New-York tribune., 1918-06-22
Hyla1, His
Rule SmQcks
OF BoLsheuisn,
Continued from page 1

Mayors promises of economy, the tax
payers wrote:
"You stated, time and again, in your
campaign, that you could largely re.
, duce the expense of city government
and that you would do so. You have
not only not decreased the expense
but you have increased it. There is not
space in this letter to SO into details
i but we submit this statement:
"You are filling exempt positions in
the city service, whether such positions
are necessary or not.
eve give instances:
IAN unnecessary member of a Water
lature to abolish. h...............s1 s12, 900
! "Seven Assistant Tax Commissioners
at s2,5O0 each. Observation-Disclosures. 1880
"a secretary to the First Deputy
Tenement House Commissioner 49, $500
1.-THE retention of the Courthouse
Board. five commissioners and
secretary at S.. 900 year ~ So 900
"The appointment of three assessors. 10000
"The appointment of chief of the
Bureau of Personal Service. ..... 5000
-Four Deputy Market Commissioners.
one at 5000 and three at IS. 900. 1000
Scores of unnecessary deputies and
secretaries at high salaries. scores
Of appointments of men to take the
places of men gone to war, whose
work could be done by their col
leagues.
Appointment of personal friends and
relatives, irrespective of their quail
fications.''
Relative to the Mayors attitude on
the subway situation, his handling of
Dock Department matters and the coal
shortage problem the letter continued: !:
you have also publicly stated that
you favor taxing property owners for
the subway deficit estimated at $751;
100000, instead of making all subway
users pay it We are also much dissat-
istied with your delay in completing
the subways. We feel that you are
allowing your prejudices against the
Public Service Commission 10 keep you
from entering into an agreement
whereby the subways can be finished
You seem tc forget that public utility
corporations are as necessary to the
lie utility corporations. You are
as much their Mayor as YOU are
the Mayor of any citizen of the city. A
corporation is not necessarily menace
to the people because it operates a
public utility.
eve commend your appointments in
the Board of Standards anil Appeals,
and the policy adopted by this board
and the Bureau of Fire Prevention. In
regard to the Department of Docks. we
feel that you are doing wrongly in
CREATING imaginary trusts and then de-
nouncing them. This misleads the peo-
pie and may lead to grave :onse-
quences.
"Your predecessors invariably ap-
pointed able and honest men IS Dock
Commissioners, and they were not con-
trolled by trusts R. A. c. Smith,
Calvin Tompkins, McDougal Hawkes.
and Maurice Featherstone were men
of standing in the community and were
as anxious as you to get good returns
from the city's docks, at the same time
doing nothing that would in any way
endangcr the commercial supremacy Of
the port.
"You Honor should remember that
port charges can be made so high that
commerce will be driven away. The
attempt of your Commissioner to dis
posses an existing tenant to give
dock to man said to be your personal
friend was unfortunate and created an
unpleasant impression.
"The coal shortage, of which your
honor speaks was not common to New
York City, and can only be regulated
by the Federal government. The Office
of Mayor of the City of New York af-
fords a great opportunity to man
who is without ambition save to make
the best record possible. There is suf-
ficient work to do in studying and SIM
plifying methods of administration and
in getting rid of worthless or superfiu-
Gus employees to keep such man busy
during his entire term of Office"
The Real Estate Board of New York
recently answered the Mayors letter
and made pertinent suggestions along
certain lines. The board urged the ne
cessity for the most rigid economy in
the administration of the city govern
ment and declared that if the tax rate
was materially increased in 1919 most
serious situation would ensue. The
board also declared that there appeared
to be "grave danger of the city drift
ing into a socialistic policy" the signs
already being apparent in the ice, food
and salary increase campaigns now in
progress and the desire for municipal
ownership.
Cyrus C. Miller. of the Advisory
Council Of Real Estate Interests, the
largest and most important body of
real estate men in the city, said last
night the. organization probably would
not reply to the Mayors letter openly,
but later would probably send him
few constructive suggestions in regard