The sun., 1919-10-13

of which Aidermanic President Moran
is a part, has wasted lot of the peo-
PIES money on celebrations" Mr.. La
Guardia declared. 1.-THE record is puo'
lie scandal. In the Board of Estimate
the affirmati tive vote was unanimous for
these appropriations.
"As a soldier who fought in the great
war I know that the heroes Of the
American Expeditionary Force wer
more interested in getting Jobs when
discharged from the army than in costly
and ornate celebrations. Some of the
items of expense are an insult to thu
soldiers, some Of whom as taxpayer
Of the city must bear their share oil
the financial burden.
THE Mayors Committees largest ex-
penditure. was for decorations. The
chairman Of the subcommittee in charge
OF decorations was Paul Chalfn. an
pointed by the Mayor to the committee
Chalfln was in charge of the letting
or contracts and, according to the COM
mittee's own record, received a 10 per
cent commission on contracts awarded
These contracts were not put up at pub.
lie bidding, but were awarded privately.
THE man at the head of the dec
orations committee, In charge of tho
expenditure Of public funds. was re
warded In proportion to the amount of
money he spent The more city money
| that gushed away the more he woulI
profit personally. Was he more inter.
ested in conserving city funds or In
| gaining more personal proft2 1t Ia
| worth noting that the appropriations by
the Hylan administration were upon the
Mayors request exempted from public
| letting and this exemption runs all
through the course of these amazing
financial operations
| Four Balloons for $4,000.
"A good deal of the money spent OF
these celebrations was at the disposal
of persons not officially connected with
the city government in any way. Some
! OF the expenditures are literal examples
| OF money thrown into the street. -Four
decorative balloons at the Victory Arch
cost $4,000. 1t was wanton waste tc
spend $3.50 for each captive balloon
and that sum did not include expenses
incidental to its erection.
1.-THE $4,000 for tine merely tern
rorary Victory Arch was money thrown
away. because this plaster structur,
must come down. Indeed, II permitted
to remain UP long enough It will crum
BILE away and be public danger. Blu
perhaps the Hylan administration wa
eager to put up Victory Arch in orde
to square itself for its treatment O
city employees who, when they wante,
to enlist, were faced by the Mayor
order that If they did volunteer the,
would have to resign their Jobs.
"One of the most appalling instance
of extravaganza was in the case of tn
Arch of Jewels, at Fifty-ninth street an,
Fifth avenue. The arch was constructs
at a cost of $4,000; $7.245 more wa
spent for the rental of Jewels. and $50
for installing Jewels on shafts an
shields, made necessary by changes 4
the original plan. The total Is s23,74C
Plaster groups and other displays a
this point cost thousands Of dollar
more.
The cost of stands was S9S.43f.2:
and seats we're easy to get, IL one wer
a favorite Of the administration. Other
wise they were almost impossible (
obtain. The proper way to have deaI
with the seating question would hav
been TO turn over certain very SUI
stantial number to families Of the so
diers. to wounded soldiers and othe1
of the A. Z. F. The rest Of the seat
should have been sold, instead OF bein
used as basis of political and person;
/ patronage by City Hall
: From almost every angle the exper
ditures are open to most serious crit
cism and may perhaps constitute a GU
pable waste of city funds. An invest
. cation of the operations Of the entiI