New-York tribune., 1921-10-07
Union League
Pledges Aid to
Curran Ticket
City Bankruptcy Impending
Under s'Inefficient and
Pitiable' Hylan Regime,
Political Survey Declares
Crisis Worst Since 1871
Endorsement of Republican,
Coalition Campaign Given
Without Qualifications


night the report of it's committee on
polotical reform, thus indorsing the
Rpublican- coalition ticket in the mu-
nicipal camaign and pledging it's active
support and indorsing also the candi-
= dacy of Justice William S. Andrews
for the Court Of Appeals.
The report of the committee set forth
that the situation in the city was the
most serious since the crisis of 1871.
Bankruptcy loomed, it was said, and it
was pointed out that an extremely
large proportion of the increase in city
expenditures in the last twenty
years had taken place during the Hylan
regime.
Pressing problems, both because of
the financial situation and because of
the condition of transit, the schools
and other affairs of the city, would con-
front the next administration, it was
said. and the conclusion was that Henry
H. Curran and not John F. Hylan was
the man who had demonstrated ability
to handle them.
Curran's Record His Endorsement
"He has shown high character" said
the committee of Curran, "absolute in
0CpSINCUAC liltCSiiCJ, iutCAACNtNdl
and moral courage, executive ability q 5
well as industry, vgor and effective
ness in administration, and unseltsh
devotion to. public and patriotic serv
ice. IN actual service and perform
ance in high public Office during the
period of the last ten years he has
been tried and not found wanting"
The administration OF Mayor Hylan
is characterized as "inefficient and
fof,, e. Ill ~,
in some The Mayor himself, though
personally honest, is said to have
shown ignorance Of departmental op-
eratlons and all incapacity to grasp
and solve the complex and difficult
problems"
THE recent disclosures demonstrate"
it was said, that ne is compelled to
rely for the most elemental features
of administration upon colleagues and
subordlnates. Appointees of his sub
ordinates have been found in many in
stances to be untrustworthy; and this
was inevitable in view of the charac-
ter OF many of these appointees, Sc
lected solely for political reasons. The
panetul influences of Tammany Hall
and what is known as Hearstism have
Affected almost all the departments
of the greater city,
VI the danger of bankruptcy under
an inefficient administration. the com
mittee said:
The necessity for change in past
methods for the introduction of economy
and efficiency, and for thorouch COM
prehension of the great problems in
volved in the management of our nlu-
hiclpal affairs will be perhaps more
readily appreciated by those who have
1ot closely followed recent municipal
developments if they will ponder the
nd cft,r,
danger of drifting into bankruptcy which
they teach. For purposes of ready COM
parson, the budget figures of the first
year OF consolidation into the greater
City OF New York, namely, 1899, will be
set up against those for the present
year, 1921. These figures, it is submit
ted. show an alarming growth of debt
and OF all forms of municipal experdi
ture.
DEBT AND ASSESSED VALUATION
"1n 1899 the net debt Of
the Greater City of New
-, ioih was -.......... S256, $50, 900
ain 1921 it was. .137 zoo 00o
An increase OF ......... S880,85O.O 900
or o9Z.S per cent IN twenty-five years.
The assessed value of real and per
sonal property, in 1899, if corrected
TO loo per cent of the valuation, as is
now the practice, would have boan
S5,ls2.0oQ.O0Q it is now s1o,18s, zoe. 900
Tor 1921, an increase of So, ,oO4 200 900,
or-96Z per cent. The figures published
last week which are to be those on the
tax books for 1922, are $1O.614.Soo 900
or an increase of valuations in the
amount Of s428,e00,000 over the figures
of 1921 -
The annual debt service, that is to
say, the Interest and instaiments of
principal payable upon outstanding
corporate stock and bonds, which in
l899 was S23,500,0 900, was SLOT 200 900
m 1921, an increase of s83 700 900 per
annum, or 1865 per cent.
ANNUAL BUDGET FOR PROPOSED
EXPENDITURES
"In 1899, the budget total
for proposed expendi-
tures, including docks
not then in the budget
as voted, was. ....... $4,000. .0OO
I'm 1921 it was. 365 500 OOO
IAN increase of $3.50 600 OOO
or 279 per cent"
In 1899, the committee points out
there were 450 500 pupils in the CITY
and the school appropriations were
$4,000, 900; the number OF pupils ir
4"-t 'tob DFCDiHc qua bUU and the edu
catlonal budget, exclusive of $1,000 90,
informally authorized was SIS 800 900
Although the number of pupils merely
rad doubled. the school expenses hae
increased 1928 per cent and "the re-
suits the committee adds, "are made
quate and unsatisfactory.
Huge Increase in Police Cost
In 1899 the police budget was s11.
so,oo0, with a force of 1897 men
Twenty-Five years later, with 1884,
men, the budget was SIS, $50 900. The
increase III population in the perioc
was fa.6 per cent; in policemen, so Del
cent IN police expenses, 1886 pei
cent. The committee mentions the ire
mendous sums paid for private watch
men and guards for police protection
which the city ought to furnish ane
notes "a constantly Increasing failure
TO afford adequate protection agains
robbery, assaults, etc"
Increases in the budgets Of the Fir,
Department and the Health Depart
ment are pointed out by the commit
tee, which goes on TO say in its re
port:
although responsibility for increase
IN the cost OF the city government zinc,
consolidation must be distributed owe
the twenty-five years, the following fy
urcs will show the share of the tota
percentage increase since 1899. whicl
has occurred aiuce 1917 dnrtpe, .,,n H..