Evening star., 1897-02-02
CUTTING DOWN SALARIES
Retrenchment and Reform in Richmond
Affairs,
City Coaneal Elected in the Interests
Of Good Governmcnt and
What Ii II Doing.

What 1t II Doing.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
RICHMOND. Va: January 80. 1897.
The spirit of municipal reform which has
struck the city government Of Richmond
brcadside bids fair to cut down the ex-
penses many thousands of dollars each
year. Already a number Of the city officials
are restlessly uneasy lest their salaries be
whacked down by from 500 to 81. 900 each
per annum. Already the salary Of the city
engineer has been reduced by the city
council from $.OoO to $4,000 per annum,
while his three assistants were treated in
similar manner proportfonate with what
they received. The superintendent of the
city gas works. had his salary cut from
5000 to s. 80. This work Is being carried
into all the city departments by degrees.
and there Is every reason to believe that
within the next few months the city's pay
roll in this way will be greatly reduced.
The work of retrenchment and reform
here had its origin in what is known as the
Good Government League. an organization
composed largely of well-known business
men,whO banded together for the purpose of
supporting as candidate for election to the
two branches OF the city council men who
would pledge themselves to work for eco
nomical city government. In the city coun-
Gil there was already a committee on re-
trenchment and reform. This committee
for long time made no special efforts to
reduce the expenses of the city. When the
influence of the Coed Government League
began to be keenly felt in municipal politics
the committee formulated q report looking
to the reduction of the city's expenses.
The council, however, seemed to attach lit
tie Importance to this report, which was
tabled, and nothing else along that line was
done until the spring elec ton, in which the
Good Government League won a big vic
tory, and with one exception every candi-
date FOR election to the council which the
league supported was put in. This opened
the eyes of the machine, a large part CT
which fell in line with the retrenchment
movement where there was no longer any
thing to be gained by opposing it.
The New Reform Council.
The new council has been hard at work
to get the retrenchment movement we'll
under way One of the first things dore
was the appointment Of a special commit
tee on retrenc hment and reform, whose
duty it should be 10 examine carefully .,tc
the city's finances through the several Ge-
partments. and make such recommenia-
tions toward the reduction of salaries and
other expenses as they saw fit. This COM
mittee was composed of well-known nusi-
ness men. Its chairman is Otway S. .\llen.
a. prominent financfer and capitalist, and
its subchairman. H. w. Rountree, we'll
known manufacturer The other members
of the committee are: +. NJ. Noble, Z. d.
Stake. w. H. Zimmerman, F. c. Ehel, 7.
A. Harralson, Henry c. Jones. Jonn J.
King.
The committee holds meetings every
Thursday night until their work is ac-
complished. AT their last meeting they
had to appear before them the city treas
urer, Charles H. Phillips, and the commits
sioner of the revenue. Colonel Robert B.
Munford. to give statements to their
salaries and the workings of their Offices
These officials objected giving no
formation desired, and the city accountant
who was appointed to examine into the af
fairs OF the city offices and make reports
to the council when that body desired
was requested to secure the information
and report to the committee retrench-
ment and reform. Messrs. Phillips and
Munford stated that they did not object to
giving the Information TO the committee
but were unwilling for the newspapers to
publish 1t. The city treasurer stated that
he. received only $1,000 year as his salary
from the city. He did not make any state
ment as to what he received from the state
This is known to be about $500. making
his salary about $3.50 per year. The COM
missioner of the revenue gets about 5000
salary from city and state together. An
effort will be made to reduce both of these
salaries, well that of the city collector,
which amounts to about $500, and those
Of the other officials of whom there are a
dozen or more.
Fight to the Finish.
the representatives of the Good Govern
ment League on the one side and the ma
chine on the other. The bonded debt of The
city is now about $6.40O,000, and it has al
most reached the limit as fixed by the legis-
lature. The contest Is bringing out a good
deal of spicy talk in the meetings of the
committee and the council. No longer than
week ago 1t was announced by Council
man Snead that a member of that body had
approached Mayor Taylor with the state
ment that If the mayor would not veto the
reduc ton of the city officials salaries his
own salary as mayor would not be cut
down. This intimation of attempt to
bribe the mayor brought out great deal of
unfavorable talk, and the committee on re-
trenchment and reform appointed special
committee of H. w. Rountree president of
the H. w. Rountree & Co. Trunk Manufac-
tory, and F. c. Ebel. to wait on the mayor
and demand the name Of the man who ap-
preached him with the proposition referred
to. stormy scene was created in the
mayors Office when the special committee
demanded the name of the man referred to
and were told by his honor that Mr.. Roun-
tree himself was the man. The two men
did not come to blows, and the affair was
quieted down with the announcement on
Mr.. Rountrees part that he would resign
the council after so false a charge, as he
claimed, by the mayor. A branch of the
Good Government League held a meeting
and passed a resolution requesting Mr.
Rountree not to resign while the work of
retrenchment and reform Is going on He
agreed to remain until the work has been
completed. He Is one of the reform leaders
in the council.
The result of all this sweeping movement,
| 1t Is believed. will be the abolition of the
present municipal system and the appoint
ment of commissioners for the various de-
partments of the city. This plan is being
supported by some of the most prominent
property holders, who claim that the city
can be saved a large amount of money
every year.
spanish Wrenk Their disappointment