The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-15


The Mayors alibi, in which he de-
clared that the budget was too high
and that he would not vote for 1t unless
the budget committee reconyened and cut
out every expenditure that was not nee
essary, follows:
1.-THE tentative budget In SO far as II
bears on the Increase in pay for police.
fiji emen, street cleaners. laborers and un-
derpaid civil employees. / approve OF.
Otherwise the budget is entirely too high.
This tremendous increase will place a
tax burden on the little property or
home owner to the point of confiscatibn,
and a burden on other property which
the landlord will compel the tenant to
pay, resulting in high rents, and taking
from the wage Garner the benefit of any
increase he may get in salary.
'If the tax upon real property is con-
tinually increased rents will nS)unt
higher and real property will gradually
go into the hands of the money ender
and rent profteer Besides having a
money trust and traction TRUST we will
also be confronted with a real property
trust.
"No new activities should I've started
in any department while material ia so
high and there is such a shortage of Ia
Dor except vital necessities, SUI TIN as ad-
ditional schools to properly house the
Ill prices are again normal and the short
age OF labor has passed.
Mandatory legislation placing rrill-
ions of dollars on the backs of the tax
payers of the city; the contradictory
manner in which war expenditures were
made by the Federal Government. and a
budget of this kind IL approved of by
the Board Of Estimate and App ortion-
ment will place u burden on the people
which will materially increase i6he cost
OF living to them. Federal extravaganza,
State extravaganza and city extrava-
gance. IL permitted to go unche cked will
bring about a condition OF unN st which
will seriously impair and shake the con-
fidence of the people in our for m of gov
| eminent. The greater the GOV ernmental
extravaganza the greater the opportun-
ity for the financial rings to continue
their hold upon the affairs OF Govern
ment by debating to public officials the
policy of government.
Call for Cut souBuded.
'The chairman OF the finance and
budget committee should reconvene his
committee without delay and should eli
inmate from the budget every expendi-
| ture that is not a nee kssity. 1 shall
ask the heads of depar tments directly
under me to give the c hartman of the
committee every possible cooperation In
revising the budget, and I am sure that
| the Borough Presidents will do likewise
| Unless this is done / will not vote for
| its approval"
At the beginning of the public hear
| ings yesterday Alderman William p.
| kenneaNy, representing the special COM
mittee Of the Board of Aldermen thai
| Investigated salary increases, asked thst
| the policemen and firemer should receitt
the full amount asked by them, $3.50
| $500 and $4,000 for the three grades,
When Leonard B. Smith secretary oi
the Association of American Engineers
asked for increases of from $500 20 5000
! for those in the city service. saying thai
| many or them were leaving, he was met
with the sneering reply tnat many of the
men who had left the service during the
war were clamoring to get back on the
city pay roll.
Daniel j Scully. speaking for the CSC
second grade detectives, asked that they
be paid as much as sergeants. They
now rank with patrolmen in pay.
Mayor H,ylan and Comptroller CrAis
| were Shocked to find that the keeper:
| and matrorss in the Department OF Cor
| rection had become affiliated with tn,
American Federation of Labor 81,
months ago.
when ara you going to organize tn,
Borough Presidents?" asked Comptr ollel
Craig of the representative OF the fed
Grafton who appeared to ask for in
creased pay for the keepers anc
! .... S,t..