The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-16
BUDGET FIGURES
FALSIFIED, SAYS
ACTION IN COURT
Estimate Board Summoned
to Appear Monday to An
swer Charges.
CURRAN BACK OF PLAN
Citizens Union and Bureau
of Municipal Research
Are Accusers Too.
JUGGLING IN MILLIONS
Total Of S343,OO0,OOO Should
Really Be $497,000,000,
Is Allegation.
JUGGLING IN MILLIONS

The charges made by Henry II Cur
ran, President OF the Borough of Man
haitian, on the day the tentative budget
for 1921 was adopted that the budget
was dishonest. found support from
two quarters yesterday, which is TO
say, the first moment the public had
opportunity TO examine the printed
forms.
Walter Frank, a citizen supported
by the Citizens Union, obtained an
order from Justice Vernon NJ. Davis
of the Supreme Court citing the Board
Of Estimate TO show cause on or be-
fore October 20 why a peremptory
writ Of mandamus should not issue
compelling the Board of Estimate to
consider the ss2,Oo0,000 appropriation
requests of the Board of Education
upon their merits" instead of guar
anteeing the equivalent Of the 40 mills
tax levy and leaving the remainder,
aIHOuIllluS 70 9oopVVV,VVV, loi lHS LeS-
islature to dispose of.
The Citizens Unions action also
makes court test of the majority de-
cision Of the Board OF Estimate that the
retirement OF $l4. .0o0.00 short term Sc
curities of this years issue must be pro-
vided for out Of the per cent. levy.
The course taken in both cases was en-
gineered By Comptroller Craig with the
support OF Mayor Hyian. primarily, and
the Democrats of the Board upon q bal
lot President Curran contended that
the board was without authority to
pass the buck" to the Legislature on
the S3S, 900, 900 of school appropriations.
aud that that sum could more than be
taken care OF by elimination OF the short
term securities, which. he said. were not
REQUIRED 10 be liquidated out OF the . per
cent. levy.
Board In Court Monday.
The entire Board or Estimate is re-
quired to appear in court next Monday
morning.
This action throws into the courts for
settlement the whole question OF manda-
tory legislation by the Legislature af-
fecting expenditures OF cities, as well as
the definition OF what obligations may
be regarded as legitimately subject 20
exemption from ltluludtlOn ulutI lHt
per cent. tax limit and what must be re-
garded in effect MS money which should
have been appropriated under the pre-
ceding budget and therefore should be
taken care OF i'm the next budget
The New York Bureau OF Municipal
Research issued n statement to the pub
lie charging that the figures OF the ten
tative budget have been falslfied for po-
litical purposes TO tho extent of $loS.-
100000. and that the actual total OF the
budget. instead OF being s343. $4,000, ~
announced by Comptroller Craig. Is ac-
tually s497 100000
The bureau charges also that the
Cornptrollcr's estimate OF available rev.
enue for education is $4,000. 900 too
high. while his estimate OF total avail
able revenue is 100000, 900 too low.
The New York Bureau OF Municipal
Research Is an organization supported
by private individuals having az it's OBJ
ject the cooperation with municipal au-
thorities for the improvement Of city
government. II. Fulton Cutting Is chair
man of the board OF trustees and among
other trustees are Mortimer Schin,
Samuel A. Lewisohn. Dwight Morrow.
Edward II. a. Seligman and Mrs. F.. II.
Hartman.
Plot Is Laid to Tammany.
Tho purpose Of this alleged Juggling
of the budget figures. the Research
Bureau charges, is to allow the Tam
many administration. pursuing the
pledge OF economy upon which II was
elected, 10 20 before the voters next
year with an ostensibly compa ratively
low tax rate. That political expediency.
it IL pointed out. can be accomplished
in Just two ways: First, TO refuse sal |
ary increases to cut down municipal |
services to curtai the schools and to |
reject construction proposals Secondly, |
to run the city on borrowed money and |
pass the burden that rightly belongs to |
1891 on to the next administration and |
the future.
The Bureau OF Municipal Research ex-
plains its charges that the tentative |
budget IL s153.0Co.oOO greater than the |
figures actually announced, as follows:
THE tentative budget. which was is |
sued three days late. purports to carry !
a total of S343. .sa4. .0i9.6s. This figure was |
given to the press several days before |
It's official publication. and is repeated /
on page 500 OF the tentative budget. An |
examination OF the budget shows. how |
ever. that the total is false IL is |
tl53,oc0,cO0 short OF the actual totals I
carried by the individual departmental |
allowances contained In the tentative |
budget. This brings the actual tenta- /
tive budget total up to s4s7 .mo,OO.
How this figure was jugyled down 70 |
Ss44, 4,000.o 600 ~ significant Something |
ever si00.Oo0.000 was dropped out by |
l eserving all construction and Improve
for later consideration md by |
deciding 20 throw the pay as you go
TO tho winds and to finance
these items from Borrowings. This
Continued on Seventh Pooo.