The New York herald., 1921-02-04
CRAIG PUTS HYLAN
CHECK FOR $14S IN
CONSCIENCE FUND
Comptroller Never Winks
as He Disposes of Restitu-
tion Made to City.
LIKE LA GUARDIA CASE
Except That Mayor Finds
Out First He Owes for
Personal Messages.
TERSE NOTES EXCHANGED
Lesson in Official Ethics in
Letting Municipality Pay
for Private Expenses.
LIKE LA GUARDIA CAST
TERSE NOTES EXCHANGED

The general fund for the reduction OF
taxes ir this great city was increased
by $l4S.l4 and the worlds treasure of
! epistolary literature augmented beyond
| all human calculation yesterday through
the exchange between Mayor John +.
Hylan and Comptroller Charles L.
Craig of pair of notes touching on the
sl4S.14 mentioned hereinbefore. The
notes between one gentleman and the
| other would not have been written at
all had there been no money to dis
cuss. but as the sun went down over
the big town all critics who had given
| the matter the smallest consideration
agreed that it was the pith and force
and rare grace of the. written words
which made the day memorable. and
not the money. which was neither here
nor there.
Students of contemporary history will
recall that in the early part of last
month Comptroller Craig evoked loud
cries of protest and acrimony from FL
orello Fl. La Guardia, President of the
Board of Aldermen, by making public
the text of certain personal kilograms
which had emanated from Mr.. La Guar
dia's office and for which the city had
been charged. Mr.. La Guardia ex-
planned at the time that clerk had
been TO blame and no one doubted him.
But anyway, yesterday. the Mayor.
writing through his secretary, John +.
Sinnott. sent the following to Comp
troller Craig:
I'm going over the telegram and tele-
phone accounts for this office there are
some which may be considered per-
sonal and not proper city charge, for
which ] am inclosing a check made to
the order of the Comptroller of the
(great) city Of New York for S14S.14.
Ard thar nv
about which there is a question kindly
submit them to this Office and a check
will be forwarded"
To which Mr. Craig made answer, adj
dressing not Secretary Sinrott but the
Mayor himself:
"I have received letter from your
secretary enclosing a check for S148.4
for kilograms and telephone service per-
sonal in character. but vouchered
against and paid by the City of New
York. | have directed that the sum
In question be credited to the Conscience
Fund"
1t appears that the Conscience Fund
consists of such sums as are received in
each fiscal year from persons who con-
slider that they owe the city money but
do not care to say how or why, and as
a rule send their contributions anony-
mously. 1t rarely totals more than few
thousand dollars in a year, and the
moneys which make II up 90 finally to
the citys general fund for the reduction
of taxes But, nevertheless. the Mayor,
when Comptroller Craig's note reached
him. and he was asked to say some-
thing about It, chose on the contrary to
say nothing at all. Simply nothing at
all
And Comptroller Craig on his part
would say only that he considered it
would be improper for him to give out
the text of any of the Mayors kilograms
and that the Mayors letter and check
had, in fact. come while an investiga-
ton into personal expenditures by city
officials was being made, and finally and
principally that he had credited the
check received to the fund wherein he
considered 1t belonged.