The sun., 1919-05-21
TEACHERS PAYLAW
.DISCOURAGES HYLAN
Mayor Blames Gov. Smith for
All Kinds Of Future Mishaps
in His Administration.
SCORES CITIZENS UNION.
Predicts Higher Taxes, Stop Of
Improvements and Other
Woes for City.

Mayor Hy1an Is very much discour-
aged" II his administration is not a
success It will all be the fault of Gov.
Smith for signing the Statewide teach
ers' salary increase law. At least that
might be assumed from a statement
given out by him yesterday in reply to
question he asked himself and which
was made a part Of the statement.
According to his figures. the bill will
pretty nearly put the city out Of busl-
ness, increase the tax rate more than
twenty points, prevent the increase Of
housing facilities, make impossible city
ownership and operation of public utili-
ties and the construction of municipal
Ice plants and terminal markets.
Furthermore, IL the city Is unable to
increase the salaries of under paid"
employees next year this law will be to
blame. Also. the Citizens Union favors
the bill, so they are automatically
stopped from criticising any increase in
the budget.
The Mayors question and his answer
as made public at the City Hall fol-
lows:
"TnterpietD BY the Mayor on the State
tcide teachers bin:
"Q-What have you to say about the
approval by the Governor of the man
datory salary bill. which will cost the
taxpayers of the city twenty million dol
lars additional for salaries in the next
three years and over fifteen million dol
lars yearly thereafter, resulting in a
raise in the tax rate of over twenty
points?
Al can only say that since assum-
ing Office have labored earnestly to re-
duce the tax burden upon the people Of
city, resulting in the reduction OF four
points In the tax rate this year. Not
withstanding this reduction we have
been able to increase the salaries OF low
paid city employees to the extent Of
seven million dollars, almost two million
of which was given to the lower paid
teachers in the public schools.
This bill in 1921 will bring the budget
UP to three hundred million dollars.
This will enormously increase the tax
rate and will retard the construction OF
new apartment houses. for which there
Is such vital need at the present time.
With such mandatory financial legsla-
ton being piled upon the city no Mayor
can keep his promise to the people for a
reduction in the tax rate. To say the
least, I am very much discouraged.
The Citizens Union and other pow
erful interests that opposed my election
favored this costly Hesitation which is
most embarrassing to the CITY admins
tration. Later on Won will hear these
same reformers finding fault with the
increased budget and high tax rate.
This mandatory bill. driving us to
the debt limit OF the city, will in all
probability prevent the increasing OF the
salaries OF other underpaid. faithful and
deserving employees in the city depart
ments.
Think OF II, over $l5.000,000 to one
department for increased salaries. This
law will retard the progress OF terminal
markets. municipal Ice plants. municipal
milk pasteurization plants and the own
ership and operation OF public utilities
corporation. all of which as municipal
projects will help to reduce the high cost
Of living. The city with such mandatory
legislation will not be financially able to
appropriate money for these public mo-