The New York herald., 1921-08-13
Mayors Failure to Supply
Leads Disappointing to the
Counsel, but New Tack
Will Remedy Trouble.
WHALEN RISES S2,943,810
Police and Firemen Safe, but
COler and Others Must Tell
of Added Millions to Legis-
lative Inquirers.

Mayor Hylan having failed to give
any enlightenment to the Meyer COM
mittee on city finances, the affairs Of
city departments and salary increases,
the State investigators who are look
ing into the municipal administration
took new tack yesterday preparatory
to calling other officials who may be
able to tell something about the ex-
penditure of public funds.
ON the stand last Tuesday the
Mayor admitted that there had been
big increase in salaries, but could
not say whether the committees esti-
mate that the sum was s30.000,000 and
Upward was correct. Senator Meyer
and his associates Will call financial
experts as well as heads of depart
ments as fast as they can be put on
the stand to find out why the total Of
the pay roll had gone up s3o,000,00O.
They win try to find out what pro
portion of that has gone into political
pap"
The committees inquiry shows that In
the twenty departments directly re-
sponrible to the Mayor there have been
salary increases "a each. Hundreds OF
positions have been added. Salaries, big
and little. have gone upward. The
Mayor mantai..ed throughout his third
day on the witres5 stand that the salary
Increases and mounting expenses were
due solely to mandatory legislation and
lack of home rue for the city.
Putting Increases Up to Mayor.
Now the Never committee purposes to
provo that IN the twenty mine city de-
partments accountable to the Mayor
ther, is no element of mandatory legis-
iation. The ely administration alone
was responsible for those increases.
There was no compelling statute enacted
at Albany
Figures gathered by the committee
show that the cost of policing the city
jumped from s12,Z77.000 in 1918. when
the Mayor entered Office, to SIS. sos, 900
IN the 1921 buIg.t Salaries of firemen
have gone from S.,711 900 to s15,999. 900
in the same pei, ,od. These increases
are tie most easil. explained of all, and
the committee is not expected TO find
fault either w~i, the increases given TO
the policemen and fircmen or to the
numbers added TO the two forces.
Other increases shown in the period
OF the Hylan administration include
these: Law D.I,artment from s741,
to S1.OS9.0O Taxes and Assessments
from SSH $50 to $745.961: Public Mar
kets. from $56.S30 to S142,020: Health
Department, from s2,s69. 900 to $4.451,-
300; Charitiej. from s2,304,000 to
s3,ssS.000 Department of Water. Gas
and Electricity. from $1.S50,000 to
s2995,000; Street Cleaning. from
s6.255.000 to $1i,S52,000 Correction.
from ss46.266 to 1880. 900: Plant and
Structures (thc largest increase of alD,
rom S629.190 % $3.573,000. There are
many other incr, ases. all of which will
be shown. Tue borough governments,
for which the Mayor is responsible only
as member. Of the Board OF Estimate,
also have added big sums to their ex-
penses. and al. these are to be inves-
tignted.
Brown Revises Progrnm me.
Because of Mayor Hylan's failure to
lay down the groundwork for the in
yestigation as a starting point 1t has
been necessary for Elon r. Brown, chief
counsel. to revise his programme He
will start again next Tuesday by calling
Comptroller Craig to explain the city's
finances. There Is much explaining to
be done, but with an official statement
available the committee will proceed to
point out where the financial administra-
tion has broken down and why. as Mr..
Brown charges, the city is face to face
with financial ruin. The Comptroller
will take the stand next Tuesday.
The only attempt at defence made by
the Mayor on the stand was that the
Comptroller must be held accountable
for all financial affairs, the heads of de-
partments who are appointed by the
Mayor for all conditions in their bureaus
and Albany's mandatory legislation and
interference for all other defects. The
committee is prepared to show that the
Mayor Is more responsible than any
other official but IN proceeding with the
inquiry will be compelled practically to
discard all the Mayors testimony as
useless.
Senator Schuyler NJ. Meyer chairman
OF the committee, called on Police Com
missioner Enrlght to assign policemen
to the hearing In City Hail to prevent
recurrence OF demonstrations like those
which occurred on Thursday. At that
time the crowd, which filled the Alder
manic chamber and which was believed
to have been made up largely OF city en-
ployecs and Tammany followers. cheered
the Mayor repeatedly when he decla re-
he was opposed to cutting any salary in
the city government In his letter to
Commissioner Enright Senator Meyer
stated
There have been slight but recurront
disorders at certain hours at the pub
ic hearings OF the committee" and
added that the resolution providIua t,r
the investigation requested cooperation
of all city officials. The letter eon-
tinued:
Pursuant thereto | request you to
take such steps as you deem advisable
10 see that tho public sessions of the
Continued mn Jourfb pooe