The sun., 1919-10-12
CITY WASTE Barred
BY REALTY BOARD.
Hylan-Craig Rule Blamed for
Many New Ways of Scat
tering Coin.
COSTLY OFFICES GROW
Immediate Reorganization OF
Departments Urged to
Eliminate Idlers. M

Comptroller Craig asked the Real Es-
tate Board not long ago what II thought
about the present city administration. II
II believed there were too many once
holders and what should be done by way
Of Improvement The board accepted
the invitation enthusiastically and yes
terday sent to Mr.. Craig a reply that
sixzled. Its general conclusion seemed
to be that the promises Of economy upon
which the administration based Its APP
peal for support were sheer buncombe
and that the Hylan-Craig administration
had thought of an extraordinary number
of new ways to add to the old ones Of
wasting money and time piquantly.
Almost two years have passed." the
report states, land the budget for 1890
is being prepared. No programme Of
reorganization has been adopted. al
though only recently the attention Of the
public generally was called to the costly
growth Of bureaus and departments with
conflicting jurisdiction"
The real estate men note that there
are 30 many office holders that they
have to invent new and sometimes un-
authorized activities In order to keep
from being bored to DEATH This Is not
fair to the people, 1t Is stated, nor 70
the unnecessary employees themselves.
since lack of employment means ulti-
mate deterioration. and 1t Is an I'M
doubted fact that government enl-
ployee LIS seldom At for any other occu-
patton when he gets out of off1ce
All Ready to Help City.
The city administration should re-
deem it's promises" Mr.. Craig Is adj
vised- There should be an immediate
reorganization of bureaus and DEPART
ments. Tho Board Of Estimate can do
this to q very large degree, and where
legislation Is needed only skeleton or
ganizations should be maintained until
the remedial acts are signed. Any ono
familiar with legislation and with the
ability Of the city's representative at
Albany knows that anything the city
wants and ought to have It can easily
get The Republican majority at Albany
stated IN an official report that the
strictsst economy was necessary in New
York city to prevent municipal bank
ruptcy and passed the Pay as you go
bill to aid the city.
Tho city should also at once defer all
public improvements not urgently
needed. Labor was never 80 inefficient.
SO irresponsible or SO highly paid as at
present. Material was never so costly
or so difficult to obtain. History shows
always first period Of imitation and
then a period of def1ation after a great
war, and the city should not be made a
victim OF the first period"
Among the recommendations made by
the real estate men are suggestions to
abolish the Bureau Of Law and ADJUST
ment in the Department OF Finance, to
merge the Bureau of Statistics with the
Chief Accountants Bureau In the Same
department: to have the Commissioner
Of Accounts appointed by the State
Comptroller In order to remove this Of
fetal from tho influence Of the Mayor;
the elimination Of the City Chamber
lain as an utterly useless official: tho
abolition Of the Department OF Mar
kets, the Department Of Weights and
Measures and the Department OF Lii
censing the elimination of the secretary
Of the Court House Board. who still
holds Office and draws $1,000 a year. al
though the Legislature abolished the
board itself; abolition of the offices
held by Commissioner Of Records of tho
several boroughs: fswsr Deputy Com
eral read5ustnent of duties to get rid
Ing Office 20 profusely.
Call to Corporation Counsel
1t Is strongly recommended that the
Corporation Counsel stick to the knitting
the law put In his hands rather than
spend his time fighting the personal
battles OF the Mayor. He Is not the
Mayors personal counsel" the Real
Estate Board observes, nor does the
Charter say he shall be counsel to the
Mayors Vigilance Committee. 1t Is a
very grave situation when the money
Of taxpayers Is used to destroy the
value of securities owned by taxpayers
or to take tho side of tenants against
landlords The really legitimate work
Of the Corporation Counsel's ONCE could
easily be carried on for about $250,o00
a year and an immense saving effected"
That a saving OF 20 per cent annually
in the budget could be made and with
boundless improvement In the amount
and quality Of service secured is the
belief OF the real estate folk, and they
wind up their tart report with this little
bow TO Craig:
1.-THE Board OF Estimate itself might
prove a fruitful field for economies This
is a government OF laws and not OF men.
II elected officials would have as their
one policy the enforcement of the laws
and ordinances as they are enacted and
the administration of the city as a gov
ernins body there would be no trouble
over tax levies. 1t Is only when ad-
ministrations feel that 1t 10 their duty
to regulate every activity of city life
to become the patriarch OF the tribe. OF
the father Of the people, that extrava-
gance and confusion begin"
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