Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-29
SPECIFIC CUTS MADE.
BILLS TO MAKE SWEEPING REDuC-
TIoxs In SALARIES.
ESTIMATED WILL SAVE OYER $4,000.
The Patron OF the Bills Says They
VIII Pass-A Retrenchment Confer
ence Held Last Nighf-senate and
House Committees.

| ence Held Last Nfghf-Senate and
| House Committees.
The bills introduced in the House yes
terday by Captain Featherston, Of Camp
bell, making cuts in the salaries OF base
ment officers and the clerks Of the Senate
and House, will, IL they become laws,
effect an annual saving to the State OF
81, ,S9O
The cut in the salaries is not horizontal,
but II is in no instance less than 10 per
cent.
Following are the reductions made in
each case: Attorney-General, from $500
TO $2,25O; Auditor Of Public Accounts,
from 5000 to 81 700; Second Auditor, from
$1,000 TO $3.50; Treasurer, from 5000 to
81 500; Secretary of the Commonwealth,
unchanged from 81. 900, but all fees are to
be paid into the State Treasury Superin-
tendent of Printing. from $3.50 TO 1920;
/ Engineer at the Capitol from $1,000 to
| $3.50; superintendent Of the Penitentiary.
salary unchanged from $l,GO0, but the
surgeons pay is reduced from $72O TO $500,
| first assistant Keepers salary of S72O is
unchanged. but those of the other six as
sistants are reduced from S640 to 5000; the
| clerka salary of $500 is not changed. nor
that of members Of the Board of Direc-
tors. The salary Of the Railroad Com
| missioner is left intact The Superin-
tendent of Public instruction will receive
a salary of 1880. instead of $1,000, and his
necessary travelling expenses, which have
to be approved by the Board Of Education,
| as at present
1t is provided by another bill introduced
| by Captain Featherstor that the salary
| of the Clerk of the House shall be re-
duced from 81 800 to $50 year, and that
of the Clerk of the Senate from $1,000 to
$500 and in the event OF an extra ses-
sion they are to receive in addition the
sums of $500 and $500. respectively.
DEMANDED BY TAXPAYERS.
ut is very hard for me to advocate
| cutting the salaries of men who are
| among my dearest friends" said Captain
Featherston last night, but l, in COM
mon with my felow-legislators, realize
| that have a sworn duty TO perform, ana
j believe my oath TO perform to the
| best of my ability the duties Of my once
requires that in this time Of the states
dire need salaries should be greatly re-
duced.
"Our officials are paid too much. Why,
| do you know that the average income OF
the entire family, estimated TO average
| five of every farmer in this State, Is
only 1886 per year? These people are
| taxed to pay the salaries of the o1lciais
| affected by my bill, and 1T is unjust that
office-holders should receive 50 much, ana
| the taxpayers so little. l am oIten
shocked and depressed when think that
! the average annual income OF each per
| son living on a farm is only about $5h
for know many receive much more than
this, and / can't help feeling Tor those
who must receive less. Radical retrench-
ment is needed, and l believe we are
going to have IL. We have taken no snap
| Judgment on anybody, for my resolution
| adopted by the joint caucus az the begin
ming of the session, provided that electlon
| of these officers did not mean mat tue
right to abolish them or reduce the saia-
ries was not reserved
Retrenchment Conference Last Night
A rather small-sized joint conference
| of the Democratic members or the dche
raj Assembly. called for the purpose OF
| considering the question of retrenchmenl
| and reform, was held last night IN tne
| Hall of the House, with Mr. COOKE VI
| Norfolk, in the chair. ., .so
Mr. Pendleton, at whose Suggestion a., .ii0
conference was called, opened the us
cussion. He said the members were ho'
going forward with the work OF re-
trenchment that was expected or theln'
He recalled their promises TO tneir con,
etituents and said that while ne couiu
not dafniteIy outline what was TO De
done. he was in favor of greater earnest
ness in the matter.
A HORIZONTAL CUT.
When he closed Senator Flood oftereo
| the following: -. .,,s
conference that the salary OF every olii-
| ciaI maid directly out of the state IIed-
surv be reduced 10 per cent, and the
nroner committees are hereby requested
to nrepare bills carrying out THIS ldea
and as to the various institutions Oh w. W
state. where the salaries have been nAeu
bv The board thereof, to give careful con, con,
sideration TO the report OF tne speeiai p1id
Committee appointed to investigate these
Mr. Withrow said that he had never
made positive promises Tor rWstrehehiilelie W ll',
ia his constituents. He had Simply pioih
ised TO serve them, one and all. lie urseu
the danger of such action as senator
Floods resolution recommended, anu
said that It was on the wrong hne, anu
i'm conflict with the work being done py
~ snacial Retrenchment Committee;
which. he said, would report IN le"
uIs Senator Flood replied that he was In
favor of a horizontal cut OF all salaries
+ affected. from the highest Official down
and Including the members OF the Lesls-
lature ,.Dr
OTHER PROPOSITIONS MADE.
MIR. Minter objected to a horizontal cut
of salaries, as did Senator keezell, WIN
offered the following resolution; a,,o-
"Resolved. That the matter OF ieure- re-
ton of salaries be postponed untli le-
port from the committees on reuehOn
ment has been received. -
The following resolution was dlso VI
fered by Mr. Chaplin: 90,
"Resolyed. That this conference has full
confidence in the Committee or Reuencn-
ment. and in the pledges gwen .hat
within three days such measures VIII po to
brought forward as will be acceptaDle u
ALI who favor a general retrencnment'
No action was taken on any OF .heSo
resolutions. though considerable discus
sion was INDUCED In.
WANTED NOTICE GIVEN.
Mr. Carrirgton thought that while the
resolution of Mr.. Flood might De a SoVu
ane vet some of the offices could be
ehoiished. There was one, he said, with-
in the sound of his voice the Register vi
the Land Office, that In MS oplnio91 fnE,s lins
was no use for. Ihe inea ciored vi the
daIeeate from Charlotte. "Wny, we get
Isttle enough now" continued MT. Car
rineton' Think OF statesman getting
oisaT saTaik about cutting down salaries" he
said s'without giving the oihcers notlce
Vhv Il is unjust. You must remember
that those gentlemen nave i"iiiii'eS 'A''
have been Increasing; - .us.
Mr. Darlington said that, or course,
though he had nothing to do with tne
cutting except in his own case, ne uIu