St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-01
DISCRIMINATION CHARGED.
City Employees Complain About the
Way Salaries Were Handled.

way Salaries w ere Handled.
The action of the council committee
on salaries, which action was confirmed
by the council, opened up large, bub-
bling, seething well of dissatisfaction In
some of the city departments. The dis
satisfaction is not due entirely to the
that some salaries were raised, while
others, which, in justice, should have
been raised, were left at the old figure.
1t is discrimination. or what the parties
interested believe to be discrimination,
which is responsible for the howl that
now floats above the city hall,
The employees who seem to have most
reason for complaint are those who
work in the health department. 1t is
obvious that in some lines OF work in
the health department men of expert
ence are worth vastly more than new
appointees. Take, for instance. the case
OF the man who looks after glandered
horses. The inspector who has been
doing that work for two years or more
is man who understands the business.
He knows when he examines a case
supposed to be CHAMBERS whether it
really is CHAMBERS or something else. He
doesn't have to call in veterinary sur
ge0n at the city's expense to determine
whether the animal should be shot.
Then his work is dangerous, and he
should receive extra compensation for
that. Under the action of the COM
mttee and the council that man
receives no more pay than an inspector
who has never done anything but
pile wood, and who doesn't know q
case of CHAMBERS from an Alpine sun
rise. The same is true of the men who
do the dlsinfectlng after contagious dis
eases. A man who has been doing THAI
kind of work right along will go about
his work prepared to do the right thing
at the right time. a new man, under
the same circumstances, might ruin
hOuseful Of valuable furniture, carpets
and paintings. The city would have to
stand the loss. Yet the tyro gets as
much money as the experienced worker.
Even in the police department, length
of service and experience has
bearing upon the salary of the men.
To most people it would seem
among men who handle dangerous
cases of disease, etc, would be no more
than plain justice. The same can be
said of the office employees in the health
department. The two persons there
employed are experienced and know
how to do the greatest amount of work
in the best manner. 1t is idle to say
that they are not worth more money
than new hands at the business would
be. Then the Office work is largely in
creased by the addition of the vital
statistics records, until now kept in the
Office of the city clerk. Yet this addi-
tional work brings with it no common
Surate increase in salary.
How different is the situation in the
city clerks office. There the volume of
work has been lessened, yet salaries
have been increased all around. The
city clerks stenographer receives under.
the new arrangement $500 per year.
The health commissioner Stenographer
receives but 5000 per year, and has, in
addition to secretarial duties, to look
after the records of the Office, make out
permits of all kinds, and do dozen
other things. That is the difference.
The council and the salaries committee
should be praised for their economy, but
many people are inclined to believe that
they would be more highly regarded were
they less lavish of discrimination. The
kicking is not being done by the health
department employees alone. Their
complaints are here given more promi-
nence because there seems most Justice
in them. UnmistakabIe condemnation
Of Aid. Schwartz is mingled with the
objections of the sanitary workers. 1t
is urged that he, having worked in the
health department, should be ashamed
to oppose the elevation of salaries there.
His former co-workers do not think that
he acted fairly in the matter, since to
their untiring efforts was his election
largely due.