The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-01-03


I would ike to call your attention, but
this communication is already SO long
that / shall leave them until some subse-
quent meeting Of the council.
Respectfully Submitted,
r.. w. HARRISON, Mayor.
The communication was ordered placed
on iIe.
The. mayor then presented and read
to the council his message vetoing the
ordinance passed by the council Dec D,
1898. being sAn ordinance fixing the
salaries and compensation of city officers
and employees and repeating ordinances
No. 1866 and 1856" as follows:
Gentlemen Of the Council.
II very much regret that among my
first official acts as mayor should be that
Of disappearing the action Of the council
HE veto power should be seldom used,
and only in the exercise of the most con-
scientlous official duty. But l cannot
give my assent to the ordinance passed
by the council OF December -, 1893, fix
ing the salaries Of the city officers and
employees, nor to the motion which was
used in its preparation. The history Of
shat measure, us l am informed, and
which is now no secret, IS that some of
the cOuncilmen, whose names 1 forbear
to give, quietly called a secret session of
nine mem bers of the council. from which
the other members, the city clerk and all
other persons were studiously excluded.
doors We're closed. a presiding officer and
secretary were elected, the provisions of
this ordinance adopted, the secre-
tary Instructed to report 1t to
the council and a solemn pledge Of
secrecy taken with the uplifted right
hand to stand by the decision OF
majority vote of that meeting. On many
Of its most important provisions these
members were divided. four to five On
final vote in the council 1t received the
support Of the entire nine, which shows
that the honest convictions Of some of
them were overcome by the pledge in
that secret meeting.
~Permit me to suggest and I do it in
all kindness, that this IS not the proper
way To transact public business of this
kind. Barred doors. and grips and passes
ana iron-clad pledges, and secret meet
ings in out Of the way places may be All
right in the social lodge rooms, but they
have no place ia the legislative business
Of the city council The humblest per
son IN the city has the undeniable right
to know At ali times what the city cOun-
Gil il doing and to ask for or protest
against any cOnte mplated action if he So
desires. And while I shall have the hon
this city, the people are cordially invited
and viii be heartily welcome to attend
and listen TO the deliberations Of this
honorable body.
Nor are the provisions Of this ordi-
nance free from objection. 1t is based
upon the theory Of giving large salaries
to a few officers, thereby impoyeristing
the city funds and leaving that much
less to pay common labOrers for city
work 1t tends to make the few opu-
lent and to impoverish the many. That
theory would lead to an army Of officers
with no privates to work under them,
and hence nothing for the officers to do
but draw their salaries. 1t is far better
for the city that as many as possible Of
the labOrIng people should be kept en-
plOyed. even III we have to get along
with moderately paid officials rather
than that the officers should be per
mitted to absorb the bulk Of the city
funds and the laborers be left to go with
out work
The city funds are limited by law
We must not allow any floating debt for
city expenses. 1T is far better to dis
tribute the money by the employment Of
many who depend upon manual labor
for the support of their families than tO
allow it to be drawn by few whose tai
ents and experience may com
mand for their valuable ser
vices more than the city can
afford to pay. There is no use OF being
sentimental upon this subject. The
cold facts confront us. We are sworn
officers whose duty it is to look after the
best interests of the city and the welfare
Of all its people. 1t Is moi question Of
how much a mans services may be worth
to himself or other parties, nor how
have cost him, but how much the city
can afford to pay and get that service
which the public interests require. This
ordinance Is drifting back towards the
same old rut which for years created a
floating debt and gave to the cltys en-
ployes but IS cents on the dollar for the
script they received and were obliged To
SELL while the profits from that shave went
into the pockets Of money-lenders, to the
detriment and loss Of the city and those
who Iabored for It, The officers, no
doubt are s0licitOus for their
personal interests and can readily
reach the ears of the council
mon Iaborers Who are entitled to consid-
GRAFTON and employment by the city have
only to wait and accept whatever pittance
may be left over for them. / beg to sug-
gest shat before So important ala ordi-
nance rs this should be secretly or hasti-
Isl rushed through TO become law, that
careful, buslness-like estimate should be
made of how many laborers should be
given employment during the year, how
much would be necessary for running
each department Of the city service, and
then let the salaries Of officials be in
1uenced By the funds that could be used
for such purposes and the services they
first arbitrarily fix the salaries to be paid
and then guage the number Of iaborers I
fO be employed by the amount of avail
able funds that may be left over.
This ordinance would absorb in fixed
salaries about $4,000 for the year. The
police and commissioners OF elections
departments viii require $4,000 10 SIS
600 more The expenditures for bridges /
buildings. repairs, machinery apparatus I
vapor lights. etc. not otherwise i'm
Guided, and based on an average for the
past three years. viii require $4,000
75.7 4f..