, 1896-03-17
CITY ECONOMY.
Prof. OFT Does Not Get at the
Root of the Matter.
THE COUNCIL POWERLESS
To Change State LaWs-Bul One OF
the Members did His Bess In
the State Leeislature
Year Ago.

In a TRADE against the present city
administration the last issue Of Prof.
Otis paper makes some assertions
which may be credited unless called
in question. He says a saving can be
made of from $4,000 to $1,000 per an
num-. and then proceeds to indicate
where the saving car be effected.
an the first place" he says, the
salary of our city treasurer can be re-
duced to about 5000 per annum."
Every citizen knows. and even Prof.
OFT ought to know, tnat the salary Of
the treasurer is fixed by the charter
and can only be changed from what it
is at present by the Legislature. This
has been decided by the courts, and
therefore the professors first stroke of
economy amounts to nothing SO far as
the present or coming administration
is concerned. The Republican is will
ling to go Mr.. OFT one better in this
particular matter. 1t believes that the
offices of city and county treasur-
er should be consolidated. In the last
legislature a bill was introduced by a
member of the present city council,
Mr.. Hertzog. providing for this very
thing. but it failed to pass on account
of the opposition of such counties as
Sweetwater. where there is more than
one incorporated town in the county.
Secondly says the professor, the
salary of the clerk can be brought
down to $3.50, including the transcript
ot county assessment"
This is another matter which can
Ecw be regulated only by legislative
enactment and there is no use talking
about it until the Legislature meets.
The Office of city assessor is one which
should be dispensed with entirely.
The state law should be so amended
as to require the county assessors to
furnish a copy of their rolls to incor-
porated cities and towns within the
state.
Thirdly" says the professor, "a
marshal and night police is all this city
needs and their salaries car be reduced
to suit the times"
1t Is possible that Laramie might be
able to get along with a marshal and
a night policeman during a portion of
the year.. but during the time taxes
were being collected another officer
would be required. AS to the reduc-
ton of salaries, it is hardly probable
that any competent man would care
to give a heavy bond and become re-
sponsible for the collection of taxes
and the control of the police depart
ment of the city for less than 500 per
month, the present salary of the mar
shall. Policemen now get SIS, which is
not too much.
Fourth" says the professor, "the
paid fire department is a luxury
which we cannot afford and ought to
be dispensed with"
We cannot agree with the professor
that the fire department is a luxury
which can be dispensed with. The
present department, we understand,
costs less than the volunteer depart
ment cost, and certainly we must have
protection from fire.
Fifth" says the professor, "a ditch
tender who is paid a reasonable salary
can also look after the park (f that is
the proper name for a patch of fenced
ground with a few skeleton ~trees)."
Now, if the professor had taken the
trouble to investigate the matter at all,
he would have discovered that the
ditch tender has been taking care of
the park for the past two years. His
information is lot up to date.
SIXTH says the professor. the
printing bill can be reduced to about
500 a year"
The printing for the city is being
performed at the regular legal rates
the same rate that the professor
charges to all his customers, the same
rate that was charged in his bill for
printing the semi-annual statement