The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-27
1T TOUCHES THEN ALL
Salaries to Be Reduced Right
Down the Line.
NO CHANCE FOR slNEcUREs NOW
Highest Paid Employees to sufHer the
Most. but No One 20 Escnpe-A
Cut fFrom to 10 Per Cent.

II something unforeseen does nos happen
at the meeting of the committee of the
city council on the salary reduction ques-
ton this morning, report VIII be sub
United 10 the council at to-nighf's session
that will stir up the employees OF the city
to state bordering on frenzy, for Il viii
affect their salaries, and Ia the language
OF one OF the COMMITTEES, affect them
generally" II Is not meant by the word
general that the reduction In all the sala-
ries is TO De the same, for IL is nos. The
reduction win be graduated. probably from
TO 10 per cent. the well paid deputies
and clerks suffering the greatest and the
patroimen and firemen the least, II at all.
The report will probably recommend that
the cuts be only temporary. or until the
duh period is over and the city once more
on firm financial basis.
In preparing it's report the committee
has taken into consideration the fact that
the civil service rules provide that city
employees shall hold once as long as they
live up to the requirements. and this being
the case. the committee believes that men
should receive a sum suf1eient to live on
comfortably. and no: be paid salaries thar
viii enable them TO lay by snug sum
each month. OF course this In only con-
lecture. as no enc outside the committee
has seen the report or heard the discus
sioas. which up 70 the present time have
been harmonious. The committee has la
bored hard on the question and gone
thoroughly into every detail. most Of the
members having been IN a position to hire
men al one time or another and thus pride
themselves on their ability to Judge the
value of labor. The report will no doubt
be voiuminous, and its reading will be
listened TO with great interest.
A prominent member or the committee,
speaking of the matter yesterday, said:
"One Of the principal points on which the
committee has labored has been that IL
any one had to be cut II should be those
who are earning more than enough to live
on comfortably and meet all ordinary obli-
cations. In other words, 1t is not the de-
sire OF the committee to keep men IN office
who can meet these obligations and be
able to save quite a sum besides. Another
reason for the cut is to tide over the city
and pay cash to its employees until better
times come. The decision which has prac-
tically been arrived at by the committee
has been only after a thorough under
standing by individual investigation of the
duties and work performed by each official
The entire committee Is well disposed
toward laboring men, and 1t will not
recommend anything tina. will work to
their disadvantage. The men the COM
mittee Is after are those who do office
work and draw big salaries. We realize,
however. the important work to be per-
formed By the city engineer in the city's
big undertaking on the Cedar river propo-
s.-ion and will recommend that a good
salary be paid that official. The commit
tee will probably also recommend to the
mayor that he request the person he APP
points as clerk of the municipal court to
rebate to the county SIS a month out Of
his salary; that Is. II 1t can be legally
done. OF course You understand this is
to be voluntary rebate as the salary of
the office is fixed by law, the same as the
judges. The high salaries paid to the
attaches of the county has been discussed
quite freely by the committee, and IL is
hoped the commissioners will follow our
example and do something in that direc-
ton.
There is one thing you can depend on.
and that Is that the report, when 1t Is
made, viii be hot one''