The New York herald., 1921-08-17
HyIan's Satellites Pleased.

did not make hit with the committee.
HyIan's Satellites Pleased.
The Mayors so-called Kitchen cabi-
net" including half a dozen Of the
Commissioners and other officials who
stand high in City Hall, were present
during most of the examination. They
went to the hearing with some misgiv-
ings. Would the Comptroller defend the
administration and give the Mayor his
albi for the campaign? Or would the
old feud and the personal animosity so
often evident at Board of Estimate hear
ings break out when Mr. Craig was
hard pressed?
At the close of the hearing the
Mayors followers and advisers were a
happy group. The Tammany men were
all in smiles. The Comptroller had
come through" The administration
had it's defence outlined for the stump.
They appeared to be satisfied that the
big danger--what Craig might do to
Hylan on the stand--had been passed
in safety.
Several times the crowd laughed and
applauded when Mr.. Craig seemed to
have scored on Mr.. Brown. But the
crowd found little amusement In the
heavy financial discussion and grew
smaller throughout the day.
Condemning the practice of issuing
short term paper, the Comptroller said
he had warned the Legislature last
year against the danger in the practice
The State directs the payment by the
municipality Of its share of direct taxes
In April and the charter prescribes that
the city may begin the collection OF
taxes in May. The city penalty Tor
non payment of taxes does not apply
until June. In the interim. the city
has to issue its short term paper and
carry the burden thereby imposed.
Two big suit cases and a brief case
filed with papers supplied the comp
troller with the data he needed TOT tne
examination but most of the time ne
did not refer to his documents as he
threw out long expositions of the most
complicated financial questions.
Intrfcacies Are Hard to Follow.
Members Of the committee tried hard
TO follow the examination and pick up
the leads. But it became too much for
several of them before half finished and
they gave 1t up and took maps.
Disposal Of funds obtained by the
citv from piers, transit and other rev.
enue producing municipal possessions
and bonds and the handling of this
money as it finds It's way into the sink
ing funds was worked out in much de-
tail. More than sS.000,0 900 was obtained
In 1920 to pay interest on the water
debt and only 900 came from other
sources. Revenues from docks amount
to s7,0o0,000 a year and from water to
IS, 600. 900. Mr.. Brown took up the tax
limit law. which provides that the levy
may not exceed 2 per cent. on the as
sesseG valuation Of real estate. Asked
whether he maintain that the law
was unconstitutional, the Comptroller
said:
'I think it is beating the devil around
the bush. that IS what I think of it I
think that act of 1903. although no one
from then until now has challenged its
constitutionality, is an utterly indefensi-
BILE bit Of legislation"
do you think it ought to be re-
pealed? ?" Mr.. Brown asked.
You cannot repeal it, because YOU
have put the city I'm a position which
cannot be changed"
do you mean indefensible to the eS-
tent Of violating the spirit Of the Con-
sttution?'
- don't have to go that far many
acts are constitutional that as a matter
of public policy are indefensible--some
OF that character passed recently"
The crowd laughed. Mr.. Brown re-
marked that since the habit of taking
d smile" had been abolished there ap-