New-York tribune., 1919-05-08
Teachers Pay Bill
Vetoed by Mayor;
Walker Law Signed
Latter Measure Legalizes
Craig Settlements With
Subway Contractors; Civ
ic Protests Disregarded

Mayor Hylan announced yesterday
that ne had vetoed the Lockwood Fer
tig bill, providing equal pay for
teachers in the elementary schools, re-
gardlcss Of sex.
This bill is mandatory legislation, "
said the Mayor. "If approved it will
place q burden on the taxpayers of
from slo,0o0,o0o to $4,000, 900, which
would increase the tax rate from
twelve to thirty points. Large owners
Of real property admit that any in
crease in taxes or carrying charges on
real estate is passed along to the rent
payer by increasing his rent"
The Mayor, who has established a
precedent by refusing to announce
what action is taken on each bill sent
to him by the Legislature, did not
announce what he had done with the
Walker bill, establishing a super police
force of $4,000 men, who may be paid
any salary the local authorities see fit,
and who will be exempt from all civil
service rules.
The Mayor also was silent on what
action he took on the bill limiting the
tax on real property to 1926 on each
$500 OF assessed valuation.
Branded Measures Signed
An examination in Albany of the
measures returned to the Governor by
the Mayor up to yesterday disclosed
that the Mayor had acted on sixty-two
other bills. Thirty-two of them, includ-
ing measures branded as vicious by
various civic associations and members
of the Legislature, were signed by the
Mayor. These will become law unless
the Governor vetoes them.
The examination also revealed that
the Mayor had approved the Walker
bill legalizing the settlements made
by Controller Craig for hundreds Of
thousands of dollars with contractors.
1t has been charged that most of these
settlements were in excess of the losses
sustained by the subway contractors
as the result of the higher prices for
labor and commodities caused by the
war.
One of the thirty measures vetoed
was the Kaplan bill, which sought to
abate the Riverside Drive nuisance by
forbidding the operation of slaughter
houses, soap and glue factories, tur-
pentine or bone boiling establishments,
dumps or other noxious or offensive
establishments on Riverside Park after
May /, 1920.
Important among the bills approved
was the McElligott measure which per-
mlts the retirement on pension of any
officer whether appointed or elected"
by the Board of Estimate. Under the
provisions of this bill, it is charged,
scores of politicians who have been
feeding at the public trough for years
could be retired on a pension.
Gerrymandering Bill Approved
The Downing bill paving the way for
the rewarding of some faithful Tam
manyite by gerryraandering the First
and Second Municipal Court districts
and providing for the election of an
additional judge in the reapportoned
Second District was also approved.
SO was the Burlingame bill permit
ting the retirement of policemen on
pensions after twenty years of service,
regardless of their age or physical
condition. The law at present provides
the applicant for retirement shall be
fifty-tive years old and must submit
to a physical examination.
Another bill, which has been charac-
terized as bad legislation, is the Wal
ker bill providing for the appointment
as referees of former judges of the
City Court. This was one of the So
called special bills attacked by the
Bar Association.
Other measures approved by the
Mayor include:
Raising the salaries of all borough
presidents to $4,000. They now re-
ceive from $4,000 to $500.
Abolishing the court house board and
placing in the hands of the Hylan ad-
ministration the disposal of the site
acquired at an expense of $4,000, 900.
Making it mandatory upon the au
thorities to keep women arrested dur
ing labor disputes away from street
walkers and other prisoners.
Other Bills Signed
Permitting Rachel L. Bartlett, Lii
brarian of District Attorney Swann's
ONCE. to be retired on pension.
Establishing law library on Staten
Island for the use of the justices of the
Supreme Court.
:. Extending the use of summonses in
lieu Of arrests to other misdemeanors
besides traffic violations. The magis-
trates are to determine the misde-
meanors which shall not of necessity
result in arrest
Permitting magistrates to dispose of
a number of petty crimes which now
are sent to Special Sessions.
Razing the IL" tracks running from
Third Avenue to the Grand Central
Terminal
Permitting the sinking fund to cedc
city owned land in Brooklyn under
water to the Department Of Docks.
Some Of the bills vetoed provided
for pensions and salary raises for all
classes Of city employees, and meas
urc agitated by the residents Of Rich
mond Borough for the creation Of a
department. Of ferries, with resident
OF Staten Island as the head.