New-York tribune., 1921-02-04
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teoht'huVu rom TA97 eHpJ
nicipal financing under the present ad
ninistration, but referred all questions
regarding statistical facts to Duncan
Machines, chief accountant.
The next visit was to the Office of Mr..
Machines, who is survivor from pre-
ceding administrations. FIe was asked
for statement of the city's debt as of
December 81, 1920, but replied that 1t
was not yet ready, He confirmed the
fact that the various statements of the
Finance Department were tardy. When
asked why he referred the Tribune
man TO Corlptroller Craig, refusing
himself to divulge any information. Mr..
Craig could not be reached esterday.
Being charged with holding the purse
strings Of Americas largest city, the
Comptroller can prevent unfounded
suspicious of his conduct only by per-
petually giving publicity to his oper-
atlons. Under Mr.. Craig the highly
eHectlve accounting staff of the depart
ment has been checked and the regular
statements have not been Forthcoming.
40 check over the transactions of the
Domptrollers' Office and make sure that
tne elty,s business has been conducted
efficiently and honestly in ali Sparticu-
lars it would be necessary to have a
n1ghly skilled corps of accountants.
Ihat 1T would be desirable to do this.
impartial students agree, and the most
enectlve manner of doing this would
be through legislative Investigation.
Mr. Craig, in common with other
'ofhcials of the Hylan regime. has re-
FUSED to permit the Bureau of Munich
pal Research, ron-partisan bodv Of
experts to offer its cooperation and in.
dependent check on the operations of
the department.
II the department has fallen behind
IN lts published records merely
snrough carelessness or impaired ef-
nciency 1t would be desirable to have
TINS fact brought out by legislative
ditions insist. Moreover, if the secre-
tive policy arises from des;re to
conceal from the people Of the citv the
nature OF its own affairs, it would be-
well, observers say, to have this be-
come known.
Craig Not Wholly Blamed
Unable to see Comptroller Craig rea
garding these matters, Tribune rep
resentatIve saw one Of his associates,
who said:
"The Comptroller is not wholly to
blame for the failure to have the an
nual financial summary, the debt state
ment and the monthly financial state
ments out on time, as they used to be.
Duncan Machines, chief accountant, is
overwhelmed with work, and has been
for the last two years. He lost sew
eral good members of his staff, who
resigned to handle income taxes Of
business men, greatly to their financial
advantage. Copy for the annual re-
port. for 1919 has been in the hands
of the printers for months.
Gas for the Comptroller, he will give
a good account of himself if he goes
before legislative committee. When
the last budget was being made up
he stood out against the inclusion of
items aggregating about S10,O0O,OO0,
but he was outvoted, the borough presi-
dents combining with the Mayor to
down him. He hasn't anything to fear
from the most rigid inquiry If any
one is hurt, it will be the members of
tina board who tried to prevent the
Comptroller from .functioning as the
charter provides"
Hylan Promises Not Kept
One Of the promises most empha-
sized by Mayor Hylan in his Mayoralty
campaign in 1917 was reduction of
the cost of city government.
When the Tammany candidates in
September, 1917, were notified of their
nominations. Mr.. Hylan said that the
extravaganza of the Mitchell admins