Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-01-26
CITY COUNCIL,
i REGULAR semi I2onthiy meeting cf nc City
J2rc coil, was kylG last night.

BEARD OF ALDERMEN.
ho Board Of Aldermen WIS called to order
at 7:45. with sl the members present, end
largo 1umter Of spectators outside tho bar.
Alter the reading Of the minutes,
Mr. Ksheill requested that tho report of the
Committee On Public Property ia regard to tho
erection OF r new engine house for tho Colum.
his Steam Eagiao Company be recalled from the
Common Council, which request was granted.
Co. Reid said that his attention had been
cIlcd to tho feet. that petition from tho
Alexandria Reform Club. asking exemption
from payment oil gas used i their hall, had
been presented to Council and never acted
upon. Ito remembered tho petition had been
been referred to tho Committee on Light, end
| that Committee had failed through aomo over
sight to report upon it, lilo moved that tho
| Club be allowed the use OF gas fIce tor tho past
| and ensuing q larrr.
Mr.. Rshelli said that he vas not nreperea 10
| vote on tho motion until ho received somo fur
thcr Information on tho sutj:ot, aud fer that
reason he desired to have tho matter 70 com.
nittcd to tho Committee on Light, to be ropo..
It'd upon By them.
| Tho matter was so referred,
Col. Reid ssid thoro wss another, somo.
what .llcatc question, ho desired to bripg b.
lore tho Council, nud that was q request of the
Alexandria Light Infantry Building Company
10 90 relieved from tho paymant for tho gss
used curing tho recent entertainments given at
| their hall Tor the benefit OF tho Company and
| tho poor of the city. Tho Company, by pro
| Vous resolution, had been granted tho free use
] OF gss when the hall was used fer thcr Own
purposes. but were required 10 pay for tho ges
| used ct pubic entertainments. lie understood
| the members regarded tho ato entertainments
for tho benefit OF the company, as tho proceeds
Wero 10 70 towards the liquidation of tho debt
| on tho building. snd Woro under tho impression
that there Was to be 20 charge for tho gas used
| 1t Tns ono ct those questions, no thought, tho
| committee hsd 20 right to &C! upon without tho
consent of council.
Mr.. Risheill sad no was opposed to giving
gas free TO any OF tho different public ios,itu-
llops. tut was 10 favor of donating O CERTAIN
| amount OF money to each ono OF them, aud thon
requiring rayLnoot Tor tho gas usol by thom.
Co. Roid said as tho company had COMO into
tho cptcrpriHo With tho understanding tina.
! they would not bn required to pay for tho COS
| used, hA was 10 tsVcr OF relieving them this
! time. lilo was sure no member Of tho Board
would wish tho company to nay for tho gas used
ct tho entertainment Givcn iur tho benefit OF
| tho poor.
Mr.. Strauss said, ca TITO organic it0n OF the
| COMPANY he introduced tho resolution grant
log thctn tho free use Of tho gas, and ho wac
| Eli OF ihn Same mind, but no Vas opcoscl 10
giving them Gaq Tree for public entertainments,
| other than thoRo given for Tho bcncit OF :ho
poor.
Col. Iicld offered resolution relieving tho
| company from tho payment for gaa nssed 1T q c
! rec mt entertainments
Nh. Klshalll Offered al q substitute, q rcsclu-
| ton, appropriating $50 70. tho Alexandra
Light lntanly, and $25 for the Reform Club,
| and providing that no exemption from tho pay
mcnt t"r Gna used should DO hl!tWh .cr ono
Ioar.
After Scrlo further debate tho whole matter
| was referred 10 tho Committee on lI;rht.
An act Increasing tho pay of tho poco force,
! TO SI2O tor tho Captain, $3.50 for Tho Litulrn.
ant. a1d SOOO Tor tho prlVates. o0mng ID from
tho Common Council.
Col. Reid said that all the officers wcro scrv-
lng at reduced salary, aud he thought il would
b. utiust 0 incroaso tho pay of ono clans # c,a
ployecs and allow tho pay Of ot!.cre, cu.alIy rs
| worthy, to ROMAN at tho reduced rutr. At q
previous meeting he showed tho. tho SupariD-
leDdcns OF GNI, outside of his cammiss ions, $500
Cd collections, received only 500 for tho
responsible duy OF taking care OF the gss works,
| and asked that his salary BIO Increased, hut the
Common Council killed tho resolution. Iicwas
uuWllilug TO vote to raiso tho pay CT sny officer
unless this officer II ived 40 lncroaso also, lilo
did not think tho taxpayers Eero ready 10 saoo-
too any taoVo towards al inctcaSo of ssurica.
q prominent citizen and taxpayer had t0ld him
thht II any OF tho police wished to retire, their
places could bo filled By men who wnro anxious
to serve Tor tho rey now received. lilo Was
aware that no WIS vas taking on unpopular
stand, out he was there to do his d0t?, lot tho
coDstque1oas bo what they may. lle kuow tho
policemen, as well az other officers of tho CDR.
poratloo. wore poorly paid and ho would BIO
glad to give them an incraaso, but he did net
see how 1t could bo dono at present. If the bill
was to pass no would like to SIC the salary of
tho superintendent OF gas Increased 25 Dor cont,
and offered On amendment TO tho bill TO that
effect.
Mr.. j. l.. Snoos Was surprised at tho bill,
Increasing as 1t did, tho salary Of tho police
mon 500 moro than it over was. Everybody
10 tho city know his position on tho question.
lilo hsd always takou tho ground that they
should pay as they go; that they should make
the revenues pay the expenses of tho corporation
without mourning debt. and this could not be
douo, II the salaries wcro to DO Increased ia this
Wholesale WY. When tho salaries wcro re-.
duocd it Was not with d siro to mako them
too low to live 90; tho reduction was o matter
OF necessity; they either had to reduce, or 10.
crease taxation. Where was tho money to come
from TO pay these increased salaries somo
people did not think Of this question. Ho
granted that tho officers wcro poorly paid in
comparison to those of other citicss, which could
afford to pay high salaries; but this city cauld
not afford to follow them iu that direction The
Auditor and Treasurer were the poorest paid
officers 10 tho corporation. lilo would not hosi.
tate to Increase tho salaries if ho could SEQ how
they were to pay them; it was only within tho
past year that the policemen had received thoir
rey regularly, now this wss changed they
simply had to present tbcir checks and thcy
were Dashed. lie was not prepared to vote
upon the question now, but if at the oDd of this
fiscal year things came out as he expected, ho
would rot say that he would not volo to pus
tho salaries of tho policemen back to what they
wcrc previous to tho Reduction. All other off,