The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-14
LA GUARDIA ATTACKS
SECRECY IN BUDGET
Says Tammany Seeks to Keep
Public Ignorant Of City
Appropriations.
NO TIME FOR A HEARING
Necessary for People to Have
Member Of Estimate Board,
He Holds.


the city budget has been made up by
the Tammany Board of Estimate and
asserting that It would be next to i'm
possible to get any clear analysis Of Il
before II was too late to make an eff
fective protest. F. H. la Guardia, Re-
publican candidate for President of the
Board of Aldermen, said last night that
this was most potent reason for break
Ing into the close corporation now in
control Of city affairs.
1t was necessary, he said in a speech
at the Riverside Republican Club, 1877
West Ninety-seventh street, that the
public shuld have a representative in
the Board of Estimate who would look
out for their interests rather than those
of Tammany Hall.
AN anti-Tammany official in the
board" he added. could keep the peo-
pie informed and sufficient protest could
be marshalled in time to prevent the
appropriation of needless millions and
the lack of appropriation where It is
really and actually needed"
Calling attention to tha- fact that al
though the charter provides that It shall
be published by October 10. the prelimi-
nary budget has not yet been made
public, Mr.. La Guardla said:
THE preliminary sessions, which are
the most important ones. have been held
In secret. The public, whose money is
being spent, was vigorously excluded
This Is defiance Of the taxpayers. The
city employees, whose existence is at
stake. were arbitrarily kept out. The
Board of Estimate must have wanted to
hide something from the people; other
wise why this departure from custom?
The tentative budget Is promised for
publication tomorrow. I have not seen
1t; no one else has. II will consist of
10000 or more items. flung at the taA
payers, who will be granted a perfume
tory hearing, required by law. or the
tentative budget. They will be asked
to discuss policies, items and accounts
consern'n g which they have been wrong
fully kept in ignorance
ut will be next to impossible for the
public to get an intelligent idea of the
changes and the general scheme OF the
new budget. BY the time the budget Is
make any changes, and Tammany will
be fixed for another year"
Mr.. La Guardia was much amused
yesterday to receive a copy of a circular
distributed by the campaign managers
Of Robert l. Moran, the Democratic
candidate to succeed himself as Presi-
dent of the Board of Aldermen. and
headed: Common Sense Talk to the
Republican and Democratic Voters on
Election Day" The argument was that
Mr. La Guardia as Representative in
Congress was needed in Washington
where he had done such good work that
his election to the Presidency of the
Board of Aldermen would cause expense
to the taxpayers for a special election
to fill his place.
He can assist the post office clerks
and letter carriers and other Govern
| ment employees best by being kept in
Washington" the argument went He
would not be seated In the City Hall
until January l, 1920. while the city
employees budget for 1920 is made W
by the end Of october.
Both candidates are worthy men
Keep them In their present positions
Why should the Republicans lose q
worthy Representative in Washington
We are informed that numbers of Ital-
| ian Americans who have one of their
| number in Washington desire that he
| stay where he Is"
The circular purports to be signed by
| William Waller, a bridge tender. and q
number of other city employees. To Mr.
| Waller Representative La Guardia last
night sent q letter in which he said In
part:
ut was delightful to read the high
regard that your committee has Of me
and the appreciation of my services as a
public servant Your circular Is sc
fiattering that II occurs to me that per-
haps my committee viii be able to assis,
you In the distribution II you will send
me a few hundred thousand I will be
glad to see that they are properly
| pla oadp