St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-25
HEALTH BOARD DIFFERENCE.
Another Little Breeze Between
Members of That Body.

Although quietness pervaGed nearly
all corners of the city hall yesterday,
the board of health managed to create
a little breeze at its meeting. The con-
troversy came up over the monthly pay
roll and discrepancy between il and the
salary list prepared by the committee
on salaries ana adopted by the council
The pay roll as made out included
seven sanitary inspectors at $685. per
month, at the rate of $1,000 per year.
Now the salaries committees list, as
adopted by the council provided that
six sanitary inspectors should receive
81 900 per year. and that one man, COM
bining the duties OF sanitary inspector
and chief clerk, be paid but 5000 per
year. Where the designation of this
chief clerk comes from no one seems to
know. In order to explain the "scrap"
which followed the presentation of this
pay roll, it is necessary to go back a
little.
Shortly after DR.. f. S. Kelley assumed
charge of the health Office he submitted
list Of his appointments to the coun-
Gil, and that list comprised seven SAM
tary inspectors, three medical inspect
Ors and one registrar, no more. The
appointments were confirmed. Then
the salaries committee prepared its lit
tie list, and in that only six sanitary in
spectOrs figured, at a salary of ZOO per
year each, while the seventh man was
called sanitary inspector and chief
clerk certainly not DR.. Kelley. Had
the salaries committee any right to APP
point chief clerk? Not that any one
ever heard of. Why was this So called
sanitary Inspector and chief clerk paid
but 5000 per year, when the other in-
spectors were paid $1,000? That, too, is
a mystery. But that is not all. f. q.
O'DOnnell was designated as chief
clerk Mr.. O'Donnell has been for over
two years in the emplOye of the health
department, and is one of its most COM
petent and trusted employees. Why was
he named as chief clerk at salary be-
low That of other inspectors? Why was
discrimination used against him, and in
favor of new men?
Those were some of the questions
raised by Aid. BraZie yesterday when
this salary question came up. He was
willing to make oath that the original
report of the salaries committee showed
no such discrimination. Some one was
trying to do Mr.. O'DOnnell an injustice.
He limited pretty strongly that Aid.
Schwartz was at the bottom Of it. He
raised his voice in emphatic protest
against such contemplate action as dis
eliminating against one employe, and
an old and faithful one at that Schwartz
said little. The only thing that could
be done under the circumstances was to
cut Mr.. O'DonneiPs months pay from
SS311S to SIS to make it conform to the
pay roll adopted by the council. The
salaries committee will doubtless be
asked to remedy the omission. 1t seems
peculiar that Mr.. O'Donnell should have
been arbitrarily designated as chief
clerk and made to suffer the discrimin-
alton when no one had any authority to
appoint a chief clerk.
Aid. BraZie moved that change be
made in the management of the quar-
antine hospital. and it looked as if there
would be another fight. Brazie wanted
the change made the first of the month.
He had man who would be an excel
lent manager of the hospital. But Aid.
Gray objected to such quick action, be-
cause ne wouldn't nave time to look up
the new mall's record. Action was de-
ferred. Bills were audited and the COM
mittee adjourned.