St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-14
SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER
THE TAX BUDGET AGREES
ON A PLAN
TO SETTLE THE DIFFICULTY.
HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS WILL
BE PERSONALLY ASKED TO
STAND A1CUT.
IF THEY REFUSE 1T, ALL RIGHT.
Two Scales of Reductions, One OF
Which 1t Is Proposed to Put
Into Eject.

The special joint committee of tho
common council, appointed to consider
the tax budget with a view to harmon
izing the differences between the as
sembly and the board OF aldermen, met
yesterday afternoon in the council
chamber. A joint committee of citizens
representing the jobbers' union, cham
Der of commerce and commercial club
attended the meeting.
The council committee comprises the
following members, all of whom were
present: Aldermen Brady, Wolf, Lind
ahl and Montgomery, and Assembly
men Parker, Strouse, Arosin and Lewis.
The committee did not take up the
budget, deferring consideration of it
until today, when a new programme
will be adopted which if it succeeds,
will effect a larger saving than the rec
concentrations of the conference COM
mittee. The plan appeared in the shape
of resolution offered by Aid. Brady.
1t recommended another schedule of
salary reduction on the following basis:
A reduction of 20 per cent on all salaries
of $4,000 a year, 10 per cent of all salar-
les between 81, 500 and So, 200, 10 per cent
of salaries ranging from 81 900 TO 81, 500,
and five per cent of salaries between
$500 and $1,000 @ year.
! In support of his resolution Aid. Brady
said that he regarded the proposed re-
| ductions as fair and just, in that they
made proper distinction between the
| high-salaried officials and the clerks and
subordinates. He did not consider the
| reductions recommended by the confer
| ence committee and indorsed by the as
sembly as fair. Aid. Brady then moved
the adoption of his resolution.
Mr.. Lewis said that he would gladly
vote for the resolution, If he could be
assured that the heads of departments,
/ whose salaries are fixed by law, would
| accept such reduction
Aid. Brady replied that that was not
the question at issue. whats the
use" said the alderman, "of beating
! about the bush in this matter. Let us
be fair with each other. 1t is well
known that some OF the city officials
Will not stand any cut. Some of them
have said SO. to this council. Now, say
that it is as easy for the council to re-
duce the salaries of these officials 20
| per cent as it is 10 per cent. and we
might as we'll take such action and
await the result"
Chairman Parker remarked that he
did not believe that a head of a munic-
reduced, would insist on drawing his
full pay and on making his clerks stand
the entire cut.
Aid. Brady replied that he, for one.
wouldn't like to take the chances thac
such would not prove the case in some
! Instances.
Mr.. Strouse arose at this point, and.
| in few emphatic words, declared his
| position upon the manner of effecting
retrenchment. Mr.. Strouse assured the
committee that he would vote against
| the reduction of the eighteenth item,
that originally providing $150,O00 for the
! street, sewer and bridge maintenance
fund, which the conference committee
had reduced to $4,000. Mr. Strouse
said that he was unalterably opposed
to cutting the wages of the lahorine
man one cent under $3.50 day, and de-
clared that he would stand out against
! any reduction of the original item Of
! $l5O,OOO, even though his action should
| tie up the budget for twelve months.
! Mr. Strouse was also opposed to cut
| ting down the estimate for the building
! inspectors department to $4,000, sum,
| In his opinion, entirely inadequate. He
favored abolishing the office in prefer
ence to crippling it. Mr.. Strouse did
not think that the city needed a cremat-
CRY this year, and he believed in strik-
Ing cut the item of $15, 900, the estimated
cost of crematory. Reverting then to
! the laborers' salaries. Mr.. Strouse said
! that the reduction OF the eighteenth
item from $150,000 to $130, 600 would mean
/ the employment Of less men or the re-
duction of their salaries.
chairman Parker suggested that it
might be we'll to refer Aid Brady's res
olution to Comptroller McCardy with
instructions to prepare a schedule
! showing the practical result of the re-
ductions proposed by the resolution. In
the meantime Aid. Brady and another
! might interview the officials whose sal
aries are protected by law and ask
them if they will accept cut in their
/ salaries
Yes, and prepare releases for them
! to sign" added Aid. Brady 'If thew
sign them all right; if not, all right too.
| we can amend the pay rolls so as to
| correspond with our reductions and in
! case any official refuses to stand the
cut he can get judgment against the
city for the balance of salary due him.
| which can be provided for in the judg-
| ment fund in the tax budget for 1897.
! This is the only course open, gentle
men. l can assure the members Of the
| assembly that there is no use in propos-
! ing to the board of aldermen resoIu-
| ton to cut the salaries of the subordi-
| mates, unless the reduction includes all
| the heads Of departments. The alder
! LleL Will never vote IOT Sucn a reSOlu-
| ton.
And right here, I want to inquire"
continued Aid. Brady, whether in case
the head officials should agree to ac-
! cept 10 per cent cut instead of 20 per
| cent, the assembly will adopt resolu-
ton providing for q reduction of the
| clerks, etc, on the same ratio-that Is,
| instead of a reduction of 20, Is, 10 and
per cent, a cut of 10, ~, 5 and 21A per
| cent on all other employes?'
| Chairman Parker answered the ques-
| ton by remarking that he would not
| change from the position he had taken
in the assembly when he voted in favor
| of the conference committees recon-
mendations.
| Mr.. Lewis said that he was willing to
vote for anything reasonable, and that
| he was glad to see Mr.. Brady go the
assembly one better. but did not ans
wer Aid. Bradys specific question.
| Thereupon AID. Brady scored the as
scnbly for the attitude most of It's men,
| bers seemed 70 him to take, which was
| that it would be useless to pass the res
olution because the officials would not
stand any reduction. Here Aid Brady
! touched up Mr.. Arosin and Mr.. Parker
for voting to appropriate SIS, 200 for the
! purchase of a garbage crematory. when