The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-19
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10. 1920.
Let's Stop Pooling Ourselves About
the Cause of City Extravaganza.

Let's Stop Pooling Ourselves ABOUT
the Cause of City Extravaganza.
1t is natural that the back breaking
city budget now under discussion In
the Board of Estimate should draw
from alarmed taxpayers demand
that something be done TO avert the
ruin municipal extravaganza must in
eyitably bring on New York and all
It's people, real estate owners, rent
payers, business men and wage earn
ers alike. 1t is natural that some OF
them should demand 4 revision of the
charter, as they are now doing.
But no charter drafted by human
beings can stop extravaganza or re-
duce waste in city expenditures. The
charter as it stands IS about as good
rs any charter thoughtful men Will
expect to see written. 1t gives to the
CITY officials as much authority as any
Legislature can be reasonably ex-
pected to give to them. 1t affords as
much opportunity for economical adj
as oiAy otAicA N'-
reasonably be expected to afford.
There is no sense in shutting our
eyes to the facts. Extravaganza has
been the rule in municipal administra-
ton in New York city ever since the
present corporation came into being
with January, 1898. In each of
twenty-one out of the twenty-four
years for which budgets have been
made for the greater city the total of
the appropriations has been higher
than the total for the year before
The city record is {. record of reck-
less spending without counting the
cost. The Constitution Of the State
has been amended to loosen the re-
strictions on the debt limit. The
pay as you go policy written into the
statutes of the State half dozen
years ago, when financiers, after ;heir
warnings had gone unheeded, served
notice that methods must be refo -Iaed
or capital would refuse to buy city
bonds, has been mutilated beyond
recognition.
There has never been honest, seri-
Gus demand among the people for re-
trenchment and economy. In fact, as
every person familiar with the city
government knows, there are thou
sands of individuals In New York
who pay taxes on their shops, offices
and homes in rent to landlords. and
not directly to the tax collector, and
who consequently believe they do not
pay taxes at all. These people have
urged the city to all sorts Of ex-
cesses, and have besought the Legis-
lature to exercise its power In favor
Of spending.
Complaints are sometimes made
about mandatory legislation which
imposes expense on New York city.
Such mandatory legislation in most
cases originated In New York city
and was pressed before the Legisla
ture by Assemblymen and Senators
from New York city who in their acts
represented faithfully the wishes of
their city constituencies.
You can fill Madison Square any
day or night with men and women in
vited TO indorse a project of "ity
spending, for recreation piers, public
baths, new schools, new subways play
grounds, band concerts; you cannot
get bakers dozen of persons together
TO protest against the rankest ex-
travagance political corruption or
popular ignorance may suggest. There
ls everything to encourage the free
spending office holder and everything
TO discourage the office holder who
tries to save the taxpayers money
AS long as this situation exists
among the people no change which
can be made in the charter will stop
or even curb extravagant and waste
ful city spending. When popular
sentiment changes, as It may do when
the burden of taxes becomes too great
TO be borne, &c will not make much
difference what the charter says, for
bankrupt city, like bankrupt man.
cannot be extravagant.
The men and women who foot the
bills OF New York city are the Lien
and women, rent payers as we'll as
taxpayers. who live In New York city
They can stop city extravaganza, and
no others can.