St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-25

| TALK or combining III WIN the city en-
| gireer's department"
City Clerk Jensen said:
1.-The committee has allowed me
200 with which to run my office as
| against $4,000, the amount l receive at
| present. 1t cannot be done for that
| money, that's all there is to 1t. The
work of the office, even with the force
l have now, and / must say they are
| most efficient, is behind several weeks.
| must have good, capable men in this
office. and l cannot get such men at
Y $40 to $50 per month. There's lots of
politics in that report, il anybody
dshould ask you"
p City Treasurer WAGNER could not
Imagine what possessed the committee
b to think of cutting his allowance of
p$8,000 year for clerk hire down to
b$3, 500.
b "Why," said Mr. Wagner 1.-The cash.
bier. bookkeepsr and chief clerk in this
b office alone receive $3,2SO a year. and
Col. Clough admitted that they were
Itnot overpaid. If l was restricted to
Io$3,5O0 you can readily see that l. could
mot hire any more clerks, and the large
Iyamount of work required in-this office
Ecould rot be DONE"
The recommendation that the civil
branch of the municipal court be dis
psnsed with caused Judge Twohy. to
say: seq -r --3
THAT would be a most unwise pro-
ceeding from the standpoint either Of
the litigant or the taxpayer The mu-
nicipal court is the proper court for
the trial of cases involving small
amounts. A case can be tried in this
II.
jurors receiving but 81 per day, whereas,
in the district court the case, however
small, must be tried before a jury of
twelve men, who receive as compen-
sation 81 a day. 1t would cost the
county far more to try these small
cases in the district court than any
saving that might be effected in the
salaries of the officers of this court.
There can be no doubt about that
Aid. Brady expressed his opinion
freely and extensively. He did not re-
gard the reforms suggested by the
committee as practical or advisable.
In substance, Aid. Brady said:
II am against any reduction in the
pay of the policemen and firemen. I
am opposed to putting the license and
other inspection in the hands of the
pOiiCC. ILol WOuio bC d NCly Ddu
TEN at the best. Neither do L approve
of the closing of the three public
schools in the thinly settled districts.
That would work an injustice to the
inhabitants of those neigborhoods.
From what I can gather, the reduc-
tons proposed would seriously impair
the efficiency of our school system.
Nor do 1 agree with the committees
wi rIiDp 10 rI of
works. Since 1 have been in the coun-
ell 1 have found that body useful and
efficient. l think, however, that three
commissioners would be sufficient
81 don't think that the committee
has treated the city engineer fairly.
The salary the engineer receives is
no more than a fair return, consider
ing the expenses of his education and
the work he is called upon to do. L
believe that such an educa ton is an
investment upon which a man is en-
titled to some adequate return. The
committee has lodged the labor ques-
ton by recommending that all street
work be let by contract, but that is
hardly practicable. There would be
the necs ssSity for advertising for bids,
and that would have the effect of ty-
ing the engineers hands and delay
ing the work. There is much work
which must be done at once, and it
would be absurd to compel the city
engineer to wait to advertise for bids.
1t would cost the city more in the long
run. -" -s='
T In conclusion Aid. Brady. said: 1.-THE
question is not, How much can we
cut, but how much can we cut and
still run the business properly?"
Mayor Smith did not care to discuss
the report The mayor referred only
to the recommendations affecting the
school system, remarking that" he
thought considerable saving could
be effected by curtailing the supplies
heretofore purchased r. this depart
ment. There were, i'll the mayors
opinion, too many supplies purchased.
Aid. Murphy doesn't like the report
any better than any OF the other men,
bers of the council. Some of the rec
concentrations are entirely contrary to
his way of thinking and do not meet
with his approval 81 would never
vote to -educe the salaries of the po-
licemen and firemen," said he. "And
as for letting out the street work by
contract, l am opposed to that, also.
There are a lot of men who are work.
ing for the city trying to make enough
money Or save enough to help pay for
some little home. What they earn
they pay in taxes and other expenses.
If their wages were cut down or if
they did not get this work to do at all
they might become charges on the city.
1t is a good deal better to pay these
men enough to live on than it would
be to have the board of control look
after them. There are a good many
things about the report that wont do
in my opinion, although there are a
number of suggestions and recon-
menda atoms that like"