New-York tribune., 1920-10-17
Budget Making
COnfab Breaks
Up in a Row
Craig Declares There Will
Be No More Meetings This
Year and $35O.OOO. 900
Total Will Be Retained
Hylan and Curran Clash
Citizens Union Fight for
S82, 100000 for Educa-
tional Uses Causes Trouble

should not be cut from the 1921 oty
budget, the budget committee of the
Board OF Estimate adjourned late yes
terday afternoon with Comptroller
Charles /. Craig in huff. declaring
tAat there would be no more meetings
OF the committee this year" The
Comptroller is chairman Of the com
mitce and meetings are subject to his
call, but The other members were Cis-
inclined to take him at his word, as
there is still much work 70 be done
before the budget IS whipped INTO shape
Tor adoption on October 81.
The mandamuS proceedings started
Friday by the Citizens Union, with
Borough President Curran as < COLA
borator, 70 compel the Board OF Esti
mate to include in the budget ail of the
$50 .000 000 requested for educational
purposes next year, opened rhe pyro-
technic display at the morning session
when Mayor Hylan made a statement
charging that the whole thing was d
"cheap political move on the part OF
the Manhattan Borough Pres dent and
the Citizens Union. and branding Mr.
Curran as the most eXtravagant Bor-
cugh President in the board The
Borough President replied to the
Mayor:
Every word Of the Mayors state
nent IS untrue every single word. -
he said. II caught him with the goods
in his attempt to put The public schools
IN the hole Now he is in court. Hence
the abuse
Craig's Record of Meeting
Comptroller Craig. making Sdre that
there were reporters present. mad the
following interesting record of the
meeting Transcribed by the oiTicia.
stenogra piers
Comptroller Craig 1t is agreed that
we viii at this time not consider the
question Of elimination, of which there
are a great many scattered through the
budget. because they can be made after
the 10Th, and in view OF the limited
time within which We must act and
print. We viii confine our work now TO
the additions which it is deemed should
be made.
Mayor Hylan So that there won't
be any isconception about it after the
2oth, VIC have a certain time to reduce.
the Citizens Union they sat in meeting
and increased tho budget.
Comptroller-ls there any reporter
present? Affirmative answer
Comptroller Craig: Il want to say
tins for publication just about two
sentences that regard this eleventh.
hour act Of the Citizens Union as their
common, ordinary effort to embarrass
the administration in the making up
OF the budget and the lcvying Of taxes
Mr.. Wallsteln sat in tais committee
meeting. lie knew on Saturday of last
week the action that We proposed to
. @ b,,,
waited six days fact. seven days
until yesterday afternoon, before ap-
plying for and obtaining an order to
show cause, Feturnabe at 10 o'clock
Monday morning, so that the only op-
portunIty that there could be to reply
to those affdavts, one Of which is
made by a member of the Board of
Estimate acting in aid of the plaintiff,
is either to abandon this committee
meeting or do it on Sunday, or to sit
up on Saturday night or Sunday night.
in other words, it is simple trick
ar device to deprive the defendants of
any opportunity either to make an an
swer to the accusations or to do the
work that they lawfully had TO do
Acting Borough President Flynn Of
the Bronx Unlawful serving, too.
Comptroller Craig That makes it
worse.
President Curran- The board didn't
act on this matter unit! early in the
morning of October Y. last Tuesday.
the holiday, instead Of last Saturday.
as inaccurately. we viii say. stated hv
the chairman, and tha. the matter an
parently is made in all possible exped-
ton in order to bring decision
through the cooperation, / hope, of all
concerned on this question of the
prosecution, which ought to be
Work Done on Budget
Comptroller Craig Il is the same
KIND OF cooperation we got when they
attempted to render Illegal the 1919
budget IN the Queens Boulevard assess
ment. the same kind of cooperation we
got when they tried to render ILLEGAL
the tax levy Of the succeeding wear
when they attempted to twist the an
preparation for rapid transit construc-
uon, ana II IS the same eleventh hour
KIND OF obstruction of public work that
the Citizens Union has consistentlv
carried on ever since the former Com
missioner OF Accounts failed to be
elected justice OF the City Court and
cot job as the chief performer OF the
ohstructionists. Now let's 60 ahead
with our work
Mayor Hylan--He has p new lob now
President Curran-H Having had yoer
little morning fracas, let's get to
work.
Comptroller Craig-You stayed ava
and got out something with a poison
pen .t~shion to the press IN a mannor
nobody had chance to reply to. This
Is the only chance | have, and | An,
taking it.
In the formal statement made bv fro
Mayor he said:
Il really feel sorry for Mr. Curran
He Is so constituted that he canno.
help but play cheap. petty politics and
make trouble, and Il is not sllrnrisin,
that he permits himself TO he used b1
the titzenS Union. Since Curran hae
been IN othce he has been conrjnnalf,
demanding additional funds in cxccs.
OF the regular appropriation 70 run his
department. \ survey of his denar.-
ment Will show that it Is filled W ~
poltlcal henchmeu. Now Curraa ana
the Citizens Union. in order 10 lnil,rs
'He present admlulstfat n4vc bean
,rdssvoring to pile up as great nur.
cen as possible upon the taxravers Of
the city. expecting that tho ravna,.o,s
VIII blame this administration. havc
fought bitterly against mandator, i,o.
STATION favored by the Cititcns' I'nio~
and strenuously against spprcpria .ions
"McF Curran has been continuallv de-.
NnHClre.
Leonard VI Wallstein. counsel for
the Citizens Union. when he Mad red
transcript OF the minutes o. the
budget committec meeting. added his
comment on the days PROCEEDINGS.
'lf fbE NuNor