The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-30
STILL s3,OOO,OOO HIGH
La Guardia Calls Craig Fat
Profiteering Stacker for
Slur on War Record.
MOTOR THEFT rs CHARGED
Clashes All Day Mark Efforts
of Rival Officials to Kill
or Keep Items.

Mayor Hylan steered through the
Board of Estimate yesterday q resolu-
ton slashing from the 1921 budget
every salary increase granted TO any
CITY employee since August 20, when
the $5.O00,O00 general increase went
into effect The result was that last
night the boards examiners were COM
pletely at sea regarding any accurate
idea of what the resolution VIII do to
the budget, which must be adopted
finally not later than tomorrow MD
night, and conceded that the only way
they can get their bearings is 10
check over every personal service
item in the bulge. to ascertain what
raises have been made since the August
date.
The resolution was passed over the
protest of Comptroller Charles j.. Craig,
who declared that it was an effort on the
part of the Mayor to do illegally by reso-
luton of the Board of Estimate what he
could not accomplish. under the statutes
governing salary increases. In an effort
to win the Borough Presidents into line
against the resolution. the Comptroller
declared that upon adoption of that rule
he would decline to pay the Increases OF
from $4,000 to $4,000 granted to the
Borough Presidents by statutory enact
ment.
Among other things, the effect OF the
MAYORS resolution was to deprive ASP
Fire Department steamer engineers of$150
increased compensation each which was
granted to them in the budget on the
ground that they were omitted mad
vertently two years ago when such an
increase was granted generally to the
Fire Department. The rank and file of the
Fire Department opposed and succeeded IN
heading off this gain of the engineers
when the general increases of last August
were being considered. Their opposition
was on tie ground that it widened unduly
the gap between the pay of the engineers
and the pay Of the firemen. That feel
ing in the ranks has not abated.
ECONOMY" LIS Mayors Motive.
The Mayor declared that he pressed
his resolution because of the necessity of
economy.
Such n position would not preclude
the possibility--a matter which was the
subject of considerable political COM
ment around City Habitat the Mayor.
In thus undertaking 10 assuage the fire
men. was not unmindfui of the revolt
OF the department against Al Smith
which developed yesterday. nor of the
fact that Tammany Hall will be running
the present Mayor or some political ally
for Mayor next year, when the firemens
vote will be a much more vital factor
than in the present gubernatorial battle.
The Comptroller was defeated again
in a fight he made to have the salary Of
Walter J. o'Nefl. his special examiner
placed on a parity with that of the as
sistants to the Borough Presidents on
the plea that Mr.. O'Neill was entitled
to an increase, also lost through an in
vertency Failing in that, the Comp
troller sought TO retaliate by abolishing
the assistants to. the presidents but
failed
The days session was fraught at all
times with extreme bitterness, resulting
once In +. ii. La Guardia. President Of
the Board OF Aldermen. charging the
Comptroller with being "a fat proftcer-
ing Stacker" during the war The Comp
troler was constantly under fire and
among other items in his departmental
estimates lost his appropriation for the
storage of his automobile and received
instructions from the board to house his
car in the municipal garage.
II may leave my automobile on the
sidewalk" was the Comptroler's ultima
tum, but Ill never let the municipal
garage get a chance TO lay hands on It,
They stole good Cadillac eight from
me. and it is row being used by the
Commissioner Of Plant and Structures"
Grover T. Whalen, Commissioner of
Plant and Structures retorted that the
car never belonged to the Comptroller's
department in the first place, but was
n car which the Comptroller had APP
proprlated from the automobiles for
merly used on the aqueduct work.
THAT is not true" said tho Comp
/ troler IT was entitled TO the car, and
! taking it away from my department