The herald., 1897-12-03
Deputy License Collector
and a Callman
w. D. SHEARER'S GOOD THING
WATER BOND PETITION BEARS
THREE THOUSAND NAMES
tRiparian Owners" Register Kick
to the Council-Amounts for
Street Improvement

During the months of August, Septem.
Der, October and November w. d
Shearer has been drawing two salaries
from the city, one Of $50 per month as 8
deputy in the tax collectors office and
the other as a calman in the fire de-
partment. Why this matter has not beer
discovered sooner by the finance COM
mittee will come up at the next meeting
of the city council. The tax and license
collector, John II. Gish, knew of it, but
said nothing. He is, perhaps, the man
who ought to be criticised for the matter,
for he had an arrangement with Shearer
that permitted the latter to leave his
duties and answer fire alarms, even
though they sounded during Office hours.
The matter was discovered yesterday
by Mayor Snyder and will be made the
subject of a message from him to the
council Monday This message viii only
state the facts without comment, and the
council will be asked to take such action
as it desires. In the meantime Shearer' S
warrant for last months service as call
man Is held up. 1t has been also discov-
cred that during November he missed
answering five alarms of fire, and this
will be reported to the board of fire COM
missioners. 1t is therefore quite prob
able that his cupidity may result in the
loss of his position.
For a year or more Shearer has been
employed in the fire department as q
callman. Up to the time of the CONSOLE
dation of the company at the plaza and
the one on North Main street he was a
foreman of callmen and as such drew $50
per month from the city. When, late in
July, the tax and license collector found
1t necessary to employ additional help in
his office he included Shearer among the
list. The duty of these additional clerks
was to remain in The Office and assist in
the receiving of money paid as taxes.
In that duty their time was supposed to
be wholly taken up. Shearer saw a
chance of making a good salary and
when he entered the office told Mr.. Gish
of his connection with the fire depart
ment, and it was understood that he was
to be allowed to respond to all fire
alarms during office hours.
How long he was to be away from the
Office was not taken into consideration.
If there was a fire early in the morning
which required his services during an
entire day no provision was made, so far
as known, for placing a substitute at his
desk in the Office. He went to all fires,
and when he completed his duties there
returned to the office in the city hall and
resumed his work. It will be observed
that the two Jobs We're good things for
him, for he made more than 500 per
month out Of it. During August and Sep
tember he drew $50 per month as fore
man of callmen in addition to his $50
per month as assistant in the tax col
lector's office. On October 1st the con-
solidation of two fire companies caused
him to be reduced in rank to that Of q
plain, ordinary callman with salary of
S25 per month. He still had his $50 per
month coming in regularly, and this re-
duction in rank and salary did not cause
his resignation. He had too good a
thing out Of the city to think of resigning
either position.
The discovery that Shearer was draw
Ing a double salary was made by acci-
dent. When Fred r. Hughes was elect
ed to the position of meat inspector he
as callman in the fire depart
iiViit. t1pliIt VI HIS lIlEililS nave SINCE /
mentioned the fact that there was an |
other man who was drawing two sal |
aries. This caused the mayor to insti- |
tute an investigation. When the war
rants for last months salaries were
brought to his office for signature it was |
discovered that one of them was for w. |
D. Shearer for $50 and another for w. |
Shearer for S25. Instructions We're issued |
to hold up both of these, but through a
the larger was sent |
% the auditor and within an hour after
ward was cashed.
How Shearer served the city for his |
$50 per month as a deputy in the tax
collectors Office is, perhaps, best shown |
oy the records of the fire department.
During the month of August he missed |
out one alarm of fire, and that was not
Turing office hours. There were ten
alarms during that month that were
Turing the hours that he was supposed |
o be earning his $50 per month in the
,ity hall, and records show that he re-
ponded to all of them. Allowing an
lour for each of them it will be seen that
le had a vacation of more than one day,
'ut in some Of them it is reasonable to
T..
During September Shearer responded
o all the alarms, four Of which were
Turing office hours.
In October, when his salary as call
nan was $25, he responded to four
tlarms during Office hours, but failed to
espond to three others. They We're:
IN the 18th at 11:23 p. m; 20th at G:55
}. m, and on the 2Sth at 1880 p. m.
During October there were four
llarms Of fire during Office hours. all of
which Shearer answered, but there We're
i've that he did not answer. They We're:
IN the Sth, 9th, 18th, 22d and 24th. He
'ill be given an opportunity to explain
'hy this was at the next meeting Of the
ire commission. In the meantime he
viii not receive his pay as q callnlan for
he past month.
TT