San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-04-23
HOW THE CITY PAID OFF.

afternoon by paying off its employees
for March. This is in line with Ma
yor Callaghan's policy from the first
and should not be considered a sur
prise. The Express in giving an ac-
count of the manne in WHICH the pay
ing vas done passes a severe reflect
ion upon Mayor C~allaghan. The Ex-
press says it was kept o secret, and
the paying off was done as if it was
d~isreputable act which the public
were kept ignorant of at the direction
of those in authority. The Express
says: .... ~.
THE employees of the city were hap
ply surprised yesterday. 1t was pay
day at the city hall. Scarcely any OF
them were expecting 1T, and the sur
prise was great when word was quietly
sent out to the men through the heads
of departments for the men to gather
at the city hall at about 4:3O O'CLOCK
70 receive one of the many months
| salary due them"
Pay days have come 20 be like an
| gels visits in the frequency of their
coming, and usually attract a large
crowd. But so well ha1 the secret
been guarded hat when Treasurer
Herff began to hand out The cash yes
terday not more than two dozen people
besides the city employees were pres
ent in the recorders court room, where
Treasurer Herff has a pay office. The
utmost secrecy had been maintained
and the officials and employees who
gathered on the first floor of the city
hall and were waiting for the treasurer
to begin paying off, parried all EFFORTS
to find out what they were there for.
When one finally admitted that a
months salaries were II be paid, he
asked the reporter to say nothing OF
his having furnished the information
This Ices not comport with Mayor
CaIIaghan's character; he is always
bold about his acts, and could certain
ly not have given out orders to observe
this secrecy, and to order his forces to
approach the city treasury with muf
fled footsteps and perfect silence in or
der not to awaken the people of the
city.
Why should there be n reason for
this secret proceeding? The men who
have served the city for the month of
March are entitled to their pay. They
won the battle in February and their
unfortunate predecessors must bear
their misfortune with fortitude. Ev-
eryone who wore the uniform of Ell
mendorf must be stripped, of even his
rags.
The Express continues:
"A very significant fact is that sal
aries for March are preferred over
those past due for many months, and
is taken as indicating that the policy Of
the present administration will be to
give current expenses preference over
salaries and bills made b? the last ad-
miniStratiOn."
Mayor Callaghan and his city council
are wise in their day and generation.
The Justice or injustice of this thing
cuts no figure. These gentlemen
know that an unpaid servant is a poor
help. AS expressed by one of the
members of the. city council. we will
take care Of our men," that is a wise
and beneicent policy; it is the policy
Of the shrewd politician who depends
upon his machine at the polls. Had
Mayor ElmendOrf's administration
been more careful with their employees
the result of the last election might
have been different. OF course this
money that is being paid out belonged
to the taxpayers and there will b'
some growing but who cares for h a
The unkindest cut of all in the Elk
press article is an intimation that Ma
vor Callaghan secreted himself during
the afternoon while the paying was go
ing on, so that the sharp reporte.
could not find him, but states on tn,
authority of some one else that on
of the reasons for paying March a
ries now in preference to salaries TO
months long past due is that nearly al
the employees nave Solu IheH I'M
checks at a heavy discount n tina
the brokers can better afford to wal
than can the employees now at wor.
who have not sold their time for III
month of March,"
This is a very good reason, but woul
not apply to those who nave not sol
their time. We have no idea that tn
mayor secreted himself; he had no rea
son to do so.
FRENCH TANSY WATERS.