New-York tribune., 1919-11-01
S43,529,l44 Topped OFF
Education, Police and
Other Estimates. Leaving
Total of $273,689, ,485
Highly Pleasing-to Hylan
Craig Says 1t Is Impossible
to Tell What the Tax Rate
Is Going To BE in 1920

me llIial session OF the Board OF
Estimate on the 1920 budget was held
ye.serday afternoon in City Hall. The
meeting. which began with wranglings
and chickering's ended in serenity and
contcntment. Comptroller Craig made
tentative and indirect apologies TO
the Mayor. The Mayor made explana-
tions Of his own previous comment. 1t
was agreed all around that the board
had done a good job in the budget, and
al was peace as the watchman turned
out the lights.
The Mayors final remarks. which
were " ear cared" by the members Of
the board, were 70 the effect that the
people OF New York would not find
much wrong with the budget as finally
adopted
Il had objections to the budget as
originally proposed" he said, but now
that the reductions have been made |
think the result is highly satisfactory
Members of the board compared the
1919 New York tax rate with that Of
other cities and found the compari-
son greatly 90 no advantage of New
York.
As comf .c budget provides
FOR city eEi -ure during 1920 of
ures submitted in the tentative budget
this is cut of $43 .529, ,144.9s. 1t is an
increase over the figures Of last year
Of $25, ,G65. .O5l.
Tax Rate Is Not Estimated
Questions regarding the probability
oI an increase in the tax rate as a re
suit Of the budgets growth were side
stepped by the Comptroller. who also re-
fused to guess at the probable amount
OF the general fund.
'AnY guessing at the tax rate is i'm
possible SAID Comptroller Craig "It's
100 early for that. y on can't estimate
the tax rate or the general fund until
you know what the state income tax is
TO be. and what amount Of that will be
coming to the city"
The cuts n the budget yesterday were
taken largely from the appropriations
asked by the Board of Education, which
were further sliced nearly S1,O00,0O0.
SIX hundred thousand dollars was cut
from the special school fund Of the
BoarG of Education. In addition the
board passed a motion tying the hands
of the Board OF Education in the mat
ter Of the salary appropriations asked.
lhe new ruling provides that no money
can be PAID out from the salary ac-
count until the Board Of Education
schedules showing how the extra salary
appropriations are to be distributed
Tho Board of Education was given ten
days III which to file the schedules
asked for, and the motion provides that
II the circumstances require il the
Mayor may request the Board Of Alder
men to make further cuts in This ap-
preparation.
There was considerable discussion on
suggestion from Comptroller Craig
.hat the budget should be rearranged
20 provide that the salaries named
should be permanently fixed for the
1920 period, except in very special
cases. The other members Of the board
seemed to favor the idea, but the opjn-
ION expressed by Borough Pres dent
Maurice f. Connolly of Queens that
the change was too drastic to be adopt
ed without q longer time for consider
alton prevailed.
some More Acrimonv
Signs and portents indicating live
ly session were not lacking ln the be
ginning. With most Of size Boroueh
Presidents already in position Mayor
Hylan arrived at about $40 with the
remark that everybody looked happy
Comptrolles Craig's chair of the Mayors
left was vacant
l. was $40 before the absent Comp
troller finally appeared. Directly he
was seated the board plunged into bus
mess at hand, and with the opening
move the ncrimony OF Thursday after
II was at once apparent that the
leader OF the rcgulars against Comp
trollor Craig WAS TO be Borough Presi-
dent Connolly Mayor Hylan kept him.
self carefully aloof from the early dis
cussion, and came at no time in direc-
conflict with Comptroller Craig. Mr.
Connolly Was prominent In the early
exchanges and later he had sharl
tilt with the Comptroller on the gen
oral question Of the esponsibility TO
the size Of the tentative BUDGET
On the question Of the business be
fore the board, the dispute gathered
momentum. Mr.. Connolly insisted tha
the board should take up the questio,
Of the appropriations for the Board o
Education. This would render complct
the action taken at the home of presi
dent Moran of the BOARD of Adermo
on Thursday night. Comptroller Graf
was absent from that session OF til
board, and he promptly put in his %
lection.
Craig's Request
1--WE shall avoid controVersy.1 Comp
trcller Craig SAID, If VIC ignore an
action. which was taken except at tn
itSt tAfi meetings C4 lIllS bpdrN. l an
convinced that Il we eliminate fron
the budget, as finally approved, an
items except those which were prop
erly eliminated at the regular ses
slons we shall invite litigation. an
may finally face an order from tn
Supreme Court requiring US to pa
the amount in question. Any mectin
which took place at Mr.. Moran's hous
is illegal. was not notified that sue
q meeting would take place, and | wa
not present at it"
Mayor Hylan SAID that the meetin
was public, and perfectly legal
Il want it to appear in the record,
he said that the meeting adjourne
20 Mr Moran's house only after tn
Comptroller had withdrawn from tn
regular meeting"
And had declared that he did so 70
the purpose of breaking up the meet
ing inter jecteD Mr.. Connolly.
THE board considered several elm
nations which had been previousl
recommended by the Board of Estimat
sitting in committee,' Mayor lyla
continued ali WAS tho ONLY ,h,nr "