The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-01
STILL SLASHING SALARIES.
RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS PAY
CAUSES a WARM DEBATE.

Lot of u Fo0lS'-jud=c Fort N"'
B.hind MIR. Lanes BiII-SubstitHtc
pro.idins for Cot of salary All
Observation-Disclosures Repeating
Bills Pass the senate.
Atlanta. Ga. Nov. S0.-The proposition
embodied in the bin by Mr.. Lane of sum
Ter TO reduce the salaries Of the railroad
commissioners brought on a warm debate
in the House to-day. Ii lasted the bet
Ter part Of the session. and when the hour
for adjournment arrived it was sun in
progress without the end in sight. To-mor-
row morning it viii be resumed, and, as
indications count for anything. with III
creased heat.
After the clash to-day the friends Of the
bin to cut declared they would certainly
win. but the opponents of the cut were
just as positive that the bill VIII not re-
cefve constitutional. majority.
Mr. Everett of Stewart county injected
good deal of ginger into the debate by
declaring that one Of the present commits
sioners had characterized all of those
members who favored the reduction of the
salaries as "a lot of d-n fools" This the
member from Stewart said clearly dem
onstrated that this commissioner was not
large enough caliber to occupy place
there.
Mr. Price of Oconee, another Of those
who spoke in favor of the cut. also re-
ferred to this alleged remark of one of
the railroad commissioners, but no one
has so far given the name of the COM
missioner who has so aroused their ire.
The debate on the bill was opened By
Mr. Lane of Sumter. the author He said
that he wanted it understood that his sole
purpose in introducing the bill was that he
believed the services rendered by the com
missioners was worth no more than other
state house officers, and he thought they
should be placed upon an equal basis. Mr..
Lane referred to the report current that
his fellow townsman, Judge Allen Fort,
former member of the Railroad Commits
sion, was back of the bill, and declared
that il was totally without foundation, as
in fact Judge Fort was opposing the pass
age OF the bill.
The story was that Judge Fort was agi-
tating the reduction because he wanted
TO get even with somebody for losing his
place on the commission. As the bill was
originally introduced, Mr.. Lane said it
provided for a reduction of the chairman
to $1,000 and for a reduction of the asso-
ciate commissioners to 81 $50 per year. Be
fore the committee, however the railroad
commissioners had stated that here was
no reason why the chairman should be
paid any more than the associates, and.
therefore an amendment had been agreed
upon, making a cut of $500 all around,
thus fixing the salaries at $1,000 each.
Following Mr.. Lane, Mr.. Hall of Bib,
the anti-railroad leader of the House.
made vigorous protest against the re-
ducton. He declared that these three
railroad commissioners were all that
stands between the people of the state
and the greatest monopoly that has ever
invaded the state. He declared referring
to a report of Henry Clews & Co, that
the Southern Railway controls the Central
Railroad, and that the Southern itself is
practically controlled by one man in New
York, who has it in his power to make
or ruin any city or town in the state Mr.
Han argued that any reduction of the pay
OF the railroad commissioners would dis
count that body and cripple its ability
10 protect the rights of the people from
the greedy and merciless corporate trust
that now has the state in its grasp. 1t
was not so much the labor done bv the
commissioners. he declared, but the re-
sponsibility that they bear. Mr. Post Of
Coweta followed Mr. Hall, arguing in
favor OF the cut, on the ground that the
commissioners were worth no more than
the other state officials, and that if honest
men could not be gotten to take the places
at $1,000 year, they would not be honest
at 81 500 or S25, 600 a year. He believed that
if the commission had been created under
the constitution when it was framed that
the salaries would have been fixed at no
more than che state officials in other de-
partments. Mr.. Post cited the conduct
Of Judge Atkinson in making a three
months canvas of the state for the gov
ernorship without interfering with the du-
ties of his position as a railroad commits
sioner and from this showed that there
was very little for a commissioner to do
in the way of work
The speeches of Messrs. Price and Ever
EFT were pretty much on the same line
Mr.. Everett quoted Gov Gambler as hav-
ing pledged himself to this reduction dur
ing his campaign, and insisted that not
only should the salaries be cut, but that in
point Of fact, one commissioner could serve
the state as wen as the three now in Of
flee
While Mr.. Everett was on the floor MIR.
Watkins of Gimer secured permission 10
introduce a substitute. and had ii read for
information. pending the debate. this sub
stitute proposes a 20 per cent. reduction in
the salaries of all officers and their clerks
3 III the StdtS service, from the Governor
down to the porters who wait upon state
officials and the members of the general
assembly, while il is in session. The read
ing OF this substitute created some
amusement, but the author, who Is re-
garded as one of the leaders of the House
is in dead earnest about it, and will insist
upon cut all along the line, if there is
TO be any salary cutting at all.
Immediately after the House met this
Mr
siderat.on of the action of yesterday. by
which his bill extending the school age tC
q years was killed. There was twenty.
minute debate on the question but in the
end reconsideration prevailed by small
majority, and the bill takes its place OF
the calendar again.
For a half hour the House wrangled over
recommends ton of The appropriation
committee IN favor of the employment o
an extra porter for the postofiice durins
the remainder of the session at 81 a day
Computed at the cost of running the gen