The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-03-26
FROM OUR KNOXVILLE COR
RESPONDENT.
SOME BONES OF THE CITY ooUNoII.

To the Editor of the MorristOwn Gazette:
There is this difference between our
board of mayor and aldermen and our
Legislators, the former raised their sal
aries; the latter did not. Last year the
mayor received five hundred dollars
This year it was gently put up to one
thousand, as an indication of better
times and the existence of more money
at recent meeting of the board, alder
man McAftry moved the re-considera-
ton of the vote whereby the mayors
! salary was increased. This was prompt
| ly declared out of order by the mayor,
whereupon the editor of the CtYpnicIe
took him to task and suggested he had
acted in bad taste and had not gained
many admirers by his course. This
didn't please the mayor bit. He wait
ed politely on the editor and politely in
sisted that he set him right on this deli
cate subject. His honor contended, like
little man, that he was, in the ruling
he made, not out of the line of prece-
| dent. The editor did make some ex-
plantations next morning, but no addi-
tiOnal light was thrown upon the sub
ject, so far as could determine. The
mayor is not yet exhonerated from the
suspicion that he connived at the move
ment to raise his salary and offered no
objections to it. Who can blame himP
Isn't one thousand dollars better than
| five hundred? His honor showed his
good sense, if not his sense of propriety
and sound discretion. That was a very
proper ruling, Iwould make it all the
time.
SOME FOLKS AsToNIsHED.
However some folks hereabouts are
somewhat astonished at our mayor in
accepting an increased salary, inasmuch
as he had announced in his inaugural
that such was the depleted condition Of
the city treasury that one of two things
would have to be done, either to curtail
expenditures or raise the taxes. The
| taxpayers, from this announcement,
had reason to suppose he would carry
from further taxation. How, it would
be pertinent to enquire, did he propose
to cut down expenses? Did he propose
to reduce the working force on the
streets and to pay lower wages to them
employedP All this might be done-it
is not for me to say-but if done, why
should he not set the example first of
reducing his own pay9 Why raise his
own salary five hundreddollars and pro-
| coed to cut down the wages of the la
borers on our streets? When he tells
US, officially, that either the expendi-
lures had to be curtailed or the taxes
raised, as faithful officer of the city
government it would have been his duty
to have spurned the preferred increase
of his salary, especially when it is known
that he devotes but little of his time and
attention to the affairs of the corpora
ton. 1t will be seen, however, that the
mayor and his board were 'smart"
enough "to feather their own nests"
whether anybody feathered theirs or
not. How they can have the conscience
to raise their own pay and reduce the
pay of their common laborers, is a mat
ter, presume, will be disposed of in
the next municipal contest.
CLOTHING FOR THE POLICEMEN.
More expenditures proposed by our
city fathers. At their last meeting a
-.z.I.,4.... -,,o, .fForod 20 f,,rr;sT, tho M
Iicemen with new suits of clothes, which
was referred to a committee. What
that committee will do, few days will
determine.
The doubling of the mayors salary,
paying the aldermen three dollars a
night each and furnishing the policemen
with new suits of clothes, looks like we
are going to have our taxes raised. The
clothes, it is said, will cost about $500.
Add this amount to the $500, the in
creased salary of the mayor, and we
have the sum total of $500 which was
not anticipated and which must be pro-
Yided for.
OUR FAITHFUL FIREMEN.
If the board of aldermen are disposed
to be so liberal in providing for them
selves, they might afford to compensate,
in some way, our faithful firemen for
the gratuitous services they are render
ing our property owners in guarding
their property against the ravages of
fire. They can be aroused at midnight
aud fight the fire fiend till the ''break of
day" and get nothing for it, while the
mayor gets about forty dollars for each
night he throws himself back in his
"easy chair" and presides over his coun-
ell, and while each alderman receives
three dollars each night for remaining
in the city hall two or three hours !
Chow is this for high?" Amt il tall?
They can take care of themselves, but
the poor firemen, who undergo the Sc
verest fatigue and carry their lives in
their hands, Juggling and toiling through
summer and winter to protect our prop
erty, are put off with handsome card
in our morning papers thanking them
for their kind and efficient services ! |
Has our mayor and board of aldermen |
no bowels of compassiOn? Will they |
spread repast and then eat it all them
selves? Come, gentlemen, this is too |
bad. KNOXVILLE.
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PERSONAL.