New-York tribune., 1920-10-09
Craig -IIylan
Feud Holds (p
City Creditors
Suit Planned as Payments on
Goods Ordered Months
Ago Are Delayed Because
of Failure to Get Signature
Blame Put Up to Mayor
Says Dissenting Vote in
Board of Estimate Has
Kept Petty Bills Unpaid

Creditors of the city, whose claims
for goods delivered months or even a
year ago remain unpaid because of the
feud between Mayor Hylan and Comp
troller Craig, are contemplating suits
against the city to obtain their money,
it was learned yesterday. One of these
long overdue debts of the city is said
to amount to $1,000.
SO numerous have been the demands
of such creditors that Comptroller
Craig has prepared :. printed form
which is handed to them as fast as they
appear in his office. 1t informs them
that the Comptroller has recommended
payment Of the claim, but that the
unanimous vote of the Board of Esti-
mate and Apportionment is required to
make such recommendation effective,
and that Mayor Hylan has voted in the
negative.
Craig Explains Delay
The following paragraphs are taken
from the printed form Of the Comp
troller:
"On May 25, 1920, sent to the Board
of Estimate and Apportionment GER
tihcate under Section 246 of the char
ter, recommending that your claim for
supplies. etc, etc, furnished to the
Board of Education in the year 1918,
should be paid and that proper appro-
priation should be made for that pur-
pose.
Effect could be given to this recon-
mendation only by unanimous vote Of
the Board of Estimate and Apportion-
nj 7 ~ ~ -
of the Mayor was recorded in the mega
tive, thereby defeating the recommen-
dation."
Ore of the firms that has asked its
attorney to attend to the collection of
it's bill against the city of New York
is the King Tire and Hardware Com
pany, of 1885 Broadway. Its bill of
$719 is for supplies furnished to the
Board of Education. Deliveries began
August /, 1918. and were completed
October IA, 1919.
Vouchers we're forwarded to the
auditor Of the Board of Education, who
approved them and in turn forwarded
them to the Office of the Comptroller.
whose auditor approved and passed
them as correct. The draft for the
payment of this account was drawn,
but Mayor Hylan has failed to affix
his signature to the draft.
Attorney Tries to Collect
Albert Blumenstiel of 165 Broadway,
attorney for the King Tire and Hard
ware Company, undertook to induce
the city to meet this legal contractual
obligation. He communicated witlfs tho
office of Comptroller Craig. He was
informed that the account of his client
was one OF many duiy approved and
for which drafts had been drawn, but
which have been held up. The Comp
trollers Office refused to make any
promises as to whet the bill would be
paid, and referred the attorney to Mr.
Hylan. Mr.. Blumenstiel also received
the printed form from the Comptrol
ler's office from which two paragraphs
are quoted above. Last Tuesday Mr..
Blumensti wrote a letter to Mayor
Hyian calling his attention to the mat
ter, and also quoting from the Comp
troller's communication.
at seems to me-" wrote the attor-
ney, that it is very unjust that my
client should be compelled to wait for
years for payment of merchandise sup
piled in good faith to the City of New
York, and that some means should be
found at once to facilitate the pay
ment of this claim" Up to last night
Mr.. Blumenstiel had received no re-
ply from Mayor Hylan.
Unless the King account is paid
there remains only one remedy for the
city's creditor-that is suit. Court
action on bill for goods sold and de-
livered, which bill has been approved
by two city departments as correct and
owing, probably would be in favor of
the creditor and would result in
judgment against the city, including
interest on the original claim and
costs.
A fair estimate of such result, it
was said, would be that the city would
have to pay out perhaps $3.50 more than
the amount of the bill.