Vicksburg weekly herald., 1870-05-14
THE CITY GOVERNMENT,

1 =
! Collector is worth about $4,000 ;
year; and the Office Of Wharf anC
Harbor Master is worth to it
incumbent from $4,000 to s., ,0Ot
IA year; the office of City Marsha
is equivalent to u salary of $4,000
Here are three city officials Of on
tax-overburdened town receivin.
in the aggregate about seventeen
thousand dollars, or us much n
seven mayors would receive. The
pay Of these officers is excessive
for a city Of our size and wealth
1t is an extortion practiced upoE
the people. Must the people sil
By and see these officials fatten
ing upon the city's life-bloOd, and
be compelled to stint themselves
and their families, that these pam
pered oilicehOlders may riot and
revel in luxury and case? We in.
sist, in the peoples name, that tn,
pay of these offices shall be re-
duced. 1t is far beyond the re.
quirements Of liberality and jus.
tice.
We will not stop to question
whether the duties of their offices
or of any Of them, are heavy and
responsible; We say if those du.
ties consume all the time except
that for eating and sleeping, and
then cncroach upon that. the pay
is too large.
li'thesc PRESENT. incumhen,s don't
want TO hold the offices Tor q less
pay, we will engage to find fifty
suitable, competent and willing
candidates, men Of integrity and
worth, for each one Of them, al
less than one half the present re
enumeration. Twenty-Five hundred
dollars Is liberal reward for the
services Of the Assessor and Col.
lectOr and the Wharf and Harbor
Master, and fifteen hundred enough
for the City Marshal, who has
charge Of police force OF eigh.
teen men. Here are ten thousand
dollars saved in one year, and
in a few years the amount saved
from these offices would be
sufficient to pave our streets.
build line new Market Houses and
City Halls, or build railroad
almost to Yazoo City. No won
der our people groan under taxa
tion when their means are squan-
dered 50. Communities never COM
plain OF taxation when they can
see the good results of the wise
use of their monies.
Where are the thousands upon
thousands, TO the amount of up.
wards Of half q million dollars
which our people have paid into
the city treasury since the war +?
Point us to its benefcent effect
upon eur city in the shape Of use
ful public Improvements 1t has
gone to pay salaries and perqui-
sites Of office. 1t is useless now
10 atilx any salaries to offices be-
cause such salaries would not pay
the interest Of the perquisites
hereof.
Why is the office Of Councilman
so eagerly and untiringly sought
,lter that a foreigner will even
axe the oath of office in order to
III it?
Councilmen receive 10 pay
hen wherein and how are they
'emunerated2 Perhaps not at all;
perhaps they don't receive any
,ecuniary advantage from the
,filce,
Perhaps not: but We cannot
make that belief lay upon our
stomach. Then, where does their
remuneration come from? The
reply may well be imagined!
We call for reform in the ex-
of the city, especially
in the way Of perquisites.
Wesay, give to these officers
fixed salaries, and have all per
quisites paid into the city treas
ury. r1i scFa y.tt.f "
This Is right. this Il just, this
IS feiF to the o@csholders aaa 70
the people. a gs