The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-07
S345,5SO,OS4 CITY
BUDGET Is PASSED
-Four Hour Fight by Republic
can and Socialist Aldermen
Is Useless.

without clipping a single dollar the
Board of Aldermen passed last night the
record budget OF S345.530. 034.77 for
1921. as recommended by the majority
report of the Finance Committee OF the
Board. Republican and Socialist MEM
bers, making common cause. fought hard
against it for four hours. but the budget
slid smoothly through by a vote of Al
to 90 when debate ended. 1t now goes
to Mayor Hvlan for signature.
Officially the Finance Committee
gained the glory of taking $41.365 from
the shoulders of the taxpayers. Actually
it did nothing of the sort for this money
was added most mysteriously to the SAL
aries of clerks and ATTENDANTS in the
Kings County Supreme Court by some
unauthorized person. It's withdraw Il
was demanded by the Justices as soon
as they learned OF 1t.
Although the tax rate cannot be def
initely fixed probably before February.
it will be in the neighborhood of 2S5.
exceeding this years by 81 points. The
budget this year was $273,6S9. 4S5.13
The fight against the budget was led
by Fiorello La Guardia, President OF the
Board of Aldermen. who made a plea for
cutting off of per cent in order to
squeeze in the deficit in the appropr ia
ton of the Board of Education instead
of leaving the amount vaguely to be
made up of economies by heads of de-
partment or by direct State tax on city
property which would be reflected in the
1922 tax burden.
HyInn's Letter to Board.
Mayor Hylan in letter to the board
said:
Notwithstanding the most rigid
scrutiny and the pairing down of the
requests by the many city departments
the budget as 1t now stands does not
meet the mandatory requirements of the
Department Of Education for the year
! 1921.
"The Department OF Education has
reduced its estimate for 1921 from $50,
| 026.462.77 to s77.94e o3S.T7, q reduction OF
over 100000. or this amount $50. go, :
S6O.SS is now provided for IN the budget
| before you. The Board OF Education
this morning, every member being pres
ent made further assurances OF re-
/ duction of at least 100000, and per-
| naps more, to point where 1t will not
| impair or interfere with the services
and efficiency Of the department"
OF three plans the Mayor recon-
mended reducing the activities Of every
| department and turning over to the
board the money procured by drastic
| curtailments."
The Mayor said the borough and de-
partment heads had promised to CO.
| operate. lie added
IF any items in the budgets Of the
various departments be reduced or
stricken out the amounts so saved can
not be used to reduce the deficit In the
Board Of Education. Reductions sug-
sested should be left in the budget so
| a transfer may be made to the Board
of Education after the first OF the
| year"
Following this lead. the Democratic
Aldermen sat tight and then voted for
the majority report.
other Reports Are Read.
Before the adoption of this report the
majority report, offered by Alderman
u. c. Vladeck. Socialist member of the
Finance Committee, was read, as was
the minority report Of the two Repub-
lican members, Aldermen August Fer
rand and william +. Quinn.
"The present Comptroller, Mr.. Craig"
the minority report states. from the
beginning of his term OF office main
tanned that the Chamberlain's office Is
useless, and the only ones who are
maintaining that 1t is necessary is the
present incumbent. Mr.. Philip Berolz-
heimer, and His Honor, the Mayor
However, we feel that the contention Of
these two gentlemen. in view of their
short experience in the handling Of the
affairs of the city government. is rather
insignificant as compared with authori-
ties who are in accord with our recon-
mendations."
A reduction Of $685. was urged in
the Police Department. because of "a
large amount OF waste and inefficiency'
The minority report was lost, IL to a..
Only three Socialists voted for II.
Henry III. Curran, Republican. Prasi-
dent of the Borough of Manhattan. OPP
posed the majority report as "a dishon-
est presentation of the budget to the
public" ard also opposed seven per
cent cut advocated by President La
Guardia on the ground that II would
mean he would have to lay Off many
men. lie did not vote on the minority
report.
HUNTER KILLED ny OWN GUN.