The New York herald., 1921-11-01
Frantic Efforts to Serve
Hylan and Craig With
Order; Both Ignore 1t.
BOARD MEETING RED HOT
Tax Rate Reduction of 3 to S
Points Claimed; Star Cham
Der Charge Denied.

The Hylan administration adopted
yesterday a budget for next year
totalling s350.516,524 the Tammany
majority having jammed the resolu-
ton through the Board of Estimate
over the protest Of the Republican
members just in time to escape SER
vice of two writs Of mandamus to
compel changes before adoption.
Then followed sensational chase
over the greater part of Manhattan
to serve the writs on the Mayor and
Comptroller Charles L. Craig, which
resulted in success only when the
servers cornered the officials at meet
ings where they were scheduled to
make political speeches.
The writs were issued by Justice
George V. Mullan of the Supreme
Court, one at the instance of the
Brooklyn Justices of the Supreme
Court to compel slight increases in
the salaries Of three court attendants
and one typewriter operator. and the
other upon a taxpayers petition by
Charles w. Eidt, ordering the addi-
ton Of $4,426.3 366 to the budget to take
care of cuts alleged to have teen made
in the pensions appropriations for the
school teachers. the police and the
municipal employees.
The Mayor was trapped by a man
who said his name was Fischer at an
elevator entrance in the Vanderbilt Hotel
just as he was leaving a meeting in the
Far East Gardens. Mrs. May LaveIle
McDermott, chairman of the reception
committee of foreign born citizens, was
Just presenting the Mayor with a bunch
of roses when Fischer stepped up and
held out a paper, addressing the Mayor:
"Mr. Mayor. here Is something for
you"
Mrs. McDermott apparently sensed
that the something was something the
Mayor didn't want. and quickly stepped
between the Mayor and the process
server. The Mayor entered the elevator
and went down to the street to his au-
tomobile.
Fischer afterward declared that he
was successful in serving the papers
upon the Mayor. and that they were
Justice Mullan's order regarding the
Brooklyn court attaches
Stewart Browne. president of the
United Real Estate Owners Association
for whom Eidt acted in his suit, nailed
the Comptroller after o'clock last night
at st. Joseph's Hall. 127th street and
Convent avenue, with the order regard
ing the pension fund.
His success there followed failure TO
find the Mayor at City Hall in the after
noon. and rumpus at the Comptroller
office, where attendants refused TO let
him see Mr.. Craig. He was thwarted
again when he waited for the Comp
troller at his automobile. and the Comp
troller sent a substitute to get In the
car and drive away.
May Start Contempt Action.
No meeting OF the board to reconsider
its action had been called up to midnight
and ut that hour the time Of making the
budget expired under the law. Mr..
Browne said he would consider asking
contempt action against the board to-
day, inasmuch as he had only one GER
titled copy Of the court order, and JUS
tice Mullan had told him service upon
either the Mayor or the Comptroller
would be sufficient
The 1922 budget. as adopted. IL
S5,000,000 greater than the record
budget of this year. and S112.3S2.750
greater than the last budget of the
Mitchell administration. In the face of
Mayor Hylan's campaign promises of
economy when he was asking for cleo
tion four years ago.
The budget still Is 81 ,Oo0. 900 hirher
than the tax limit will provide for. ac-
cording TO figures announced two weeks
ago by Comptroller Craig.
The last hours of budget making were
full OF excitement and acrimony. be-
ginning with the sensational charge of
the Republican members that the budget
details were arranged without their
knowledge In secret caucuses of the
Tammany members and ending with a
movie thriller chase over Manhattan 70
serve court orders on the Mayor and tho
Comptroller.
Although the announced figure of the
budget is 1854, ,516.500. there remains a
doubt, which probably never will be
tested, whether the figure legally should
not be 100000 higher. That arises out
Of the fact that the 500, 600 was de-
Quoted after the motion adopting the
budget had passed
Majority Vote Sufficient.
The board having taken n preliminary
vote on the budget last Saturday. upon
a precautionary order of the Mayor, all
that was needed yesterday to adopt II
was a mere majority. When the Comp
troller sought to amend. the budget BY
chopping 100000 from the specia,
revenue bond redemption fund. r. II. La
Guardia. President of the Board OF Alder
men. insisted upon the point that II
would change the parliamentary status
OF the budget and require twelve instead
OF nine votes for its passage. which
would give the advantage 10 the Re-
puhlicans.
In view OF that the Mayor ordered a
call Of the roll on adoption of the budget
and passed Il over the votes Of La
Guardia and Commissioner Clarence
Fay. sitting for Henry II. Curran. Bor-
ough President OF Manhattan. The
amendment was then adopted by a ma
jority vote. La Guardia casting his for
the amendment.
Mr.. Fay. voting against adoption. ex-
pained
II cannot assume responsibility for
this budget because the real budget
making was done behind closed doors"
The Mayor denied IL and Mr.. Fay
made this charge
AT a meeting OF the committee on
finance and budget. whose meetings
Craig has not attended since
the chairmsnship was taken from him IN
his absence and given TO the Mayor. in
formation in the possession OF the Comp
trollcr was needed and the Comptroller
was sent for A specN meeting OF the