Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-08-28

adamlZe South Cherry street, and 20 pur-
chase $500 bushels Of broken stones for
Claiborne street. Adopted.
BY Alderman Eakin-ResOlutiOn direct
ing the chairman of the Street Committee
to instruct the street overseer to construct
a small sewer from South Union to High
street. Adopted.
A petition was received from number
Of citizens asking that the smoke stack Of
Dickey's mill be repaired or removed. Re
ferred to a committee with power to act.
The Board then adjourned to meet the
Common Council in convention, to elect
member Of the Board of Education.
Common Council.
The Board of Common Council met in
regular session at : O'Clock las. night, Pres
ident Lindsey in the chair.
The following
MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR
was read:
MAYORS OFFICE, August u, 1SI4-TO
the Hon. City Council of Nashville; Gen
tlemen: The bill passed by your honorable
bodies al the last regular meeting, entitled
San act for the more economical, and bet
ter management of the city workhOuse,' is
now before me for approval or disap
prOyal.
have very carefully examined and stu
died the merits of the bill, and regret to
say, that have wholly failed 10 see in what
way, should the bill become law, it would
be more economical. or save TO the city one
more dollar, than could be saved under tie
present system, with proper management
and dare say, that the reports Of the pre-
sent keeper viii make as fair showing for
u -. L.
First, there is a question of law involved
in the bill, III reference 10 the election, and
time the present keeper and his assistant
were elected for. They were elected for
one year, beginning on the first day Of De-
eember last, and hence their term Of office
will expire on the first Of the coming De
eember, leaving some two months OF their
time vet unexpired. The keeper gets 81, 900
dollars salary per year, or SS3.33a per
month; the assistant keeper receives SIS
per month, the night watchman $50, and
the two guards each get so per month.
The day guards may be dispensed with
at anv time the Committee on WOrkhOuse
NAV deem it expedient and necessary to do
so, but the keeper and his assistant, having
I been elected for twelve months, and having
| given bonds for the faithful discharge Of
their duties, they certainly, by law, would
| be entitled TO their monthly salaries from
the corporation for the yet remaining two
months Of their term Of office, which would
amount in the aggregate to some $50.
The second section Of the bill reads as
| follows: "All the duties Of the wOrkhOuse
keeper shall devOlye upon the Captain Of
! Police, and all the duties Of the assistant
keeper and guards shall be performed by
| members of the police force, under the con-
! troll and supervision of the Captain -Of PO-
lice, detailed from time TO time for that
purpose"
Now / presume that it is we'll known,
and will be admitted rs true by every
one who has any knowledge Ofwhaf consti-
tutes the duties Of Workhouse keeper, thas
should the Captain Of Police, take charge
of the wOrkhOuse, his entire time viii be
occupied with such duties. If this be true,
some other man on the police force viii
necessarily have to be elected or detailed
| TO act, and perform the duties now incuIn-
bent on the CAPTAIN. There are regularly
established rules governing the whole pO-
lice force, and by other rules to govern the
| Captain Of the force, it IS made his impe-
rative duty TO watch and look after the men
under Lis charge both day and night to see
that every man is in his proper place, and
is doing his duty.
Then how eau the Captain do and per
form his duty as laid down in the regula-
tions, and also perform the duties Of work
house keeper, when it would require bis
time at the wOrkhOuSe?
Although some months since the force
was increased eight additional men, YET
the number of men are inadequate TO the
size of the city, and the amount of space
and territory which they have 10 guard and
protect, and when YOU stop TO think OF
the number Of fires that have re
Gently occurred, and, in num-
ber of instances, from all the fac,s
and circumstances, surrounding several o.
said cases. there can be no question but
what some of them were the work of in
cendiaries. This is a strong fact to show
that the force is all needed to watch AM
j protect the lives and property OF our eiti
zens.
Should the bill become a law, its ten
dency will be, TO some extent, 10 demOral
ize the good and efficient force we nov
have. and also il will be diverting the pub
? lie force directly from the purpose an'
I channel for which il was intended, tO-wit
{ To preserve order, and guard and prOtee
, the property of the city, and the lives OF tn
: people.
5 Now let us see how the matter of econ
!, | Omy (aS is claimed) comes in. To star
! | with, the city will have TO pay for the un
4 | expired term. (SeyeTal hundred dOllars) q
d the present officers Of the wOrkhOuse
: | should they be OuSted. Then the captail
4 gets one hundred dollars per month, o
. twelve hundred per year, as against tn
| keepers salary OF one thousand dollars pc
wear: and in the absence Of the captai
> from the wOrShOuse going home to M
: meals, and the necessary time allowed hi1
I for rest and sleeping, anOthe
/ policeman would have to be detailed L
J, take his place. Then in the event tina
= the prisoners are worked inside OF tn
prison. another man would have 10 be dc
tailed 10 watch and make them work, a
the guardsmen do; and should they b
= worked on the streets-Owing sometimes
: their number-it would require two me
to guard them. Here, then, wOuld be froI
: two to three men detailed in and about th
workhouse all the year. One CheiCaptain
y at 500 per month, and two at S75 pC
I month-making total Of S3,OcO.
d Another objection to the passage Of th
c bill is the removal Of the police force froI
s the public square, or central place, to a
y out-Ofthe-way place; so, in case Of troubl
or serious difficulty, upon the alarm be
8 being sounded, the place can be reached
r the shortest space Of time and, besides
should a citizen OF stranger in the city nee
the aid Of the police, they are Of easy a
~ cess on the square. Again, if moved to Il
. workhOuse, the city will be put to the e.
n pense Of buying a large signal bell, as
m win be impossible for the police 10 do wit
10 the same.
e But some one suggests that the bell no
J. nsel can still be used. That, possibi
b. could be done by detailing Al
Is other man to stay about the squal
u to watch and tap the bell when neeessar
o and at a salary Of So per month, which
.y in offices alone TO run the workhouse-
.y would cost the city the neat little sum
$500. As before stated, don't see b'
what the expenses 50 far Of this munieiP
ee wear are as light as any previous year.
N In conclusion, l would suggest 20 u
ne Honorable Council, why nOt-as the pre-
Id ent officers are entitled by law to each
II their salaries until the first Of December
ne let them remain until their time shall ha'
ee expired? And If it is believed to be prop
nj and wise to abolish the present system
d conducting the wOrkhOuse, then the ne
and incoming new Boards can pass law
Is | that effect ard before the time arrives I