The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-08
ugI POSSIBLE Amendment.
COUNCIL PASSES REsOLrTlos
IN SALARY QUESTION.
~aaes That Each IoeOmfng
~~-.eaI Shall Have Power 20 Fix
- Pay of All city Officers, Not
aseen<r Than Once In Two Years.

-. resefings Of the city council in one
"a rather az unusual spectacle even
s~attle: yet the session OF the connesi
- saxt night was the fogrth one for the
-. xesk The emergency Was occa-
rs-.S by the fact that under the time
-. last night was the very last date al
100 any proposed amendment 10 be
- I'm by the people al the municipal
IS.,,or held on March could be ordered
- shs council The meeting resulted In
s.fsax one important amendment sub
~,s..sd aad in defeating the resolution
.,,sssug the exemptions under the Civil
sefsice rules
=. o.her members were present: Herr
- Huyd. James. McArdIe. Nayin, Ray
r,,.na. Rudy and Taylor
re important resolution OF the evening.
.,c,sasing an amendment 20 be submitted
- ne teople Jas sixty days hence, came
= ~. shane OF an amendment 10 section
- Article XVI. of the city charter. IL
80 he remembered that this matter WIS
,sssrrea al the last meeting of he council
- special committee composed CT Ray
-.na lanes and McAgtiie. The re. cln-
-. adopted last night. whiea sends the
snafter 10 The people next March. was the
- result Of this report Section OF
Article XVII. Of the enaTter as IL now
ssasas reads az follows;
$40 officer o; the city shall receive any
conservation for his services as such cffi-
evr except by salary, payable monthly,
.hleh. when not prescribed BY this char
- shaIl be fixed by the city council by
s,s,nance. No salary OF any officer so
sxal py the efty council shall he increased
s,ssr his appointment or during the term
~ xhirh he shall have beeE elected or
The resolution reported by the commit
,Se md adopted unanimously last Fight as
a charter amendment to be submitted 10
xat. OF the people. Is as follows:
sart XVII. Sec 2. No officer OF the city
shal receive any compsnsa ton for his
services as such officer, except by salary
uaysble monthly. which. when not pie
sersDed by this charter. shall be liked by
The city council by ordinance No such
salary or rae OF compensation phaH be
Increased more than once In two years,
ana no increase Of salary shall be made
within period OF nine months next pre-
eeed,ng a regular city election"
The real inspiration for this amendment
..sr. 10 grow out OF the fact that under
-. uresen. provisions OF the charter the
ssisries OF some officers OF the city gov
eminent. as, for example, the chief OF po-
ice or the chief of shc fire department,
coaM never under any circumstances be
altered by the council. no matter TO what
proportions the city might grow or to
vhas magnitude or complication tho
dates OF the offices might grow. Ii
was felt generally by members OF tho
council that lnasmuch az each succeeding
council would be. as James expressed IL.
fresh from the people," and hence
eognizaft of the wishes of the people
ana the demands OF the times. 1t would
BE- safe 10 leave TO IL the fixing OF salaries
during the term for which that particu-
lar council f. 10 serve. AT the same time
. strong political safeguard Is injected
N the closing provision OF the resolution.
which sffectually estops any given council
from pandering TO public sentiment merely
as matter OF campaign expediency.
The proposed amendment excepting GER
tain officers from the rules of the cIassi-
fed civil service was defeated by de-
cisve vote. only McArdle and Navin vot-
ing for II.
The only other Item OF business trans
acted by the council was the passage Of
an ordinance authorizing two-!nch water
main or Sixteenth avenue. between East
University and East Spring streets.