New-York tribune., 1922-01-20
requests for ''Improve.
mcnts'' More Than
$6O,OOO.OOO. with
%6,OOO,O 600 Available
None in Budget
OF $350,O00,Ooo
Enright's $2,l35,OOO
Item Causes Craig to Be-
rate ''Small Demands''

The early rush Of Office holders. in.
splred by their political sponsors be-
hind the scenes, to feed at the crib Of
the now city administration has berun.
Inc dc'uCc Of request, for millions Of
appropriations, many OF them gar
n'shcd with fat contracts. which flowed
IN upon the Board Of Estimate since
January would bankrupt the city
treasury for years to come, If all were
granted.
Mayor Hylan and his associatcs on
the Board Of Estimate find themselves 8
IN the embarrassing position OF being
unable to accommodate "the boys" even
to the extent Of one tenth Of what thcv
ask. With only 515,000,oo0 Of corpo-
rate stock which may be issued for
non revenue producing improvements.
over and above the 1922 budget OF
$350,00o,000 they sre confronted with
requests for such improvements al
ready amounting to more than $50 ,000.-
600 and threatening to run up TO $780,
100000 if they keep coming in at tho
present rate.
The bills for all such stock appropri-
ations will be handed down to future
generation Of taxpayer1. The pay-as-
you-go policy was established by the
Mitchell administration in order to pre-
vent this very thing and stem the
financial tide which was sweeping the
80 I.,~ 4.
last Hylan administration the pay-as-
you-so law was amended to tho extent
Of permitting the city to issue $15.00o,-
600 of corporate stock Qong- term
bonds) for non-rcvenue improvements.
Money Pledged for City Work
To make matters worse for the
greedy applicants. Comptroller Craig
declared yesterday that already $9,0o0,-
900 of the $l5,ooo,ooo legal allowance
has been pledged, principally for street
work in the various city departments.
This leaves $4,000 900 to cover shc re-
quests now on hand for. $50, 0,000, 900.
The Comptroller indicated that he
would not allow those in line to crowd,
but would make each applicant wait his
turn TO receive his proportionate part.
He intimated that many Of them would
be sorey disappointed. even il he had
to hurt some Of his political friends.
The latest request was that of Police
Commissioner Enright for stock is
of eight new police stations and the
re modelling Of several others in fur
therance of his plan to "modernize and
stabilize" the department. Mayor Hy-
Ian may find way, or sufficient votes
in the Board Of Estimate, to grant the
Enright request, but it was apparent
that Comptroller Craig was not in
favor Of it. In fact, the mention of
the Police Commissioners request
aroused the Comptroller to TRADE
against the little applicants. The En-
right application is on the calendar for
the meeting of the Board Of Estimate
to-day.
"The Enrght request will be referred
10 committee" said Mr. Craig, "and he
will have to take his chance with the
S6S, 100000 Che raised it $8,000,000 Of
other requests out Of an amount which
must not exceed s1o, 100000, of which
$4,000, 900 is already authorized.'
Items on $50, 100000 List
The Comptroller referred to this mad
rush for city money as comedy OF
"hopes and aspirations' The items
on his $4,000 900 list include the fol-
lowing:
Roroush President, Manhattan. .@',@!o.a0o
Borough President, Brooklyn. 9.1A7,64e
Ro,ourh President Bronx ....... 1884, $50
Borough President. Queens. "."io ~
Borough President Richmond. 2,lle150
Pa rl Deps rli inent--
Mdnh2ttdn ......',.' ~ - ~
Brooklyn Observation-Disclosures. l.1o2,796
Bronx ............... lt.'I?
Queens Observation-Disclosures. 76S,l43
Richmond ...-'..... -'j, ~"
Among the other larger requests
were:
Education 'Fire Preveniion) s tl,a00 0Oo
Fire Department ..... ............ l,0lo.S0o
Health DEPARTMENT .. 800 900
Public Welfare Department.. 1.eoe.Sia
Bellevue and Allied Hospitals. a.125.o00
Street Cleaning Department so .ouo
Correct ion Department. ........... 2.291oo"
Plan. and Structures. .......... 5.g0ls4
Arinory Board ....... $50 400
All these are IN addition TO the reg
ular departmental requests in the
$3.50 100000 budget for this year. The
requests, S has been said, are for non
revenue producing Improvements.
While it is big squeeze to take all but
s6000,O00 of work and jobs out Of the
proposed S60,000000 employment may
be found elsewhere for the needy on
(csatInusd on psss thrsO