New-York tribune., 1921-09-19
Hylan's Budget
Waste RuinOus.
Meyer Charges
departmental Chiefs Under
Mayors Control Increase
Appropriation Demands.
Needless of EconomyN Need
Enright First Witness This
Afternoon, When Inquiry
ia Police Affairs Opens

senasor Schuyler N. Meyer, chairman
AZ the Joint legislative committee in
vestigating the affairs of the Hylan
sarainistration, issued statement ves-
.erday pointing out that, while the
fnsncial condition of the city requires
.he most drastic economy. the Mayors
1epartmental heads do not indicate
any effort to practice that economy"
The Senator referred particularly to
sne large increases in the appropria-
ions demanded by the department.
chiefs in their 1922 budgetary requests
ever the 1921 appropriations. He shows
that the increase in the 1922 budget
request in the first and largest group
Of departments IS S5,0Co,0o0 more than
the amour. allotted last year In an
osher group the increase requested is
ahout $l,s00,00, while for the Board of
Education the proposed Increase is
about s2S, 500, ,o0o.
Chairman Meyer concludes: 1.-THE ap-
pearances are that the city will exact
from it's taxpayers the last cent al
lowed by the state constitution With
ont this constitutional limitation there
would be no protection against the de-
mands Of an incompetent municipal
government
RCs tCW va sk&y Va . OWSAS
The statement referring to the enor-
nous powers held by the Mayor, as
shown by chart the committee has
drawn up. reads as follows:
"He (the Mayor controls through his
sppointive and removal authority the
heads OF departments which expend
slss 900 out of the total s345.53o,-
oss77 of the city and county budget
for 1921.
"0f the total budget the amount
provided for the city government is
$si3,459, ,63S.54, and of this latter figure
s197, 1908, ,527.3o is for debt service and
tax deficiencies, leaving about $685.
100000 for the actual current running
expenses of the city.
an other words, the Mayor, through
the exercise of his appointive authority.
Is responsible for 70 per cent of the
city's actual current running ex-
penses. He appoints and removes at
viii the heads of twenty-five depart
ments whose 1921 budget appropria-
tons amounted TO over $50 100000; he
appoints and removes at will a ma
jority Of the members of seven boards
and commissions whose 1921 budget
appropriations totaled over $4,000 900;
he appoints and may remove for cause
the heads of eight departments whose
1921 budget appropriations were over
100000, and he appoints the mem
bers Of the Board of Education, whose
1921 budget appropriation was more
than 1000 900.
"The Office of Mayor is, accordingly.
one Of the most important public Offices
in the gift of the people, Economy and
ssirisncy in the departments under the
Mayors control mean efficiency and
economy in the administration Of four
hftns Of the city's business. Waste
and incompetency in the Mayors de-
partments mean extravaganza and inf1a-
rion in four-fifths of the city's bust
ness.
Economy Imperatively Demanded
"The need for economy at this time
in public affairs requires no argument.
Economy is imperative, particularly in
4 city at and beyond the limit of it's
taxing power. An index
OF the desire of our municipal authori-
ties TO practice economy is afforded bv
their budget requests for the coming
year.
the committee has had a tabulation
made of the requests filed with the
board Of Estimate for the 1922 budget.
1t finds that although the charter re-
quires such requests to be submitted
not later than August !, the City