St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-06-08
CITY OFFICIALS NOT AT ALL DIS.
POSED TO SURRENDER
SALARY,
UNLESS THE LAW C0MPELs
AMOUNTS FIXED BY THE STAT
UTE HELD TO BE BEYOND
REACH.
POWER OF COUNCIL DOUBTED
Mayor Smith Said to BE in a
Proper Mood to Use His
Veto.

If one of the four city officials whose
yearly labors net them $4,000 declines
to accept $500 as his annual COM
pensation, the resolution of the COM
mon council purporting to reduce those
salaries will become SO much waste
paper.
At this writing it looks as though
more than one of these four officials
would refuse to accept the terms of
the resolution. In fact, as one OF
the officials remarked to G o b
reporter yesterday, it would be sur
prising if a single one of them should
acquiesce in the reduction. Three OF
these officials were interviewed by
the Globe yesterday. They de-
clined to talk for publication, but con-
fidentially expressed their opinions or
the resolution. They appeared to en-
tertain no doubt of the illegality of the
measure in so far as it purports to re-
duce or in any way affect the sal
aries that are fixed by legislative en-
actment. This view is indorsed not
only by the legal department of the
city, but by disinterested lawyers OF
high repute.
1t being generally conceded that
the salaries fixed by law cannot be
changed by the common council, and
that the resolution is therefore of abso-
lutely no effect, the officials protected
by the law, and especially those VINO
consider that it unjuStly discrimlnateS
against them, are disposed to ignore 1t.
For instance, the judges Of the munlc-
ipal court, whose salaries are reduced
from $4, 900 to 81, 800, feel that they have
been unjustly treated, and are not in
clined to accept a reduction that they
are not legally compelled to submit to.
The same may be said of the clerk of
that court, who feels that reduction
of 40 per cent in the salary of that Of
flee is excessive. So with the salary
of the superintendent of the work
house. which is fixed by the workhouse
board, and which the council has no
authority to reduce. This salary,
amounting to $500, is reduced to $1,000,
a. cut of nearly 43 per cent.
SMITH MAY VETO 1T.
Should Mayor Smith sign this resolu-
ton, which is extremely doubtful, or in
case he does not sign it and the eoun-
Gil should pass it over his veto, what
would be the effect? s
The city comptroller prepares the pay
rolls, which, in the case of heads of de-
partments and certain other officials,
are regulated by state law. If the
comptroller adhereS to the law and
makes out the roll accordingly, the
council must either allow or reject
them. In the latter event, there would
be no salaries coming. On the other
hand, should the pay rolls be allowed
so as to conform with the resolution,
and passed by the council, then the city
officials would be forced to declare
their position. And judging by the way
that three of them talked yesterday
they would not accept the reduction,
and litigation would follow, which
would probably end in the defeat of the
city.
AS already stated, it is doubtful
whether the mayor will sign the resolu-
ton in the face of the corpration at
torney's opinion that it is Illegal. Lest
some might insinuate that the opin-
ion of the legal department in this
matter was influenced by the direct
salaries of the corporal ton attorney
and his first assistant, the mayor will
also seek the advice of an eminent law
in the outcome, and should his honor
become satisfied that the council
HAD NO AUTHORITY
to pass the resolution he will veto 1t.
oil no
should pass the resolution over the
veto.
A clerk in one of the city offices sug-
gested to the G 10 b reporter yes
terday a plan, that would undoubtedly,
if adopted, secure better results than
the passage of an illegal resolution,
compulsory in form, requiring city Of
ffcers to accept a reduction in salaries.
AS explained by the clerk it is as fol-
lows:
Instead of attempting to enforce
a reduction by Illegal measures, the
city officials whose salaries are con-
sidered too high should have been in
vited to meet special committee of
representative business men of this
city-not the committee of forty-for
the purpose of arriving at an agree
ment in the matter Of salaries. have
not the slightest doubt that these of
ficials, if approached in such an
amicable and considerate spirit, would
consent to a reasonable reduction in
their salaries. 1t can hardly be ex-
pected, though, that they will submit
to an Illegal resolution, which makes
such unjust and ridiculous discrimina-
tions in certain cases.