New-York tribune., 1921-12-04
Slash Into School Funds
, Suggested to Aldermen
to Obtain Reduction in
$3.50, ,5l6,524 Budget
State Called Upon
To Make Up Deficit
No Other City Department
To Be Touched i'm Plan
to Equalize Taxation

comptroller CharleS l.. Craig yes
terday sent letter to Alderman Frank
A. Cunningham, chairman of the FL
nance Committee of the Board of Al
dermen, which is considering the city
budget for 1922, informing the com
mittee that the budget of $350,516,524
must be reduced and suggesting that
this be done by taking the amount
from the appropriation for the Board
of Education.
The communication from the Comp
troller contains an opinion from George
P. Nicholson, Acting Corporation Coun-
sci, to the effect that the amount of
the budget should be reduced and ad-
justed so that in no county Of the
greater city the tax rate would ex-
ceed 2 per cent of the assessed valua-
tion of real estate and personally in
that county.
The tax rate for both the Bronx and
Richmond is in excess of this per
cent constitutional limitation. The
Comptroller finds that it would be i'm
possible to cut down the appropriations
for county expenses in either of these
boroughs, so as to bring the tax rates
within the legal requirement, and con-
scquently the cut must be made in
general city appropriations.
The Comptroller advises against re-
ductions of appropriations for any Of
the city departments and advises TAX
ing the money from the Board Of
Education, which he declares to be
"state activity"
Burden Passed to Legislature
Comptroller Craig passes the obli-
cation along to the Legislature, which,
he says, unless "the state is faithless
to the cause Of education" should APP
propriate the money. The Legislature
failed to recognize the responsibility
this year, when the Hylan administra-
ton left a deficit Of $4,000, 600 in the
educational budget tor 1921. which the
city claimed the state should pay, The
coming Legislature will probably fol-
low the same course, which means that
$10,O00,000 educational deficit.
The $27,000,000 deficit in the Board
Of Education budget for 1921 has been
made up from various sources during
the year, including the carrying Of
$16,O6o,OO0 of special revenue bonds in
the 1922 city budget. Probably similar
means could be found to make up the
S10,O00,000 educational deficit during
the coming year.
The finance committee OF the Board
of Aldermen will meet tomorrow to
consider the matter and Mayor Hylan
has called a special meeting Of the
Board of Aldermen for l o'clock to pass
upon the recomme endations of the com
mittee. The time limit for considera-
tion of the 1922 budget by the Board Of
Aldermen expires at midnight to-mor-
row. The board can reduce budget
items, but cannot increase them. The
budget goes to the Mayor for his final
signature from the Board Of Aldermen.
Rates in Two Boroughs
In his letter to Alderman Cunning
ham, the Comptroller points out that
the tax has to be calculated separately
for county. and city purposes. While
the tax rate for the city at large comes
within the constitutional limit of per
cent of the total assessed valuation,
the COMPTROLLER points out that the
rates in the Bronx and Richmond are
above that mark. In the opinion of the
Corporation Counsel, sought by Mr.
Craig, the former holds that the per
cent constitutional limit does not ap-
ply merely TO tne clJy as WhOle, put
to each individual county within the
city. The Bronx tax rate is 2.O2, and
for Richmond 2.03.
"The budget may be brought within
the tax limit" said the Comptroller,
"by reducing the appropriations for
county purposes in the Bronx and Rich
mond counties, or by reducing the
amount appropriated for city purposes
throughout the city. Unless the ap-
preparations for county purposes in
Richmond County can be reduced suf-
ficiently to bring the total rate for city
and county purposes within 2 per cent
a reduction in the Bronx would be of
no avail. 1t is to be seen at glance
that the great bulk of appropriations
in Richmond County is for the main
tenance of the state courts and incl
dental functions related thereto. BY
far the greater portion of the total re-
quired for these purposes is mandatory
in character. An examination of the
various items will, think, clearly lead
to the conclusion that no material re-
duction can be made in the appro-
(contInusd on page sh)