New-York tribune., 1918-10-17
MAYORS Gavel Cuts
Short Unions Plea
For "Square Deal"
Hylan Again Overrides Re
quests for Hearing on
City Budget

gavel pounded a testy staccato on the
solid mahogany of the Mayors desk
throughout the better part of yester-
days session of the budget hearing OF
the Board of Estimate. And as on the
previous day the meeting was enliv.
ened by tilts between the Mayor anc
citizens who came to he heard. Occa-
! sionally the tilts resembled real rows
Repres of labor Jared nc
better than others. And as on Tues
day, the Mayor frequently assailed the
Mitchell administration.
But the star bout of the day was
in the nature of a battle royal, with
Or. Charles II. Norris, Chief Medical
Examiner of the city, holding forth
against the Mayor and the better part
of the Board.
Asks for an Assistant
DR.. Norris, who is six-footer, began
in a soft voice to plead for the crea-
tion of the position of Chief Medical
Examiner, at a salary of $4,000 year.
He said that his experimentation
ing of eleven physicians-were now
so overworked as result of the in
f1uenza epidemic, that they could not
handle all the cases.
William j. Flynn. former Coroner.
was whispering to Frank C. Dowling,
Borough President Of Manhattan, dur
ing Dr.. Norris's plea. Mr.. Flynn who
is Commissioner of Public Works of
The Bronx, was sitting in the stead of
Henry Rruckner. president of that bor-
ough. Mr.. Flynn, like most onetime
of the name medical examiner, for the
coroners were legislated out of exist
ence to make way for medical men.
The whispering irritated Dr.. Norris.
Suddenly his soft voice was pitched an
octave higher and he exclaimed:
"At the last meeting of this board I
was disturbed by a member of your
board, and I may say that I know
enough about exCoroner Flynn to
know that his statements are unre-
| liable"
a chorus of disapproval from the ma
jorty of the board
Il want to make good my statement
said DR.. Norris, opening a bound vol
ume containing the records Of the
legislative investigation of the coro-
ners.
Read all / said" interjected Com
missioner Flynn.
81 SHALL" said DR.. Norris.
"No!" shouted the Mayor, his face q
deep crimson. eve don't want to hear
that. The board has absolute conf.
| dence Gin Commissioner Flynn and we
going to help your case any"
81 don't think it WILL" retorted the
doctor.
Becomes "Free For Alp
Then ensued rapid exchange OF
compliments between DR.. Norris anc
Flynn.
Controller Craig jumped to Commits
sioner Flynns assistance and asked the
criticism of the request for an addi-
tional deputy, which was that since
the position could not be created until
January | the influenza epidemic would
be over by that time.
When Mr.. Moran moved to strike
the offending matter from the record
| Controller Craig said
"I want it here as part of the doc
tors record as medical examiner"
Coroner Flynn's word goes on this
board every time" was the mayors
parting shot, which indicated to lis
teners that the doctor will not ge,
another physician to aid him.
Timothy Eealy, as representative OF
the international Brotherhood of Sta
tionary Fremen, Oilers, Stokers ano
Water Tenders, appearing before the
board on behalf of members of the
union in the city's employ, stated
that union men employed by the city
get but $27 week from the city and
their mates employed by the Standard
Oil, doing the same work, receive from
$31 to SAT for the same work
Workers Denied Hearing
Mr.. Healy urged that he be permittc d
to present his case and called the
Boards attention to workmen on the
benches who were there listening to
him, who. he said, had worked all night
and came down to see he got justice
for them.
Mr. Healy was not permitted to pro-
ceed.
The budget goes to the printer to-
day. The various demands of the
Board of Education were finally con-
sidered, and the teachers, as the result
of the fight made for them by Presi-
dent Somers and others, will get the
increase in salary.