New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-10-09
Increase of $8,9l6,429
Over 1921 Recon-
mended by Finance
Committee of Estimate
Schools and Police
Escape Big Cuts
Tax Rate, Says Craig, Will
Not Be Changed, Due
to Higher Assessments

The tentative city budget for 1922 Is
S354,446.468. While this amount NAV
be increased or decreased between now
and October 81, when the final budget
is to be adopted by the Board of Esti-
mate, the tentative figures closely ap-
pToximate the final budget. Tentative
budgets are not unusually increased.
Best experience shows that they are
more likely to be somewhat reduced.
The 1921 budget was $345,53o ,039.
The tentative figures show an increase
over this year of $8,916, 429, which is
not a large increase compared with
previous years. This means a jump in
the tax rate for next year of from
eight to ten points, provided the basis
OF calculation is one point for each
Sl,O00,000, as was the case this year.
The basis of computing the new tax
rate, however, cannot be accurately
worked out until the final budget is
known. [. is apparent, nevertheless,
that the increase in the tax rate will
be greatly below that of this year. The
tax rate jumped over thirty points in
1921. The 1921 budget showed an in
crease of some 100000 over 1920.
Requests Slashed $215,5S2,2s6
The Hylan administration, naturally,
has exerted every effort this year to
keep all appropriations down to the
bone in order to make good showing
for the coming city election. Practi-
cally all of the departmental requests
for 1922 were cut and slashed merci-
lessly. The various city departm ents
asked for 1915 ,028,754. The finance and
budget committee of the Board of Esti-
mate succeeded in reducing these re-
quests by $21, 1,582,286
The Board of Education is the one
outstanding department which received
practically all it asked for the coming
year. The Hylan Board of Estimat te
pursued a policy of "hands off" on the
educational budget for 1922, after its
experience with the S27,OOoo0o deficit
in educational funds this year and the
general public criticism which fol-
requested s71 1922 ,7s9 for 1922, and the
tentative budget allowance is s71,416,-
148. The allowance for this year was
only s50,720,000.
According to Comptroller Craig and
other Tammany members of the Board
of Estimate, the $27,000,00O school
deficit has been provided for to the ex-
tent Of about $17,O0000 1t was point
ed out by these members that if it
was not for the present $10000,000
school deficit the 1922 budget would be
approximately the same as this years
budget.
Tax Rate May Not Change
1t is also claimed by the Tammany
members that the increased assess
ments on real and personal property, as
announced by the Department Of Taxes
and Assessments a week ago, may
neutralize any increase in the budget.
The increased assessments that will be
subject to taxation, unless completely
sworn off, which is very unlikely, total
s44O, 100000 BY applying the present
tax rate (2.77 in Manhattan, 2.84 in the
Bronx, 2.80 in Brooklyn, 2.85 in Queens
and 2.83 in Richmondt the city would
proximately $12,OOO,OOO, or sufficient to
take care of the indicated increase in
the tentative budget. If these calcula-
tions of the budget makers prove cor
rect, the present tax rate would remain
virtually the same next year.
Mayor Hylan would make no predic-
ton yesterday as to the size of the
1922 budget when finally adopted, ex-
cept to say that it would be fairly
low"
'"Misleading figures given out by the
Meyer committee and it's counsel
about budget of s4oo ,ooO," said
the Mayor, "arc about as accurate as
other attacks on the city administra-
tion by this committee"
1t remains to be seen, however, how
the comparatively low figures for 1922,
as announced by the Hylan board ex-
aminers, whose deep cuts in practically
all the estimates Of the large city de-
partments were tentatively adopted by
the finance and budget committee Ca
committee of the whole Of the Board
of Estimate), will stand up under the
scrutiny and analysis Of experts, when
the final budget is adopted.
The Police Department was the one
big department besides the Board of
Education which Jared we'll at the
hands of the budget An in
crease of $2,o00,OoO was allowed Com
missioner Enright in the tentative
1922 budget, for additional men and
equipment. The Fire Department al
(contInucd on ncxt pags)