swearing off their taxes anothe0
slo0O,00O had To he set aside. The
debt service completed the increaso
with an .mpost OF s6,5O0.0oO extra duo
Ia the maturing Of old obligations,
Despite these increases there will %
no extra burden imposed on the snoro
or less patient taXpapers. This is duo
To the fact that real estate has taken
on an added value in the year ana
the tax returns at normal rate wfll
bring enough to make up the increase.
II the state of New York will only
play far with this municipality. cons
tend its present executives, the ta1
rate VIII hc reduced in SURPRISING
fashion. The Mayor and his cob
leagues on the Board Of Estimate
Tough, last winter with the Brown
committee for a share OF the tremends
ouS wealth IN taxes that the Stat9
takes ont Of New York city. 1t Is q
laht of the state to step in and tako
away motor license taxes. corporation
taxes ard other assessments on props
"rty that has a relation limited a.moso
exclusively to the city.