The New York herald., 1921-08-29
HYLAN BOOSTS This
BUDGET 125 PER CT.
Economy Pledges Forgot
in Teachers Retirement
System Overhead.
MAYOR DOUBLES JOBS
Money Actually Handled
Increased Barely 4 Per
Cent. in Year.
CROSSES GOOD LUCK
He Early Got Specially Created
Secretaryship at 1880
MAYOR DOUBLES JOBS
CROSSES GOOD LUCK
He Early Got Specially Created
Secretaryship at $500
a Year.

The present administration Of the
teachers retirement system, board
within the jurisdiction of the Board Of
Estimate and the Board Of Education
which handles the pension system of
the public school teachers. offers a
striking instance OF the economy"
practised by Mayor Hylan.
In 1918 the Teachers Retirement
Board cost, for administration alone,
a total Of $685. For the current
year, 1921, the cost Is s62.672. an in
crease OF sS4,ss5. or 125 per cent. more
than in the last budget prepared by
the Mitchell administration.
The amount provided for the PEN
sion system for the teachers is prac-
tically the same this year as in 1913,
having increased only from $2,6365so
to s2,750,D00. an increase of barely 4
the pension system has grown out of
all proportion,
The number of paid employees in the
administration of this small but highly
important bureau has more than doubled
y
under Mayor Hyian, though he shouted
from the housetops when he took Office
that the payrolls must be cut down and
all unnecessary positions abolished.
Payroll Is Doubled.
The payroll Of the regular employees
Of the bureau In 1918 was $20,s20. For
1921 1t has Jumped to s4s,673. Similarly
the temporary employees. clerks, copy
lists, bookkeepers, &C.. have grown from
payroll OF s7,075 three years ago TO
s15,s99 to-day. Not only have salaries
been increased but new positions have
been created, so that instead of about
dozen paid employees who did the work
of the bureau In the latter half OF 1917
there are now no less than thirty on the
staff.
AS Illustrating the Hylan Job system
the current official list Of city employees
ia the teachers retirement system shows
that only four of the sthiety present paid
employees were on the payroll of this
bureau in 1917. All OF the rest have
been appointed since Mayor Hylan took
Office. Practically every employee IN the
bureau at the close Of 1917 has been
shifted or dismissed.
the Hylan administration was that of
secretary" OF the bureau. at salary Of
$4,000 a year Previous 10 1919 the
Teachers Retirement Board had got
along without n secretary. But on Au-
gust /. 1919, shortly after Mayor Hylan
had made Aiming s. Prall Of Staten
Island chairman or the Board of Edu-
cation, Il was found advisable TO create
the position of secretary and Magnus
Gross. president OF the Teachers Assoc
ciation was inducted into the job. This
bureau though connected with the
Board of Education from it very nature.
is not part OF the education depart
ments budget but has its own separate
budget controlled by the Board Of =
innate.
Big Deficiency Puzzle.
Therefore the bureau did not suffer
by the budget slashing handed to the
Board Of Education by Mayor Hylan
and Comptroller Craig this year. when
only s50.720. .6s0S3, barely enough to
carry the department through to Sep
tember l. was provided TO meet
budget calling for a grand net total OF
s77,e46,03s. How the Mayor and
Comptroller plan TO provide this huge
deficiency IL something teachers and
public are waiting to learn.
But if the Teachers retirement pay
roll was not hit by the Hylan-Craig
axe plans were laid TO eat into the
moneys set aside in the budget for the
bureau to meet the pensions themselves.
Having failed, because OF the excess
siye taxation necessary TO provide for
the other Hylan departments, TO set
side even enough money to pay the
full salaries Of the teachers and other
Education Department employees
throughout the current year--the $780,
T2O,0S0 being more than si0,000.000
lese than the amount needed for salaries
alone this year the Hylan-Crag
Economy system decided TO take a
chance on using some Of the retired
teachers pension moneys. If possible. to
help pay the active teachers salaries for
this year
So this note occurs In the budget for
the teachers retirement system this
yesr. which may prove informative and
interesting to the thousands of teachers
retired or active who are anxious about
their salaries or their penslons
"On October s0 1920. the Board OF
Estimate and Apportionment resolved
that the appropriations for the Pension
Reserve Fund and the Contingent Re-
serve Fund In the Teachers Retirement
System. totalling s2.750O 900, be subject
"a. subsequent actuarial valuation and
that any surplus found therein be trans
ferred 70 the Department Of Education
for public school purposes"
Meaning. in so many words that any
money that could be squeezed out or
the retired teachers pension funds would
be used to pay the active teachers sal
aries.
Gross Deemed Lucky.
Whose influence persuaded Mayor
lIylen to approve the appointment OF
Magnus Gross TO the $4,000 secretary
ship created in the teachers pension
system was not disclosed at the time
Of the appointment, August !. 1919 But
though Mr. Gross has been for years
president OF the Teachers Association,
many active workers In the Department
Of Education have been asking ques-
tinna about that anpnfnfp,ant Nj. rt,cr,