The New York herald., 1921-09-19
COSTS ARE ANALYZED
If Schools Are Not Neglect
ed S21,OOO,00O Must Be
Added to Record Levy.
HOME RULE PLEA SPIKED
Hirshfield Defends Present
Management Of Wharves
and Public Schools.

The excessive demands OF an 'in-
competent municipal government" will
exact from the taxpayers of New York
next year the last cent allowed within
the constitutional limitations fixed by
the State or the schools must suffer
from continued neglect.
One or the other of these alterna-
tives is the penalty the city must pay
for having the Hylan administration,
the Meyer Committee warned yester-
day in it's first analysis of the 1922
budget figures, now available to the
investigators, but not to the public. 1t
is a gloomy outlook forecast for the
taxpayer by Elon r. Brown, counsel
for the committee, and his associates.
Tie twenty-five departments whose
heads are appointed by and are respon-
sible directly to the Mayor asked for an
increase of $35.oo0,Oo0 for 1922. Ap-
parently no effort is made to economy.
The most rigid economy must be prac-
tised in every branch of the municipal
government. the committee states. IL the
s21, Ooo, 900 required for the schools is
to be provided.
If 1t were not for the constitutional
restriction placed on the municipal OFF,
cials by the State the property owner
would have no protection whatever and
city taxes would know no limit This
Is an answer to the old Hylan cry Of
home rule
Enright ON Stand To-day.
Much interest attaches to the COM
mittec's inquiry into the Police Depart
ment to begin this afternoon in City
Hall. This Is one of the most impor-
tant phases of the entire investigation.
Commissioner Enright will take the
stand az the FIRST witness.
Mayor Hylan controls through his ap-
pointive and removal power the heads
Of bureaus and departments who spend
s163, O00,00 Of the $s45,53o,039 budget
for 1921. or the total budget the
amount provided for the city govern
ment is S313.45s,633, and OF that $107,-
20S.527 Is for debt service and tax de-
ficiencies. The balance is for county
expenses. The actual current expenses
are about $206.000.000, so that 1t fol-
lows the Mayor is directly responsible
through his appointees for 20 per cent.
of the actual operative expenses.
The Mayor appoints and removes at
will the heads of twenty-five depart
ments whose share OF the 1921 budget
is $50, ,O00, 900; appoints and removes ct
will a majority of the members OF seven
boards and commissions whose expendi-
lures are S7,000,000; may remove FOR
cause the heads of eight departments
whose budgets are $S.000,000 and ap-
points the members OF the Board OF
Education, whose budget this year Is
$50. 100000.
Economy and efficiency in the depart
ments under the Mayors control means
economy in nearly four-ffths of the
city's business" the committee stated In
its analysis OF the budget figures The
need for economy requires no argument
and particularly at this time In O
municipality close to the margin OF Its
constitutional taxing power"
Chnmbe rrain's Figures Overdue.
Although the law requires that all de-
partmental estimates must be submitted
to the Board OF Estimate not later thar
August the committee finds the City
Chamberlain has not yet presented his
budget figures for 1922. The commit
tees analysis therefore is made up witt
the Chamberlain's figures missing. The
statement continues:
.'The total required by the Mayors
departments for 1922. according to the
September Is figures. IS $19S,219,2S2, ar
IL - bo
appropriations.
Most OF the increase attributable tr
the Board of Education is due to the
fact that the 1921 budget appropriation
for the Board OF Education was s27.-
900 900 less that the boards require
mcnts. This deficit has been made ur
| in the past by the receipt of state schoo
| moneys, but about s20.000,00 was left
to be covered by transfer or the Issue
| of special revenue bonds redecmablc IL
1922 Similarly, In 1922. IL the Stat,
aid Is continued on It's present basis. tho
| city will receive further contribution
reducing to s7i.7e2. .7ss.64 the amour
to be raised by the city for it's schools
But unless the present intolerabl'
system OF postponing until the succeed
ing year the payment of the current
running expenses OF the Board OF Edu
cation is followed in 1922 the citJ
must provide in its 1892 budget no
less than s21 100000 more for schoo
purposes than It included In It's 1921
| budget.
| This means that the most drastic
eoonDmy must be enforced In al
branches OF the city government IL th'
schools are not to be deprived, as the,
have been in the past. OF the funds they
require. The increases already requested
by the Mayors department heads d.
not indicate any effort to prectise tina
economy. The appearances arc that th'
city will exact from its taxpayers th'
last cent allowed by the State Constltu
tion. without this constitutional linita
ton there would be no protection agains
the demands OF an incompetent muni
cipal government"
David Hirshfleld. Commissioner %
Accounts. and the Hylan admnistrs
tion's spokesman in fighting the invests
gation OF the city government, kept uI
his attack yesterday. The whole inuuir,
Is designed TO help elect Henry IT. Cur
rem as Mayor. Hirshield charged. II,
reviewed the revelations made by tn
committee and dismissed them as o
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