New-York tribune., 1919-01-20
Tammany Man Declares
Mayor Is Forcing Aids to
Spend Sum Each Month
Calls It Contrary to Law
Says 1t Upsets Work, Ties Up
500, 600, 900; Shows
How New Plan Operates

commissioners Of city departments have
been striving since January to expend
'helr appropriations on the basis of
eouaI monthly insIalments. This state
OF AFFAIRS, involving equal expenditure 5
Tor park concerts in January and July,
equal expenditures for heating and
lighting public schools in midwntcr
and midsummer and the purchase of
cne-tweIfth of horse monthly by the
health Department.. was revealed yes
terday by William Bullock, director of
the Good Government Bureau.
Politicians regarded it as most sig
niticant that Mr. Bullock should be the
ore to attack this order of a Mayor
whom Iammany selected and elected.
Mr.. Bullocks relations with Tammany
nave been of the closest. During Mayor
Mltchels administration Mr.. Bullock
was director of the Bureau of City In
qulry, which inquired into such matters
as Tammany thought would prove
profitable subjects.
So valuable had been the services of
Mr. Bullock and so high was the regard
IN which he was supposed to be held
IN IN fourteenth Street at the time that
Mayor Hylan took office, that it was re-
ported that the office of Commissioner
or Accounts was to be offered to him.
10 have Mr.. Bullock assail Mayor
Hylan meant one of two things to poll
t'cai gosslps; either Tammany Hall
sought to adorn the Wigwam with the
hylan scalp or Mr.. Bullock had severed
relations with Tammany Hall
Says 1t Ties up $10o, ,0oc 600
Mr.. Bullock declares that although
tne Mayor quoted the charter as au-
thorlty for his order and threatened
MS Subordinates with dismissal and
CRIMINAL prosecution for failure to
OBEY, there is no provision in the char
ter mpelling commissioners ITO divide
their total annual appropriat ions into
Twelve parts and not exceed that frac-
ton IN any month. The order is tying
up the efficient expenditure of si0O,-
100000 of the s24S,000,O00 budget Mr..
follows:
Heads of all city departments, the
finances and business of the entire city
government, have been obstructcd and
.hrown into confusion by an order Of
Mayor John f. Hylan in regard to the
1918 budget. The order, sent in writ
ing to every commissioner, is contrary
TO the law and regulations governing
tne budget, yet it has been issued and
IS being enforced with threat of re-
moval and criminal prosecution to
every city head and subordinate who
does not comply with Mr. Hylan's in
structions.
Mayor Hylan's order is that every
city department. must expend the
budget appropriations, totalling S24S,-
ooo,OOO, in equal parts each month, or,
IN other words, must arbitrarily cut
the years allowance into twelve parts
and spend one part and no more a
month. The Mayor tells his commits
sloners such is the law, that his com
mands must be obeyed, and if not he
frst Will remove his appointees from
once and then subject them to crimi-
nal charges In all of which Mr.. Hylan
is wrong, with consequent los. conf
dence to himself and wholesale upset
ting of the city's affairs.
by the Mayors ruling and imperative
command money set aside. in the budget
Tor such purposes as lighting and heat
ing schools and hospitals cannot be
used to meet the needs of the winter
months, but must be expended in equal
shares each month"; the same in mid
summer as in midwinter. This single
example shows the harmful effect of
she order, which in attempted opera
tion already has resulted in obstruct
ing every city department and in the
hating or cessation Of work in many
Of them
"The Mayor tells his commissioners
that Sections 1,542 and 1851 Of the
city charter imposes his one twelfth
plan of expenditure upon the city gov
ernment. He quotes from the sections,
and then drafts his order as follows:
Quotes Mayors Order"
"'The budget for next year Ci919)
has been made up and adopted by the
Board of Estimate and Apportion-
ment.
"It is gross or culpablc neglect OF
duty to spend more than one twelfth
of the money provided for in the budget
for any purpose or object in any one
month and any violation Of these sec
tions by the head of the department or
any of his subordinates will be sufficient
cause to make necessary change in
the department. as we'll as being subject
to criminal prosecution
"Mayor Hylan misreads and misin-
tcrprets the charter The only legal
stipulation governing the budget in the
two sections, or anywhere in law. is
that the total budget appropriations
shall not be exceeded during the year.
Account No. 1866 in the budget
totals S70O, for the purchase of q horse
for the Department of Hcath BY
Mayor Hyan's order this horse must
be bought in twelve parts; the first
part in January, the last part in De-
cember
"Such cases could be duplicated from
almost every account for other than
salaries. Account No. 1857 appro-
PIRATES $20207 for band concerts in
parks. The Mayors order permits the
expenditure of only one-twelfth of this
sum in each Of the summer months.
the balance to be left untouched, or
used for any park music that may be
heard in the fall winter and spring.
Section l ,542 of the charter provides
as follows:
1t shall be the duty Of the heads
OF all departments and Of all officers
Of said city, and of all boards and Of
fcers charged with the duty of cx-
pending or mourning obligations pay
able out Of the moneys raised by tax
in said city, or any of the counties con-
tanned within its territorial limits, SO
TO regulate such expenditures for any
purpose or object that the same shall
not in any one year exceed the amount
! appropriated by the Board of Estimate
and Apportionment for such purpose or
object; and no charge claim or liabil-
ty shall exist Or arise against said city.
or any of the counties contained within
It's territorial limits, for any sum in
excess Of the amount appropriated for
the several purposes"
Union Report asserts
Cifr Tu<Ior Hr,I<.n L.