Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-08-18
SALARIES AND EXPENSE.
4 Little Talk in Which Tag Payers are
Interested.

The EAGLE objected year ago to Wichita
being organized as a city Of the irst-clas on
the sole ground OF extra expense and extra
taxes. with no better government We now
call the attention Of the taxpayers to the ac-
ton of the city council night before last look
ing to an increase Of expenses for simple
salaries alone to the amount OF thousands of
dollars. Four officers are to get one thou
ssnd dollars each with the members of the
city council yet to be provided for The peo-
pie of this city want the streets
and cutters cleaned up a great deal
worse than they want any mere expensive
show. With the present unhealthy weather
the taxpayer will favor thousands for health
but not a cent for salaries, except for such
officers whose whole time is taken mp in the
discharge of their official duties.
Notice is here and now given that if the
salary bill proposed night before lasti adopt
ed. that ticket will be advocated next
spring made up of influential bust
ness and heavy tax payers, who
will agree to serve the city for
nothing-not for nothing either for the
prosperity of the city means heprosperity of
every individual business man. and of every
taxpayer. Wichita is not ready yet to pay
fifteen or twenty thousand per annum to
men for filing positions, the work pertaining
to which is not more than any public spirited
man would be entirely willing to do for
nothing Wichita wants no noD-taxpayars
sitting around figuring up how much
the property owners shall pay for
this and for that There has been
to much Of this kind OF politics already A
big taxpayer, who is at the same time a
level headed business man, and by the dozen,
can be found who viii serve this city as
mayor for nothing and take no account of
the few nights in each year that he deyotes
TO the city's ard TO his own interest. A doz-
en- big taxpayers can be found in each ward
who will serve as counciimen, their only pay
the chance to officially conserve the best
interests the city, and therefore their own
interests Who don't know thai such men as
Aldricil, Carey, Healy, Allen ct al. would SO
serve the city solely from q selfish stand
point if not for patriotism OF the honor of
the thing. VI course they Woulc. ruItnei'
we don't believe that the city engineer, treas
urer and attorney of the city earn any such
amounts as was proposed. Pay them noini-
nal ralaries and then good pay additional
for all work actually performed.
In other words. and in short, the tax
payers OF this city don't like and won't en-
dorse any high salary scheme, nor do
they endorse the movement which
looks TO it, and if the thing
is urged. as we intimated. a ticket viii be
gotten up of solid business men, pledged to
DO the same work and in As acceptable man
ner, for nothing, and the EAGLE viii be for
that ticket and so will be the men who have
to foot the bills
Now we are not conscious OF personal
crankisln, don't believe that we are particu-
larlv narrow as TO these matters, and would
not be called small when it cones to Inuni-
cipal matters, but we do want above all
things to see taxes kept down, as low taxes is
the winning card for Wichita