Omaha daily bee., 1896-05-16
ECONOMY GETS A BACKSET
Additions to the City Pay Roll Being Made
Almost Every Week.
PLAUSIBLE EXCUSE FOR EACH INCREASE
Promises OF Retrcnchment that Were
Made Prior to the Last Elec-
tion Have Nearly All
Been Broken.

Jus, prior to last falrs election the city
council passed some ordinances which made
a sweeping reduction in the expenses Of the
municipal departments Several clerks and
other employees we're Topped off the pay
roll and most of those who remained suf-
fered greater or less reduction in salary.
At that time 1t was asserted that this was
no ante-election measure, but bona fide
effort to reduce the expenses Of the city
and relieve to some extent the burdens on
the taxpayers. Chairman Kennard of the
finance committee and his colleagues loudly
proclaimed that not one step would be
taken backward and that under no pretense
would the new council change the financial
policy promulgated before the campaign.
1t is now four months since the new ad-
ministraton came into power and the pay
rolls Indicate how far these ante-eection
promises have been kept. The original
ordinances contemplated a saving Of nearly
$4,000 a year They were amended in one
or two particulars, but, If their provisions
had been allowed to remain in effect during
1896 they would have saved very nearly
that amount. Although the year is only one
third passed, Just one fourth of the economy
originally legslated has been swept aside
The advance on the pay roll has been
added to the salary list at any one time, but
every week or two the insidious council
manic resolution has made its appearance
and added it's mite to the financial burden
with which the year begun. There have
invariably been the most plausible reasons
why 1t should pass. The members were
emphatlcally in favor of economy, but "in
this instance" the expenditure seemed to
be justified And the next resolution and
the next seemed TO have Just as many ex-
sa,,, ltnsr oil IN ~ In ttg Cn thn
camel poked its nose further and further
into the municipal tent and up to date
S40O a month has been added to the pay
roll.
The first step was taken early in the year
when an additional clerk was authorized in
the Office of the comptroller In making this
recommendation, Chairman Kennard of the
finance committee said that 1t seemed that
another man was absolutely necessary in
order to properly carry on the work of the
office. This was on January 2S and the job
was provided for for sixty days at $75 a
month. At the expiration of this limit the
time was extended and the appontee is still
at worh
At the same time an additional clerk was
provided for in the treasurers office at the
same salary. This was for period Of thirty
days and the job was allowed to lapse at
the end of that ime.
The next move was April 21, when, on the
report of special committee Of which Ken
nard was chairman, the salary Of the deputy
city treasurer was increased from S125 to
$3.50 a month. This was cloaked under the
guise of a ''readjustment" of the salaries
in the treasurer's Office and Mr. Kennard de-
clared that it made a reduction of $1.66 per
month The fact is that such a reduction
was made in the aggregate salaries of the
other employees in the office, but with the
increase for the deputy treasurer included
in the calculation the monthly salary list
was raised from $621. &C to $6i5.
On April % Kennard introduced another
resolution. 1t provided for the employment
office at $40 q month each. 1t was adopted
by vote of 13 to g. The employment OF
collector of personal taxes also author
ized during April, with a salary of SIS u
month attached
This month only one measure of this sort
has been passed. Prince introduced resolu-
tion increasing the salary of the stenographer
in the city clerks office $40 a month. 1t
was referred to the finance committee and
Chairman Kennard vigorously urged its
adoption. 1t adopted May with no
material opposition.
One peculiar feature of this legislation is
the fact that the records show that Council
man Kennard, who was so emphatic in his
declarations that no steps would be taken on
the back track, was the progenitor of nearly
all these resolutions and the official who
presented a favorable committee report on
the remainder.