The New York herald., 1921-08-12
Lawyer Brown, Unable to
Extract Light on Bettering
City's Finances, Stops
Questioning Mayor.
STACKER WAR FUTILE
Special Revenue Bond Ie.
sues Grow From S11, 200,
600 to $4,000, ,OOO-Ap-
preparations Soar.
NO STEPS TO CUT EXPENs 4
Home Ruler Executives On y
Suggested Remedy-Comr
troller Craig to Be Called
Next Tuesday.
NO STEPS TO CUT EXPENs

Mayor Hylan closed his third d
on the witness stand before to
Meyer committee admitting he h
not made good his promises OF eco
omy and could not point the way
holding down the cost of running t1e
city government. The budget "
mount higher next year, he stat
calmly.
Unable to obtain any light fro
the Mayor on the complex probler
OF city finance, Elon r. Brown, cou
sci, brought the hearing to an abrupt
ending early in the afternoon and
announced that Comptroller Craig
would have to be called If the COM
mittee wished to get at the facts.
The Mayor will be called again later.
Mr.. Brown succeeded in showing
that during Mayor Hylan's term the
issue OF special revenue bonds had
increased from s11,000000 to $685.
100000, and that big sums had been
transferred from one account to an
other, unfortunately, il not reck-
lessly, TO provide for expenditures
not taken care of In the regular bud
get In most instances. 1t was shown,
these transfers meant increases.
There are now no rules governing
these issues.
neJects 10 Fer Cent, General Cut.
Met with the proposal to reduce
city expenditures by 10 per cent.
slice throughout the government, the
Mayor baked and declared that
whatever might happen he would not
consent to cutting salaries and wages
of city employees.
That declaration OF policy, coming
at the opening OF the Mayors cam
paign for reelection, called forth a
great demonstration from the hun
dreds OF Tammanyites and office
holders who jammed the aldermanic
chamber during the noon hour. On
that subject the Mayor had reversed
himself over night. The cheering
brought the forenoon session to a
close, and the Mayor walked to his
office through crowds who shouted
wildly. The crowds gathered outside
City Hall and continued TO cheer.
True to his election promises, the
Mayor sent broadcast through the
city departments. from time to time.
letters of instruction to all heads of
departments, demanding that the
Stacker, pleasure seeker, the money
grabber, trouble maker and agitator
and the man with the political pulI'
be separated from the payroll an
that all waste and extravaganza -
cut out That was all he did. Il
never followed up the instructions l.
see whether they we're observe
Pressed to mention one instanc
wherein his Strenuous declarations
had been observed, the Mayor admi
ted he could not remember a cas-
He left that all with the heads OF ii
departments.
"Home Rule" Is Pet Excuse.
Home rule" was the Mayors gret
cry yesterday. During his three day
on tho stand he has had one ptt
phrase for each day. The first we
Call Duncan Machines" to explai
all financial matters: the next day h
insisted ASK the heads Of the depart
ments." Yesterday he repeated scor
Of times when asked for expianatio
OF why reductions had not been mad
that the city officials could not achiev
success in administration unless the,
had home rule"
Mr.. Brown finally took up that issue
and led the Mayor through a long
series Of questions regarding increased
expenditures in city departments. IL
was shown in each Of those instances
that none Of the Increases was mands
tory by statute OF the Legislature and
that the home rule" issue had moth
Ing TO do with the increases.
AS on the preceding days members
or the Mayors official family sat close
10 him throughout the examination.
Tho little gathering was termed the
whispering cabinet" The Mayors
assistants whispered just loud enough
for tho Mayor 70 hear when questions
were asked. Their lips moved only
slightly, but their words could be heard
is those who sat close BY. Once Mr..
Brown lost patience and remarked
LET tho Mayor answer just this ONE
question alone"
Urged to point out a single .epart-
ment that had been eliminated frQm