Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-02-21
MAYORS VETO SUSTAINED.
City Engineers Salaries VIII Not
Be Increased.

Mayor Shortlidge returned to City
Council, at its meeting Thursday, the
amendment recently passed by that
body which proposed to, increase the
salaries Of some Of the employees of the
city surveying department He vetoed
the measure and explained his reasons
in the following communication, which
was read:
your honorable body, Thursday, January
9th, 1895, proposes to increase the first
assistants salary from the present, 81. 600
to 81, 200, and the second assistants salary
from 5000 to 81 900. This increase seems
small and any objection trivial, in behalf
of wealthy city of over 10000 inhabi-
tants, for whose departments we want the
best men and the best service.
While, in ordinary business times,
economy in city OUTLAWS are always most
imperative, in legislation by the servants
Of the people, at a time like the present
the voice and demands of our fellowcti-
zens call upon us for parsimony, to the
least. as well as to the greater and abso-
lutely necessary expenses.
Everyone, official or private citizen,
must concede that only the public service,
the city's good, has actuated every mem
Der of your honorable body to what has
been spoken or enacted.
In conclusion, there is one consideration
which / wish to call the attention of those
who generously, and also considerably,
want to raise the present compensation of
these worthy officials. During the present
hard times these Wilmington officials re-
celye good fixed salary, payable monthly.
May we not, therefore, without pre-.
JUDGE, postpone the advance till more
prosperous times (Which we all pray for)
shall secure the cheerful approval of this
amended ordinance by our fellow-citizens,
to whom such projects for increasing city
expenses should always be submitted, at a
popular election, for their approval, pre-
vious to being imposed upon them?
With regret, therefore, must decline to
ratify your action. The ordinance is then
for the above reasons, respectfully re-
turned without my approval.
Yours very truly,
EVAN G. SHoRTLIpGE, Mayor.
Mr.. Ratledge, the member from the
Twelfth ward, seemed highly displeased
at the stand taken by the mayor and
wanted further consideration of the
matter postponed for one week, as he
said Mr.. Stats, who was absent on &C.
count of sickness, would like to vote
on the measure.
Mr.. McNulty of the Tenth ward, con.
tended that the laws of the city required
immediate action TO be taken, and he
was sustained by the chair, who ordered
a yea and nay vote to be taken as to
whether the veto of the mayor should
be sustained. The vote resulted as fol
lows:
Yeas-Messrs. Dannenberg, Donohoe,
Kirby, McNulty, Meaney, o'Neill,
Wainwright and President Perkins.
Nays-Messrs. Maguigan, Smith,
Ratledge and Tyre.
Mr.. Ratledge asked permission to ex-
plain his vote, which was granted. lie
said that tne mayor was present at the
meeting of Council when the amend
ment was adopted, and as he neither
objected at that time nor made any sug-
| gesHons, it was rather ill-timed to make
hiss objections at this time. The mem
Der from the Twelfth ward proceeded to
arraign the mayor, but was shut off by
President Perkins calling for vote.
Mr.. Ratledge evidently was not salts
tied. however, for he saw the mayor
after the meeting and paid him his per.
sOnal respects. The mayor refused to
argue with him, for ii he mad consented
TO get into controversy there is no tell.
ing where the matter would have ended
Previous to voting on the matter othel
members a5 follows discussed the
matter Messrs. McNulty, Donohoe and
Meaney.
A BREEZE OVER THE DAMAGE AWARDS
| A little breeze was stirred up alsC
when the report of the law committee
was read, announcing that they deemed
it inadyisable to accept the award mad,
/ Inv the mi tU1,Nnl, upaacaaA "A
ages for the opening of Eleventh anC
Monroe streets and Trenton Place. The
report showed that the Board of Direc
tors of the Street and Sewer Department
were perfectly willing to accept tn,
award ii Council would bear the ex
pense. Some of the members were Of
the opinion that Council had no juris
diction and they thought that the Stree
and Sewer Department should pay til,
damages out Of their regular funds.
was commended by Mt. Donohoe tina
Council had no right to pay any suct
money according to law. Mr.. Tyre die
not see it in this light and said that Their
would be several other streets to opel
up in the near future and if the Stree
and Sewer Department paid the dam
ages in every instance their none,
would all be used up in this way am
they would have nothing for runnin
expenses.
The report of the committee asked TO
the appointment of another commission
The report was, on motion of Mr.. Tyre
adopted.
The report of City Treasurer Adam
showed balance of $62,23S01 in tn
Union National Bank to the credit @
current expenses and collections for tn
week as follows: Tax Collector Eugen
M. Sayers, $500, city and school take
for 1894, $500 for 1893 and $3.50 70
1892; Tax Collector Edmund Mitchell
1895, city and school taxes for 1894,
A communication was read from th
Board of Park Commissioners askin
Council to approve an act for presenta
ton to the Legislature which will Civ
Council authority to borrow money ia
the improvement of the public park
, and the purchase of more land to b
used for park purposes and also to max
a larger annual appropriation for tn
use of the commission. The communi
cation was, on motion Of Mr.. Damien
berg, ordered noted.
On motion of Mr.. Ratledge Counc
went into a nomination and election fC
officers of the City Surveying Depar
ment. The following persons WEI
unanimously chosen, there being n
contests
Chief Engineer, James Wilson; Fir!
Assistant, F. A. Price; Second Assis
ant, Dorsey Ash; Third Assistant, II.
Griffith; Rodman Of the First Corp
Harvey l.. Vansant; Rodman of Ii
Second Corps, Amos Hahn; Clerk {
the Registry Bureau, Mahlon Belts.
On motion of Mr.. Tyre the followin
amendment to the ordinance concernip