New-York tribune., 1919-10-21
Board of Estimate Tacks
OH Cost of Sewers and
Prepares for Slicing at
Orders of the Mayor
Hylan Defends Changes
Saws Increases Will Go Only
toLow.Salaried Employees;
Replies to Wallstein

The Board Of Estimate at midnight
last night adopted proposed budget
for 1920 Of s317,21s,6 ,630.11. This is an
increase over the tentative budget OF
$s97, 7,2O2.5l.
The board met at 1880 p. m, after u
meeting begun earlier in the day had
been adjourned when it was discovered
that, despite all efforts, the tentative
budget showed huge increase and
that heroic action was necessary.
The increases covered items for sewer
repairs which were held out of the
original tentative budget pending an
opinion from the Corporation Counsel
Hylan Promises Cuts
Mayor Hylan said he would vote in
favor o. the tentative budget, with the
understanding that many items would
be eliminated before the adoption Of
the final budget. He announced that
he would call the heads of his depart
ments to-day "to begin the process OF
elimination"
The figures of the proposed budget
are:
City (wthout county ....... .s299 ,964 .0S5. -
State S.539,156.37
Tentative budget .......... 216.621 ,427.6o
Comptroller Craig declined to vote.
He said he had found errors in the
printed copy SHOWING that the budget
as printed contained several hundred
thousand dollars which had not been
authorized by the finance committee OF
the board"
Mayor Hylan said: "I will vote aye
with the understanding that there Will
be many items cut out before final ap-
proval. I am calling the heads of de-
partments tomorrow to begin the
process of elimination"
The Board of Estimate started on its
DAVIS work of whipping the budget into
"fnai" shape. as under the law after to-
. day the budget may not be increased, but
nav be reduced The session was hardly
we'll under way before it was announced
by Secretary Haag that because Of q
printers delay, due to strike conditions,
a In the printing of the proposed budget
the board could not go on, as there were
no copies of the budget on hand. An
adjournment was then taken.
Full Report Promised
The Controller announced complete
analysis of the budget would be issued
with statement Of the increases o.
salaries to employees receiving NOR
than 81 600 year.
III we have made mistakes in grant
ing increases we viii, at least, get tn
benefit of public argument before tn
gal budget is adopted" said the Con
3holler
The hearing will be held WEDNESDAY
and Thursday. and the final bulge
must be completed and signed befor
m: m:inight, October 81. If it is not read
at that tine it has been the custom t
Stop the clock in the Board of Estimat
, thambcr, so that when the final bulge
Is signed it will be officially before I
O'Clock
In order to get money to pay tn
street sweepers who have accepted tn
raise of $500 a year, made effective a
of October /, this year, special revenu
konds to the amount Of $4,000 wi
be issued.
In replying to the statements {
eeonard NJ. Wallstein, former Commi:
-'sioner of Accounts, on the nudge
Vayor Hylan said:
-. There will be no special examiner
assigned to my Office, neither will thel
be any assigned to the office of IL
Controller, the Aldermanic Presidel
Or the President of the Borough
Manhattan. Therefore, Mr.. Wallste
As wrong, as usual.
"With but one or two exception
there will be no increases for employee
directly under me who receive SO 900
more. The exceptions happen to
employees worth more than $500
whose services would lose unless sor
recognition Of their true worth "
given.
~ have called a meeting of depa,
ment heads for Tuesday night, at viii
shall insist that the commissions
go over their individual budgets a
cut down everything. In 80 far as
cancies in the Mayors department
Where we lose an employee throu,