Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-06-02
F0ElcEMEN's PAY.


SALARIES.
A meeting of tho finance COMMITTEES of
city councils was held last evening, and .
largo number of bills presented to them
Wero audited and approved.
Bills for the salaries Of the city police
men for the month Of May were presented
and the COMMITTEES. acting under the advice
of City Solicitor johnson, refused to pay
the bills, on the ground thai tbs increase
of pay made to policemen by resolution,
at the meeting of councils in September
last, was not made in legal form. Ever
since the passage of the above resolution,
Mr.. Evans, of the finance committee has
maintained that the increase OF pay was
illegal. The matter was referred to City
Solicitor Lands, who gave an opinion that
the increase of pay was legal, and the po-
licemen were regularly paid up to the
present time, majority of tre finance
committee approving the bills, and MIR.
Evans dissenting.
Councils reorganized in April and new
finance committee was appointed and J.
w. johnson, esq.,, was elected city solici-
tor. Mr.. Evans continued his opposition
to the payment of tho police bills, and
secured an opinion from the city solicitor
to the effect that the resolution increasing
the pay was invalid. At the meeting last
evening when the bills came up for ap
proval, Mr.. Evans and Mr.. McLaug ghlin de-
clined TO vote, and Mr.. Wolf and Mr.. Nc
Killips voted to pass them thence the
bills failed for want Of sufficient number
of votes.
The policemen have employed counsel to
prosecute their claim and the case will
probably be speedily carried into and de-
cided by the courts.
The ordinances aud resolutions of
council relative to police affairs appear to
be q little mixed. Tho ordinances, in.
creasing the police force to nineteen men,
bers and fixing their pay was passed Dec.
3, 1873, and one of its sections gives
councils the power to increase or diminish
their number and amount of their salaries
by resolution. Acting under the authority
thus given, at q meeting of councils held
March 6, 1878, Mr.. Evans, of select coun.
Gil, offered the following resolution,
which was adopted and concurred in by
common council
Resolued, That from and after the 1st
day of June, 1873, the police of the city OF
Lancaster shall be paid $50 per month
each one of said number to act rs cap
tain of police aud receive $40 per month. "
| MdyOT N1dCOOulSlc FcIooO tuo dOoSo
resolution. but it was held by Mr. Evans,
Mr.. Eberly and others, that the veto came
too late, and that the number and pay of
tho officers were legally reduced.
When the time arrived at which tn
above resolution was to take effect, coun-
ellis, at the June meeting of 1878 repealed
it, and the number Of policemen remained
at 10 and their pay at $40 per month as
heretofore, until September 1882 when
the pay was increased by resolution to $50
per month, which has been regularly paid
up to the last meeting of the comnaittee
held last evening, when it failed to pass as
above stated.
Mr.. Evans appears to be on tho record
on both sides of the question, and the
learned city solicitors differ widely in tbeil
Interpretation of the law. Perhaps the
honorable court may be more fortunate
when the case comes before it, and bt
unanimous for once" in giving Il:
opinion on the questions involved.