New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-01-15
$ Budget
Power Taken
Over by Mayor
Deputy Comptroller Smith
Fights Action of Board
Directing Secretary to
Make Survey for 1922

Control Of the making of the budget
for 1922 was virtually taken ont Of the
hands OF Comptroller Charles l.. Craig
and placed directly under Mayor Hv-
lans authority when the Board of Fsti-
mate, after ii bitter contest between
the Mayor and Deputy COMPTROLLER
Henry Smith yesterday. adopted a reso-
luton directing that Joseph Haag, sec
rotary of the board, begin at once Il
survey Of all departments and institu-
tions with view of preparing the
budget for next year.
FRIENDS OF Mr.. Craig construed the
action as further evidence of the es
arrangement between the Mayor and the
city's chief financial officer Althonrh
Mr. Craig was absent from the meet
ing, his authority was not curtailed
without fight on the part Of Mr.
smith, who represented him.
Inc resolution was prepared st
meeting of the committee Of the whole
OF which the Mayor is chairman. The
session was held Thursday, those pres
ent being F. II. LaGuardia, president
OF the Beard of Aldermen; the Mayor
and representatives Of four OF the bor-
ough presidents. The committee on
finance and budget, of which Mr.. Craig
IS chairman, received notice of the
meeting only twenty minutes before
IT was called and was unable to take
Part In it, according to Mr.. Smith.
Action Step Backward, Says Smith
AS soon as the resolution was read
Mr.. Smith, after complaining of the
mysterious manner in which the COM
mittec of the whole had met without
notifying the financial department,
arose to protest.
"ln the first place, Mr.. Mayor, the
committee of the whole has no au-
thority to originate any such resolu-
tion," said MIR. Smith. OTIS the great
est step backward in your administers
ton"
ooh, you don't mean that" inter
rupted the Mayor.
II do mean just that insisted Mr..
Smith. "The finance department can
do what you cannot. The committee
the finance and budget Committee meets
every week. IF you want 10 do any
checking up in the departments Won
have your Commissioner Of Accounts
for that"
The MAYO, explained that notices of
the committee of the whole's meeting
were sent out two days before the met
ing.
"Thc Comptroller had no such no.
tice," said Mr. Smith. "If you are 60
ing to do things in 81. legal and orderly
way you must refer this resolution to
the Committe on Finance and Budget"
Board Just Starts Things
The Mayor then said that there was
no intention to deprive the Committee
en- Finance and Budget of chance to
make up the budget when the time ar
rived, but that the resolution simply
meant the board could get start.
The resolution instructed the sccre-
tary "to make and take necessary steps
in connection with the BUDGET for 1929
by way Of making 4 survey Of the
various city, count and borough de-
partments, Offices, bureaus, boards and
commissions with view to making
material reductions in the budget for
the coming year
Heads of departments also were d.
1ected to give to examiners informa-
ton and ala in making an analysis of
department requirements 1t also was
resolved that "there shall be a meet
ing of the committee of the whole dur
ing the first weeks in March and
monthly thereafter. aud that copies
Of the examiners reports, to be sub
United at such meetings for consider
alton, shall ne in the hands of the
heads OF the departments concerned at
least five days before such meetings"