Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-12
OUT FOR TIE STUFF. p"
Council Placed in an Uncomfortable
Position, Last Night.
Between the Natural Republican
Tendency to Spend Money, and
the Fear Of Public Wrath If They
Did, They Passed q Bad Helf
Hour Over the Recommendation
Of the Water Board to Increase
Salaries.

Of the Water Board to Increase
Salaries.
The Second Branch Of Council start
ed out, last night, to make a big raid
on the city treasury-strictly in the in
terests Of "reform"-and had it not
been for the decidedly restraining in
auence of the First Branch it is diff
cult to say to what lengths the body
would have gone before the evening
was over, for three or four resolutions
to blow in money on increased salaries
were before the house, and other mem
bers were thinking out methods of get
ting share OF the swag for their Off
cial friends. Fortunately, the message
from the First Branch, that the upper
house had refused to occur in the first
salary grab passed, acted as q damper
on the Second Branch people, and after
a good deal OF what passes in Council
for el0quence, the body backed some
what ungracefully out of the position
it had assumed, and adjourned.
What started the fun was commun-
ication from the Water Board, asking
for an increce in certain salaries in
that department of the city govern
ment. The paper called attention to
the cut made in some Of the salaries Of
that department in 1889, when the COM
pensatiOn OF the superintendent was
reduced from $4,000 per annum to ST.
500, the salary Of the Secretary from
1900 to $780, and the assessors from
$3.50 to 1920, and then asked that the
salary of the superintendent be fixed
at $500 per year the salary of the
Secretary at $500 per year, and the
salaries of the Assessors ct $3.50. Pro-
ceeding, the communication pointed
out that the original salaries had been
paid from the time Of the first forma-
tion of the Water Board UP to 1889,
when a cut was ordered by Council, and
argued that there had never been a
restoration Of wages, although the
business Of the Office had very greatly
increased.
Mr. Hamilton moved that the increase
asked for be allowed and in doing so,
he called attention 10 the refusal Of
Council to cut down the salaries In the
gas office 10 Wafer Board rates. This
was the disposition OF Council at that
time. The work in the water depart
ment was just rs valuable as IN the gas
department, and he thought they ought
to he on a level.
Mr.. Hahne said ne did not think. be-
cause Council refused TO cut Gas Board
wages to the level Of the water Board,
it necessarily followed that Water
Board salaries should come up If
wages were to be increased, he thought
it would be a good thing to start at the
foot ST the ladder, and increase the
wages OF street men and firemen. This
Council had started in by cutting SO
per month off the Police Lieutenants.
Now, it was proposed to let this cut
stand on a 500 salary, and add $500
to a $500 salary. That did not lock
10 him to be fair or right.
Mr.. Britt thought The Water Board
salaries were high enough, and went
on to give his reasons.
DR.. Stathers favored the increase
mainly for the reason that it was q
partial restoration Of a cut made six
years ago. The comparison with the
gas work was hardly fair. The bust
ness of the gss works was not increas-
ing. while the water department bust
ness was increasing. To be sure, there
had been a new water works, but the
water department was paying for the
Improvement itself, and that, too, with
out increasing the cost Of water.
A motion to refer to the Committee
on Salaries was lost, and the increase
was then ordered. ayes 10, noes 10, as
follows: Ayes-Messrs. Bodley, Camp
bell, Fair, Frew, Hamilton, Hess, Pot
ter. Stathers. Taylor. Useltcn. Wells
Williams and Mr.. Presdent-13. Noes
-Messrs. Arndt. Bachman, Britt, Eli
oft, Hahne, Kern, lindsay, Refer
Waterhouse and Wills-1Q.
The paper went to the First Branch
Just after it had gone over, MIR. Camp
bell moved to reconsider, but it was
too late.
Thaa Mr.. Elliott offered resolution
making the wages CT street hands $l.17
per day.
Mr.. Hahne amended by adding ten
per cent. tc the wages Of police and
firemen.
President Maxwell suggested mod
Grafton" and said he thought Council
had already been "hasty.' Mr.. H2hne
withdrew his amendment, and Mr..
E!liott's resolution was referred 10 the
b. p. w. for report
DR.. Taylor then offered a resolution
increasing firemen's wages at the cleo
trio light plant from 81 to $50, ana
coal passers' wages from S1.15 to 81
A motion to table was lost
Dr.. Stathers said he thought the va
rious departments were the place to
settle these little things In his opin-
ion Council was going too fast. lie
moved to refer 70 the Gas Board.
DR.. Taylor gave his reason for the
increase, saying the job was hard one
the men working thirteen hours a DAY
Then President Maxwell took the
floor. He said a strange time had
been taken to make increases Of salar-
les. If economy was to prevail and
taxation to be reduced, the city could
not make both endl meet, unless hlgh
taxes were again to prevail for 1895
But" he said, IF you are going to
run the city government this year with
a 64-cent tax levy, instead Of 80 cents
it may. possibly. be all right lie
again said the proposed raid was most
inopportune." -.
Mr.. Hahne said he approved all The
President had said. In my opinion
~ Solitaire Diamond
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