New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-22
Board of Estimate Adopts
Tentative Total of
$24O, 796,119
Taxpayers to Get
Hearing This Week
Three Million Increase
Made Over Estimate of
October 10

The final tentative budget for 1918
as adopted carly yesterday morning
by the Board of Estimate amounts TO
S240, 796, 1894. This is an increase OF
S2,997 ll7.12 over the tentative budget
announced on October 10, which was
by far the largest in the history OF
the city, and greater by more than
S26,000,000 than the budget for 1917.
The budget completed yesterday in
cludes, as did the earlier one. SS,465,-
756 for the direct state tax. which did
not have TO be met in the 1917 budget.
Contributing largely 10 the increase
are a contingency fund for labor Of
81 100000 to provide for increased
costs caused by the war; national
defence emergency fund of s25o,000,
to be apportioned upon requisition by
the Mayor; an increase OF S3s5.250 in
the allowance TO charitable lnstitu-
tions, also TO meet extraordinary war
time expenses; S433 900 for the Police
Department. $4,000 Of which is for
salaries raised TO meet living costs;
increases in salaries for fire captains
and lieutenants amounting 10 5000. 10;
salary increases in Queens; the eX.
penses Of extended industrial hygiene
work and mosquito determination by
the Department of Health. and in
creases for the Register of New York
County and the Department Of Water
Supply Gas and Electricity.
Taxpayers 10 Get Hearing
No items in the budget can be in
creased. The budget Will he adopted
on October 81 in final form. Tax
payers hearings will be held in the
City Hall at 1920 a. m. on Wednesday
and Thursday.
+. 7. Goodrich, director of the Blu
reau Of Municipal Research, made pub
lie yesterday a letter he wrote TO the
Board of Estimate suggesting methods
for keeping the 1918 budget "withir
reasonable bounds" Mr.. Goodrich's
letter refers to the earlier and smaller
tentative budget.
THE Bureau of Municipal Research
he wrote. "is the only civic organiZa-
tion which consistently attended the
hearings Of the sub committee and spe
cial commit on budget of your board.
1t has made careful studies OF costs of
living, of the salary question, of the
debt service and Of budget theory and
believes that the city should frankly
face the above mentioned budget in
creases, meeting them as far as pos
sible from increases in real estate
valuations and additional sources Of
revenue. Because of war conditions
and other exigencies, the bureau recon-
mends cuts Of at least $685. 1926 in the
1918 tentative budget to eliminate the
balance of the total increase"
Recommendation by Bureau
The principal factors in the budget
increase the bureau asserts, are So,
S45.S91. OF for debt service increase;
S2.674,S39 for the teachers retirement
system; the provision for the state d.
rect tax, and 100000 for practically
imperative salary increases of employees
now receiving less than 1880"
To cut down the expenditures the bu-
reau recommends that no salary in
creases be granted to employees receiv-
ing more than $500; dropping
number of the least important high
priced positions, the salaries Of which
aggregate a quarter of a million dol
lars; by curtailing public lighting
schedules; by the municipal ownership
and operation of lighting fixtures; by
postponing the extension Of public
library activities and "by a horizontal
cut of possibly per cent in all non
mandatory items in the budget, but re-
tanning all the items listed