The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-10
Estimate Board to Go to
Limit and Make Budget
About $347, 100000.
2.85 CENT RATE LIKELY
Legislature VIII Have to
Find Way to Meet Increases
Voted Teachers.
SLASHING is CONTINUED
'Murphy's Dog Robber,' Says
La Guardia to Craig in
Their Usual Clash.
SLAsHING Is CONTINUED

budget within the limits prescribed by
law, the finance and budget committee
Of the Board OF Estimate and Appor-
tionment accepted last night the sug-
gestion of Comptroller Craig to throw
back upon the State approximately
half Of the expense Of the educational
programme recently imposed upon this
city by the Legislature.
The scheme has no precedent, and II
Will, in the opinion of the Comptroller,
have the effect of compelling the next
Legislature tc assess a tax to pay the
salary increases voted to teachers Of
the city by the Legislature earlier this
year
The proposition is that the city shall
pay to the Board OF Education for
salaries and general expenses, S43,720.-
SS0.S3. which represents 4.9 mills on
each dollar OF taxable valuation, which
1t is required TO pay by State laws.
even IL it Is necessary to take the
money from other departments.
1t will also, according to the declara-
Z
Estimate, make such addition as may
be possible under the law which limits
the taxes to per cent. OF the assessed
valuations, but this addition will not
be large.
Problem Left for the state.
| 1t will leave TO the State the task
OF finding ways and means whereby
the Board Of Education IS to obtain
the balance OF the ss7 10000 required
to pay running expenses and salaries.
1t was announced that the budget VIII
be the largest in the history of the mu-
/ niclpality. despite the action taken re-
garding the teachers salaries. Esti-
I mates made within the last few days
| have set II at around S945. co or $3.50
| OOO,OO. and Il now looks ms IL the city
! heads intend to go the full limit Of the
, law, which is approximately $347, 600, 900.
or about s74.Oo0 oo0 over and above tho
! budget OF 1890. which was sz73, 6S9. 1873.
| or this s3i7 O00, ,0C0 however the taxabls
part OF the budget will be In all proba-
J b!lity s2s5. 2os.s7S. The remainder will be
offset by the general fund. which will
! be about se2.o00O 600. The tax rate will
I therefore jump. according to the Comp
! trolleT, 10 2S cents on the dollar The
present tax rate IS 2.4S cents. based on
J the 1920 budget The 1919 budget was
! $24S, ,025. .l34 and the tax rate 222 cents
Outcome Is Hard TO Guess.
| When the. finance and budget COM
m!ttee adjourned last night TO convene
again tomorrow. following the meet
/ ing Of the Board OF Estimate. none OF
the members had any idea Just what
I cffecI the slnshing Of IA. last day or
TWO has had upon the requests OF the
various departments or what the tenta-
/ tive budget will be when II ia sent to
the printer tomorrow night. But il was
conceded that when the tentative bud
get is thoroughly slashed and sliced II
still will be close to the figure before
stated.
The members OF the Board OF Esti-
mate are figuring upon charging the
full per cent. Of the assessed valua-
ton which they are allowed TO ..-arce
and which viii amount to s2c0 01c.
To this will be added s65 lse 6qi = foi
debt service and Sz2.6nsi.el FOR tho
State tax.
The matter OF the finances of tho
Board OF Education caused by far the
most drastic action Of the day and came
UP after many hours OF argument over
matters affecting other departments.
One suggestion OF the Education
Board was for $4,000 900 Tor new build
" W bt dlsEl Wy NlNlN ItItl revenue
bonds. which it is expected win not no
figured into the budget. Another was
for the Sg7.0C0.000 before mentioned. The
Comptroller then outlined mis- plan and
then called attention TO the proposal
which will be laid before the next Leg
isiature for constitutional amendment
which would permit the city to assess
a separate tax for educational purposes
outside of the 2 per cent. tax TO which
they are now limited He remarked.
however. that even IL passed this would
not be effective until 1872.
Complaints Are Foreseen.
The complications that may result
from this action are numerous In tho
minds OF several officials. One IL that
the teachers TO whom salary Increases
have been voted may be unable 20 col.
lect them when the money given them
oy the city runs out. and that there
may be n prolonged dispute between
state and city authorities as 70 jus.
who must pay the salaries.
THE Comptroller however, pointed OUT
that there Is no restriction upon what
the Legislature may do in the way OF
collecting taxes. and that IL obviously
will be the only body with power TO raise
the funds needed to carry out the state
educational programme. None OF the
members voiced opposition TO hts pro
posal.
The Comptroller remarked also that
the schools Of this city receive 's.5oo,oo0
from tho state TO carry them ugtil July
1 next and that this sum will help out In
n small way.
He declared that tho action taken hy
the last Legislature in referring 90 the
next body the plan FOR constitutional
amendment 70 enable tho levyins Of nd-
ditional taxes % carry out the pre-
ylamme was an admission by it that Il
had imposed upon the citNs burden
which they could not possibly meet
under their restricted tax rates.
The Comptroller said that with tho
matter disposed OF IN the manner which
ne had suggested the total budget would
be well within the sum fixed by law,
ard TINT the Ronrd Of Eetlmnte wonld