The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-07
CITY HEADS ASK
HUGE SUMS FOR
IMPROVEMENTS
Comptroller Will Present
Estimates of Departments
to Board To-day.
DEEP CUTS EXPECTED
$255,527.83+ Needed for
Remainder of Hylan
Administration.
BOND ISSUE NECESSARY
Bulk of Money Demanded
Would Be NOn-Revenue
Yielding.
BOND ISSUE NECESSARY


remainder Of the Hylan administra-
ton which is to be made to-day to
the Board of Estimate by Comptroller
Craig as chairman of the Committee
on Finance and Budget. the various
city departments and the Public Ser
vice Commission estimate that they
will need a grand total Of over $685.
527.s34. In this list $12s,1s2.6s1 is
asked for non-revenue producing con-
struction. while bonds to the amount
Of s127,345,153 are asked for improve
ments, which 1t is stated may in time
become revenue producing and to that
extent be exempt from the debt limit.
Money to finance all of these things
would have to be raised by the issue OF
corporate stock bonds, which would
have to be charged against the debt
incurring capacity Of the city, which
is 10 per cent. OF the assessed vaiua-
ton OF real estate in the city.
The Comptroller reports that while on
January 1. 1918. the debt mourning ca
pacity was only s1s.41s.07s on the first
g
that on March 1 this was increased to
over $60000.0o0. due to the increased
assessments on real estate this year.
Seek More Long Term Bonds.
An attempt to get further exemption
from the pay as you 60 policy Is fore.
shadowed in the report. This law, passed
during the Mitchell administration. made
It impossible to Issue long term bond.
! for permanent improvements of a non.
revenue producing character. the alter.
native being that such funds would hav,
to be raised in the tax levies each year
The first thing the Hylan administration
did was to get an exemption from thii
law during the war and for a year az
terward. making IL possible to issue a
least SIS, 900, 900 Of bonds for such pur
poses each year.
1t is patent, OF course. that only
small part OF the programme outlined
for non-revenue producing Improvement
can be carried out unless there is a fur
ther exemption from the pay as you q,
policy, as the report points out that t.
put such items in the annual bulge
would he 'unduly oppressive"
I'm support OF the demand for au
thorizations in excess OF those now per
mitted." the report states. ''is urged tn
necessity for the Federal, State and mu
nicipal governments to undertake publ
works to the utmost OF their ability II
order to assist In the adjustment OF con
ditions in the transition OF our peopl
from war footing to a peace basis"
Ruthless Cutting in Sight.
II there Is no further exemption fror
the pay as you go policy II is obviou
that the estimates will have to be ruth
lessly cut and the report Is being sen
to the various department heads with
request that they list their requests 4
the order of urgency, cutting out thos
that they think can be eliminated
Copies OF the report will also he avail
able to citizens who may wish to exam
Inc the estimates and make criticisms.
The estimate for the Improvement
that may be expected to produce rev,
nue., If not become entirely self-suppor
ing IN time, is made up OF s59.S6s.3 80
: for dual subway system constructio
S2o.43l.44s for docks. S2.s75. 900 for pul
lie markets and S44,6s7, ,405 for termin;
improvements
The last item reveals the fact tn;
Comptroller Craig expects to solve n
West Side problem during his admini
.trstion and wishes $4,000, 900 set asIt
for that work. Brooklynites will be gla
: to learn that s4.6S7. .405 Is suggested Z,
the proposed marginal railroad In thi
|, borough:
Demands for New Buildings.
Most of the money wanted for the Pc
lice Department is for new station house
A good part OF the money asked by Il
0s~sA DerssH nent and the Rn,aur
= Presidents Is for paving. except that u
:. Borough President of Brooklyn incud,
q 100000 for n municipal building r.
n tremendous estimates of the Department
q Of Charities and Correction are large
for new buildings. Commissioner IIami
d ton OF the latter department wants
$ spend more than a million and a quart
e dollars on the reformatory at New Ham
e ton. about the same amount on the mi
: nicipal farm on Riker's Island and abo
e 100000 for a branch penitentiary
Hart's Island.
y The Board OF Estimate has alreaC
, started on its programme to spend 50;
= 100000 for sites and new school bull
: ings. The trustees of the Brooklyn Pu
a lie Library want s4.S00.5T5 in four yea
for the Central Library building at h
Il Prospect Park plaza. Bellevue and ALI,
d Hospitals plan to spend $2.250,000
: two new psvilions and $1,000, 900 on
e building for the out patients departmeT
is The Court House Board has put
3,000,0 900 for new court house. r.
programme of Dock Commissioner Hu
berD has already been published and s.
GAG. 900 has already been appropriated
= Commissioner Day of the DEPARTING
OF Markets estimates that he will ne,
$l,5O .00C for the acquisition OF proper
/. for a, terminal market in The Bronx al
l. 5000. 900 for the same purpose in Queer
n A detailed statement OF the money I
d Public Service Commission says It W
e need TO complete the subway system
= giveii in supplementary report at
doubtful how much reliance can he piac
II on the estimates of the cost OF constru
n tion submitted by the Public Service Co,
n mission" the Comptroller says. To dri
Continued on Ninth Page.
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