New-York tribune., 1920-10-30
Craig Termed
sAFat Stacker
By La Guardia
Mayor Beats Tattoo With
His Cavel as Aldermanic
Head and Comptroller
Exchange Verbal Thrusts
Budget Cut $1,000, 900
Personal Service Items I'm
dergo Slashing; Board
May Meet To- morrow

The verbal civil war that has been
waged for days among members of the
Board of Estimate continued yester-
Gay throughout a meeting at which
the board cut approximately ST.,
100000 from the proposed bud
get for 1921, leaving it still s3,000,-
600 in excess of the legal limit of
S347, 900. The board Will meet again
this morning, and as 1t is provided in
the charter that the budget must be
reduced and ready for adoption by No.
vember /, it is probable session will
be held tomorrow.
Comptroller Craig was the center of
fire in the hostilities yesterday. At
one juncture Aldermanic President La
Guardia called him fat, profteering
slacker." He kept his verbal guns
trained on the Comptroller despite the
vain pleadings of Mayor Hylan for
more public business and less public
bickering.'
Personal Service Items Cut
Most Of the reductions effected at
the meeting were on items for personal
service. A resolution sponsored by the
Mayor fixed all salaries for the ensu-
ing year as they stood oil August |.
1920. This order it was said by board
members. chiefly affects az steamer
engineers who did not receive the
added compensation given other fire
men last summer and for whom pro
vision had been made for an annual
Increase Of S150,0OO.
Comptroller Craig submitted list
of new positions which he said might
be eliminated from the Finance De
partment, which effected cut OF ap-
proximately $9S000. As soon as the
resolution dropping these positions had
been passed, Borough President Curran
Of Manhattan presented one dropping
from the budget eleven additional new
positions in the Finance Department.
involving salaries aggregatng S3S000.
The Comptroller charged Mr.. Curran
with a breach of faith. Mr.. Craig
said the reductions he himself had
recommended had cut the personal
service of his department to the mini
mum that would permit of its proper
functioning After some argument the
motion was lost
La Guarda Opens Fire
ne OOiu ptIOllNi dlSO lcCuuiiltllNtN
reduction of 81 1000 in the account
for equipment for his department.
When consideration of this item was
reached, Mr.. La Guardia said:
Now get out your gas masks! "
He then attacked the item of $4,000
provided in the budget for automobile
hire to carry paymasters, saying II
should be stricken out and the Comp
troller instructed to use cars from the
municipal garage for that purpose
Referring to recent clash between
himself and Mr.. Craig on the same sub
ject, he said the Comptroller had
sought to msinform the Board when
he said surety companies would refuse
to bond paymasters riding in city
owned cars. Mr. LaGuardia recalled
that he had produced letters showing
that this was not the case.
Joseph Rock, present holder of the
contract, addressed the board, saying
he had come of his own voition, after
seeing insinuations printed in the
newspapers that the contract had not
been fairly awarded. He said he was
losing money on it and denied that he
had ever met Mr.. Craig.
During the year you were away. Mr..
Aldermanic President" he said, "it
was almost impossible to hire men. I