Arizona republican., 1895-12-10
NO PAY FOR COUuCILNEu
Their Services Free in
 Every Way.
Digest Of the District Court
 Decision.
How the Officials Came to Vote to Themselves Fair Com
 pensation.

In the district court Saturday Judge Baker granted a permanent injunction restraining City Treasurer Christy from paying four city warrants of $80 each issued ito the four councilmen of this city in satisfaction of sixteen days services as board of equalization in September last. The service was particularly irksome, involving three sessions daily.
 The city charter provides that no salary shall be paid it's councilmen 'as such With this proViso the city fathers were willing to abide, but they did think some allowance should be made them for the extra onorous duties in equaizing the years taxes If a councilman attends to his official duties properly he finds little time for any private business. Consequently either private or public business must be neglected Many leading business men as well as the city attorney ad- vised the eouncilmen that an allewsnce for equalization was perfectly equitable and just and blamed them when they took cnly $5 3 day instead of $1O, which was pronounced far more appro- priate under the circumstances. The case was ably argued by City lAttorney Evans and the court was evi- dently with him on the r:ghtfulness and decency Of allowing pay to the counciimen as a board of equalization In fact he went farther thyen that and said that the councilmen ought to be paid a reasonable salary for their municipal services as we'll
 | In the course of his decision Judge Baker gave a history of the Phoenix charter. It was hastily framed in 1881 by himself, Buckley" O'Nell, and the late Judge De Forest Porter who first inspired aggr gressive progress in the valley, and whose soul it is to be hoped goes marching on in spite If the mos7- back bcUrbors who would st.fle all progress and r@turn this city to it's desert crudene7s. Incorporation Ees bitterly opposed in those early days by men who had made their a,l through the advance of the community that far In order to overcome opposition a charter was framed whose city govern ment should cost practically nothing. In 1881 there were only few hundred inhabitants in Phoenix and 3 council mans duties were comparatively trivial. Now he is houndad from morning until late at night by com plaints and demands for Improvements from those who too often hovG when ever a dollar of city money is spent for any os the absolutely needful city operations,
 While t is true" continued Judge Baker. that 3 'o0urcilman's duties h9ve become exceedingly cnerous, yet the anti-pey provis:oa of the charter of 1881, with many other imperfee.ions, remains" and, knowing the spirit in which that charter was framed, the judge said he could not see his way clear to allow this claim of the coun- cilmen even for equalization labors. City Attorney Evans pointed out ',h ,it the board of equalization was a crea- tion under the amended charter of 1885 and that it involved extra and dise- greeable duties not contemplated by The original incorporation act of 1881. The court, however, felt bound to stick to the original letter of the law, even though new conditions had been imposed by 9 later law which in equity deserved compensation.
 The decision will probably be ac- quiesced in, yet it is also probable that at least one of the councilmen, and not the least active and capable one either, may shortly resign. Public spirit, he argues, is all well enough but when it secures one The treatment usually ac- corded yellow dog, it is time to retire into the ranks of private citizenship and let some other patriot take up the jolly picnic of ely councilman
 Of one thing there is a certainty and that is that the next legislature will confirm the board of equalization war rants and allow proper remuneration for services or a darksome crevasse is liable to break through the erst- while solid phalanx Of Phoenix muniei- pal statesmen. It might have been possible fifteen years ago to get men to carry on a city government of 1000 people and s100,000 in property for nothing; but 70 secure the official capac;ty and energy needed in 2 city of 1000 people and s4,5O0 000 of property some inducement must he offegsd other than kicks and emptiness.
 Take your girl to Murray's cafe for Ilunch after the theater ton ght
 As a pure and wholesome stinu- lant. for medicinal or family use, 4l.