The sun., 1919-01-26
BRUCKNER SCORED
FOR ABSENTEEISM
Bronx Borough President Pres
ent at Only Half Board of
Estimate Meetings.

The Citizens Union has been keeping
tabs on the attendance Of the members
of the Board of Estimate at the weekly
meetings OF the board. They find thai
Mayor Hylan and Comptroller Craig
were faithful In attending to that duty
during 1918. their record being % per
cent perfect Borough President Bruok-
ner of The Bronx. who was present at
only SO per cent. of the meetings. comes
In for censure. Although the attendance
Of both President Smith OF the Board OF
Aldermen and Borough President Con-
molly of Queens was below that OF Pres'-
dent Bructner an excuse Is found LOT
them in that they were candidates t'r
public office in the last election.
Speaking of President Bruckner. who
was present during each entire meeting
only thirty-one times during the year.
the Citizens Union says:
The seriousness OF such neglect OF
personal attendance lies In the fact thet
Borough Presidents. as members OF the
board which appropriates millions OF
dollars a year. are officials OF the Guy
at large, voting upon appropriations ana
policies directly Affecting other poroushs
than their own.
ficials to whom taxpayers address oral
arguments on proposals. possibly m
volying vast expenditures. upon which
the board must pass Anal judgment
As for the As per cent record OF Presi-
dent Smith the Citizens Union says:
"He was elected and gave way TO the
vice-chairman Of the Board or Alder
men. who. for the ensuing calendar
year at least, was to be promoted TO De
~ No. I'd
Mr.. Smith better enabled the vice-chair-
man to equip himself for his future WORK
and some advantage to the city was thus
afforded, although when Mr.. smith was
elected Governor the city lost WHAT inc
state gained"
Although President Connolly was ex-
cusable. Il Is stated for absence while
he was a candidate that he should resu-
larly have absented himself after eiec-
ton day after having been beaten was
not subject TO such charitable interpre-
ta,lon During the year he attended just
one-half Of the meetings OF the board.
Borough President Rieselmann re-
NAMED away from fourteen full meet
| ings and parts OF four other meetings
| percentage Of 70.
To Frank L. Downing. Borough Presi-
| dent of Manhattan. Is awarded the palm
| for faithful attendance. "Other Bor-
| ough Presidents would do well to follow
his example" it is stated. He was Alb
sent from just one meeting of the board
during the year 1918, batting for an av-
| erage OF IS per cent.
| Attention is called to the fact that
during the open conferences OF the Board
/ of Estimate on the 1919 budget. the
| Mayor and the Comptroller were faith
! full in their attendance hut that the
| borough Presidents Of Brooklyn and
| The Bronx were quite willing 10 lei
their deputies. or Public Works Superin-
tendents, deal with the vast financial
problems involved.
| President Bruckner did not take the
trouble to attend one Of the most i'm.
portant conferences of the year. the one
with the members of the Public Service
| Commission when the matter OF settling
the labor and financial difficulties or
subway construction was under consid'
| Grafton.
| Borough President Van Name OF Rich.
mond was absent from twelve meetings
| a four OF which he was unreQresented
His percentage was so.