The evening world. Newspaper, December 9, 1915, Page 4

* t | ~~ FVENING WORLD REVIEWS TAX RETRENCHMENT ISSUE FOR CHAMBERLAIN. BRUERE If City Department Heads Are All Dishonest, Mr. Bruere Is Right— Millions Wasted on This Theory —Board of Aldermen, Too, Might Add Further Engineers to Over- see Present Force, Following Mr. Bruere’s Idea. was In answer to City Chamberlain Henry Bruere’s comments on The Eve-/ ning World's series of lessons to taxpayers, informing them how their money is spent and wasted, The Evening World freely states that the devo- tion to the public of Mr. Bruere and his associates in the city administra- tion has not been questioned. The taxpayers of the city, burdened beyond ‘the point of necessity, siould have naught but admiration for Mr. Bruere, who has publicly stated that he is drawing $12,000 a year salary for a @uperfitous job. The point raised by The Evening t————————————— World, which nobody has disputed, ts that New York is faced with a taxa- tion crisia which imperils real estate values and securities, Immediate re~ lef in the shape of a more equitable distribution of the taxation burden ts required. Therefore a discussion of Mr, Bruere’s suggestion of a commission form of government would be out of Place because there exisia such a wide difference of opinion concerning commission government that it cannot he considered as a medium of imine- @iate relief; furthermore, such a dia- cussion would detract public atten- has established as the cause of un- necessary expenditures amounting to millions of dotlars—-lack of respon- sibility and overlapping of duties, The effectiveness of organization ofa great private enterprise, referred to by Mr, Bruere, is based on the fact that each executive is held respon. sible for his activities, and tho tn- effectiveness of organization of the great municipal enterprse ambraced in the machinery of government of the City of New York traces to the fact that heads of departments are allowed to assume responsibility, ALL AGREE CITY SHOULD CON- not tion from the real issue, which is Rrompt and drastic readjustment of DUCT ITS OWN BUSINESS, taxation. Mr, Bruere's assertion that “release The Evening World in pleased to|from State control” is essential to @ succeasful at aah of the City Government paste cannot be disputed Mr, Brue has fully offering mitted and em ALTERATIONS FREE. Fulton St., Cor. Bridge St. At Subway Station 1329-31 Broadway 4810-12 Fifth Ave. Near Gates Ave. Bet. <sth-aeth Sts. January Clearance Sale---Now! Silk inte ig Formay 15 to $30 Model illustrated is a fine quality satin finish crepede meteor Seaturing long handl chief tunic yu wh finished wil inch fold with silk and dainty shirred belt. The chic bolero waist has two tabs, front and back, which are handsomely Aembellished with silk and metallic thread em- broidery. Inner vestee and col- lar of white crepe de chine prettily finished with self color hemstitch- ing. Smart silk buttons and bell cuffs complete this Lag | dress, in colors of blue, rose, black, navy, green and —_— juary Clearanc Special Purchase Street Dresses Women’s and Misses’ Sizes We were extremely fortunate in being able to sole ws Sor this fits own sale 350 street and afternoon frocks, in a host of vartous styles and materials, including crepe de chines, satins, Georgelte crepes, taffelas and serges, $9.75 Values $15.00 to $20.00 works all week. Crcder one fo-day and prosper. | Could more forcibly illustrate the im Derative need of Control by a elly of; business than the present! acute fax situation in New York, | which the city i# powerless to relieve, under existing conditions, because of legislative restrictions. Mr, Bruere saya that The Evening World, in its effort to instruct and educate taxpayers has failed “to do Justice to the progress already made and has done injustice to effective constructive steps already taken.” By thie he means that The Evening World has criticised certain measures undertaken by the Administration, Mr. Bruere'n personal relations to these measures in very clone and he allows these personal relations to 60 cloud his vision that he falls to dis- cern the logic of the position taken by The Evening World. As to appre- ciation of the meritorious acts of public officials no newspaper has more completely chronicled and up- held the efforts of the present city administration to improve conditions, In ite various activities in the direc- tion of civic betterment—such as, for) instance, It'sgight for relief trom ex- orbitant taxionb rates—The Evening World has been accorded the whole-; hearted support of the admins stration | And it is governed by the frienditest | feelings when it points out the op- portunities the authorities have be- fore them for accomplishing still wreater resulta for the benefit of the} tax-ridden public, 1 44 probably eeoause of seri| Bruere’s dotive part in the creation | of Board of Estimate Bureaus and his personal interest in the members of their staffa that he has allowed himself to take the untenable posi- tion of defending them. The Hoard of Estimate bureaus are indefensible be- cause they owe their origin to the beliaf that publie officials, empowered by law to perform certain functions, | are either dishonest or inefficient, Mr. Bruce aaya that “The Board of Estimate (through these bureaus) han, year after year, with Increased offectiveneas challenged every request of department heads.” HOW GROUP: WORKING AT CROSS PUR ES ARE CREATED. If this statement means anything it means that the department heads, who re required by law to protect the public interests, fal to do #0, The heada of departments would not be} human did t not entertain toward the Board of Estimate the same ing the Board of Estimate entertains toward them, We have, therefore, under this system of government, two official groups, working at cross pur- poses, each group charging the other with responsibility for the failure of any result, the result itself always be- ing @ compromise ‘of personal opinion and not a deliberate conclusion based on fact. Further de'beration should von. \ince Mr. Hruere that his confidence in one:group of men in the adminiay tration who happen to be in close per- @onal relations with him and his Jack of confidence in another group of men In the administration is not a sound basin for organization of aity govern- ment, Board of Estimate bureaus The were created to pans, as a court of lngt resort, upon requests for appropria- tions,, The result was thet the de- partment heads were relieved of rée- sponsibility and should have been re- Iteved of the work. of preparing de- partment plans and estimates, which step would have abolished the posi- tions of all officials engaged in this sort of work in the various depart- ments. If Mf. Bruere will, concen- trate his mind on this question he must reach the conclusion that di- E EVENING WORLD, PS " ® THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1915. 4 about the abandonment of the ot bond issue pian with its heavy inter. est Charges are not entirely im uccord- ance with the £ usitiess in Nhe departent tiv The big Bureau of Audit plivh no more than this... The theor: back of the Buregu of Audits is pla @ Would have siated ¢ ible, but the pi | accurately, pernaps, had bh | many more job the ” of e ol ‘dt @ dev. limit and the good-sense of FINANCIAL, SYSTEM FOUN WANTING IN DOCK DEPT. In preparing his able laudation o lthe City Administration Mr. THE EVENING WORLD'S RETRENCAMENT SUGGESTIONS. Postpone the construction of the Schoharie Exten- sion and combine the Estimate, which saw the | folly of exhausting the city’s borrow- ing capacity, brought about, the change tn Mnancial policy, rather than | activities of the Bureau of Con- with the Department of Water, Gas and Elec- present state of the public Portion of city debt each year and) State Legislature, the substitution of serial bonds for long term bonds with an amortl sinking fund, saves an immensé nm interest payments, but a aving could have been ac- | complished by other methods of fund ing long term bonds. It has bee sugmested that the change of polic: was prompted by the desire of th | Administration to reduce the margin of debt limit #o that the city could continue the financing of the rapid transit and dock improyements. this was not the purpose and result of the conference which brought about | the adoption of the “pay-as-you-go” resolution by the Board of Estimate on Sept. 11, 1914, The Evening World has been misinformed. As to Mr. Bruere's defense of the expensive Bureau of Audite in Department of Finance he atate e for its existence the very ch makes it expensive, tm. cticable and objectionable, ‘“'T' wk is not really checking bills, says Mr. Bi but, involves in- apection of supplies and examir ation of contract work.” Does not this statement show that the bureau exists because of the be- lief in some quarters that employees in the several departments are dis- honest? If they are dishonest the only remedy ia to get rid of them. The p dishonesty Extension, the neo for a bend issue of $20,- partment. hos an appropriation in t 000,000, thereby a budget of 1916 and had none in 190! finance, The Doch Reduce payroll the policy that makes the city co! tribute {n taxes toward the upbuil ing of private enterprise can scarce! be called wis Returning to the public of the Public and have the State pay erformed and awaita action de for the regulative func- be ed by existing conditions, ‘The ping World broader achievements which rema to be accomplished. World has stated more_emphatical than Mr. enormous city debt and the growth work done “ah Board of Bureaus and uncertain language the tyranny the Legislature at Albany, posed on the city close to $14,000.01 wary direct (ax. 480,000 office and save... Consolidate all the soat- debt ‘service and educational cos and direct tax eliminated, the fa atande out that expenses of the approximately $15,000,000 since McClellan Administration, and_ th: Administration was not frugal. Wha tered and overlapping engineering forces of the city at a saving of Merge the Department of Bridges with other city departments, thereby honest subordinates side by side with each subordinate in the several de- partmenta. The expenditure of $200,000 for Comptroller's examiners, inspectors ‘and engineers produces no other re- sult than the ordina process of audit will produce. The investigation of a questionable claim by any Comp- troller and the detection of an of- fender has a wholesome effect on all The and Mr. Rruere in the City Governme responsible for a lar present expense. Overlapping duties should not » The great pay-roll army shou the defec which a 0 expenditure of public mone: jumiified which is not founded facts and data that ave a matter of exact knowledge, Competent officials will gather exactly the same facts for the head of a department as they would for the Board of Hetimate and vice versa. Therefore, The World’s contention that all technical information should be gathered and! }turnished by one oe nization branches of thi r the Board o} ‘or the Borough | re heads of departments: a entirely practi ore importance, it would ty millions of dollars an- lly and the #aving would begin immediately, Mr. Bruere says the Hoard of Eatl- mate bureaus have paid for them- felves a hundredfold. This is a gen- ent, entitled to oonsidera- y Mr, Bruere can show that other officials, doing the same work and given full onsibility, would not have accomplished the same re- sult, It might ald Mr, Bruere to see the question in dts broad aspect if he would pause and consider that everything he says about the justifi- cation of the Board of Estimate bu- reaus could be said, with equal force and truth, in favor of the establish- ment of similar bureaus for the Board of Aldermen, LONG ON ANALYSES, SHORT ON REASONS, FOR ‘PAY-AS-YOU-GO.’ Mr. Bruere'’s analysis of the funda- mental causes of the enormous load of indebtedness ng on the efty ts none too strongly put, and his com- mendation of the current Adminigtra- | tion's ultra conservative polic¥—ax part of It should be eliminated. periments and improvements whic ok to the future for their Franklin Simon 8 Co. Fifth Avenue Special Sale Friday Men’s Cordovan Shoes Of Genuine Mahogany Cordovan Cordovan” Laced “Shoes—the | most practical shoe for ps wear, of mahogany brown Cordovan (horsehidey leather, with thps-of Cordo’ hogany Calf. Core. vain or dovan leather is the best wearing leather used in Men's Shogy, Making this: ie most serviceable shoe, Welted and’ stitched ‘soles, high grade Custom lasts, 5.50 Regular Prices $7.50 and $8.00 Mens Shoe Shop vided responsibility inevitably creates delay, which is invariably expensive, and a duplication of salaries, which {s @ violation of the principles of sound business, } t breasted sli model, bg ‘Scotch mere ‘ao model, of Oxford or 2 Stee Tuxedo Suis consist of Coat, i Mens Clothing Sh Men’s Winter Overcoats Semi-fitted or Slip-on Models—33 to 4 to 44 chest lacy Vicuna; 20.00 Men’s Custom Tailored Suits Newest Imported Fabrice—93 to 46 Chest Regular Prices $35.00 and $40,00 to the finest merchant tailoring, Men's Evening Clothes Full Dress or Tuxedo Suita FOR MEN AND YOUNG MEN, 33 TO HcuEST N rd jew Modale, Custom Tailored, Silk 27.50 Trowurs of Bi Siri compared with other Administrations —ot issuing corporate stock for non- revenue producing improvements, is justified. But Mr. Bruere's explana- tion of the reason@ which brought 4 West 38th St.—Store Floor Franklin Simon s Co. , Fifth Avenue - ra 8 West 38th St.—Store Floor, Men’s Winter Overcoats Fitted, Semi-fitted, Chesterfield or old or Slip-on M Modela Hand Tailored, Silk Lined Overcoats, of Oxford or Black Vicuna, Veloet collar: also Slip-on model of Tweed, Cheviot or Homespun, yoke and sleeves silk lined, self collar. 33 to 46 chest. 30.00 patch pockets, of gray, brown or single breasted semt-form fittt yoke and sleeves silk Th lined, Friday At Special Prices Men’s Hand Tailored Suits Sleeves Silk Lined—-Approved Custom Tailor Models 19,00 Regular Prices $24.50 and $27.50 9.00 These Suits 1. made of Imported Fabrics, purchased from payed three 3 four button models of the newest Invisible the leadin, ish mills, qreuging stripes and the new aids, Overplaids combined with Stripes, ell or Invisitie aids, also Blue Serge; workmanship equal pina jan tan Stripes, Checked Velour, Oxford Vicuna, foun avy Serge, 33 to 46 chest, Men's House Coats Or Smoking Jacketa ble face ¢ laid facings roon or Nay’ With eloth and cord, Sires 30 to wa P ma Spectat 7,50 Men's Bath Robes Blanket Bath Rebe with notch eollar, trimmed with cord, Vert and Trousers? sizes small, lum and large, Special 3.75 olved, | ton. shpyjd “be vabartoned. can accom- lee means only so Bruere | failed to grasp the significance of the mind, Mr. Bruere em- | /n_his propo: phasizes tlie fact that the Dock De- which ¢on- If} siders what has been done as a duty and- is showing larger and The Evening Bruere the effect that the which im- lemenis of growing the administrative Nave increased the Cc ever the excuse or explanation of the Saleen Ne. le able 00 pines ons ot his} increase, the situation must be faced, Fyening World has pointed ou; part of the} -|11 Eggs, 25° the City Government, it extete fe the amount of official routine and red tape it would destroy. if there is any validity in his argu. ments for consolidation of offices per- forming t same dut it applies with full » the consolidation of Board of Estimate Bureaus with those performing imilar duties, If his enum of Weaknesses in the present or ition of the City Gov. ernment is true as to fac then The Evening World's criticism of the 'd of meeting tlie present has found it necessary to de- fend ‘the past. He is inistaken if thinks the public is greatly in ested In ai The: city d mands responsibility and frugality In publice expen cares litte by what met t personnel they a ¢ secured, The Svenivs World takes due note of Mr. Bruere’s assertion that its conclusions are unsound and its facts ir. Bruere, inst of tricity, at @ tract Supervision, Mr, Bruere does| which la not concerned with what has in many particulars, are wrong. Mr Jorganization of the City Government hot tell the whole siory of the adop- been done but is eagerly waiting for Bruere, after more extended thought, |is entirely justified ee aude Mr me tion of the “pay-aa-you-go" policy. |goriething to be done by the City Will probably reverse his judgment Jere merely restated (he same thing Itt» true that the retirement of @| agminiatration as well as by the on this point, for if there is anything Jin another form and with other fllus- ntralization in Unconsciously he emphasizes one of the defects in present administrative Department was; and ought to be self-sustaining, and ¥ FREE Except mail orders sent by express, parcel post in iy of expenses have had upon It has pictured In no of 00 Very Best Creamery Butter . 31° Undoubtedly the best and biggest Creamery Butter value to be had today in America. In the face of an advancing market, we hold the price this week at the sensationally low figure of 3le pound. Why pay more? 18 ot at te ts re x. a Another illustration of our supreme leadership in highest quality at the lowest price. These are the very choicest first quality storage carefully selected by our own buyers from the best of the whole season’s egg production. East View New Laid Eggs ‘Every egg guaranteed strictly fresh. Sold only in 5 1° sealed cartons at from ¢ to 14e a dozen less than the present usual retail price; dozen panei alate Daa ha 69 =| Evaporated | Milk Lakeview Brand—Another striking ex- ample of quality and price supremacy. Rich, nourishing sterilized milk with ALL the cream, in tall 10 cent size cans, each Svery Otter Shows Our Leadership i in Low Prices ‘Marmalade Pink’s Imported; 15° b large stone jar..... Rolled Oats, Fresh from 3 lbs. 10° the mill, Boneless Bacon Finest ‘sugar cured; streaked with lean and ne delicious with eggs for breakfast; in clean parch- ment-paper covers: by the strip or half strip; Ib. tach Grape Frui 9 size, 64 to the box; each, 15° uley, tree-ripen Greenings......++. Cc Talcum Powder, Velveta Brand, box. . Peas, Choice Early — 7; 3 cave 20° Peas rast View Sifted Early Junes, green, 1 O° 9 Oranges, tijucys dor ve Florida Oranges, j:'7. "=| 25° 5 is. J we Bedford Sweet Chocolate, cake ...,.. Bird Gravel, ‘Triumph Bosed big gene. , Pumice Soap, large cAkO. sec. ceeeee, sweet and. tender; can.........006 Florida’s Finest; large 10c 5° Extra large, hoa Baldwins and Apples, Parlor Matches, Large box “Sunrays” Toilet Paper, large roll........... Golden eet Tee BOS New Teas, 3: Breakfast Spa cael Tips, 60 aor Stampe With Each 4 Ib, sie, New Teas, ae B5° rele aay ay ety 35° Coffee, & and Pat rhea ae tae 19° In the bean or polls: ee eee At‘ All 88 James Butler Inc. Meat Markets Legs of Spring Lamb, ‘ii.u, 1.1 '7* Prime Ri 8 of Roas oast B eef, 18° Sirloin Steak, reamed bool teens t Be iy Ib 18° ' . Fresh Fish, jy", Be At All 187 James Butler i iano’ Oo Guinness’s Stout, twits BBO} ate 9 Bass Pale Ale, (x. OL oe Allowance of 100 per donen pentlas and £06 por dosen »pl be 91 1 LOC Stamps wih} Old Cabinet 9 Full Quart Botte Rye Wh: iskey | ; Fuge, Flourand Bugap Veeteer onto en enees AE Blampe Given except sith Hutter,