The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-19

Works, the City Clerk, the City
Treasurer and City Detectives
Feel the Keen Edge of the Blade
The Latter Reduced to the
Level of the PatrOlmen.
Armed with keen, relentless prun-
Ing knife that respected nobody but the
city comptroller, the charter commits
sion sliced the salaries of city officials
last night in cruel fashion. AT least
that is what the president of the board
of public works, the city clerk, the city
treasurer, and the city detectives will
say.
1t was a sanguinary affair.
Only $40 month for a city detective!
Reduced almost to the level of a COM
mon, ordinary copper! And ridiculed
into the bargain.
The committee had recommended
that the four detectives each receive
S1,1OO year, but Pierce Butler, in the
light of his experience in the county
attorneys shoes, moved to reduce the
amount to $40, on the ground that a
detectives services were not worth any
more. His work was easier than that
OF patroman who walked a beat.
Col. Clough explained how the Gus
tom of paying detectives higher salaries
! than patrolmen came into vogue, ac-
cordlng to the information gathered by
the retrenchment committee, two years
ago, from the city authorities.
The explanation was that the fly
bobS were obliged to frequent saloons
and other denS of vice in search of
criminals, and were consequently COM
PEELED to spend money for drinks, in
the course of their work.
Spend money!" exclaimed Mr.. But
Ter, whoever said these detectives
spend any money-of their own? They
don't spend a cent"
And so the salary of the four detec-
tiVeS was fixed at $40 year each, by
the unanimous vote of the ten commits
SionerS present.
When the salary that the president
of the board of public works should
| receive was considered 1t became ap-
parent that the commission did not
entertain an exalted opinion of that
department, nor of the caliber of the
men who have served as presidents of
the board.
The committee recommended that the
president receive 81, 500 a year.
Make it $780," said Mr. Butler.
What does the board do? They don't
work an hour a day. It's an office of
idleness. Besides the city is already
built, and $1,000 is a liberal salary"
Mr.. O'Brien-We never had a preSi-
dent of the board of public works who
could earn over $1,000 a year in pri-
vate life.
The vote on Mr.. Buffers motion to
reduce the salary from $500, as rec
commended, to $1,000 was to in favor
OF the cut, Messrs. Lightner and Lin
deke alone opposing it.
The other three members of the
board of public works will receive $100
per annum each, if the charter is adopt
ed.
The committee recommended that the
city treasurer should be paid a salary
of $4,000 year, in place Of $4,000 which
he now receives, but this amount was
reduced still further to $500 on motion
of Mr.. Butler, by a vote of to 8,
Messrs. Alness, Butler, Clough, Dean,
Horn, Innis, and O'Brien voting for
and Messrs. Lightner, Lindeke and
Murray voting against the reduction
The city clerk now draws $4,000 a
year. The committee recommended that
he receive just half that amount Mr.
Dean suggested $4,000, but $1,000 was
the figure fixed.
LIT was the opinion of the commits
sion, Mr. Murray excepted, that $4,000
was a large enough salary for the
mayor to receive.
Mr.. Murray moved to raise the salary
to $4,000 year. In Mr.. Murray'S opin-
ion, a man fit to be mayor of ST. Paul
was worth $4,000 a year. But the salary
was fixed at $500, as recommended by
the committee
The salary of the mayors secretary.
who now receives $1,000, was reduced
to $500, Mr.. Murray alone opposing any
reduction.
Never touched me- is what Comp
troller McCardy will say when he reads
this report at his breakfast table this
morning, for the comptroller's salary
was left at $1,000, his office being con-
sidered the most important in the city
government. No change was made in
the salary of the corporation attorney
as reported by the committee, which
recommended that the present salary
be reduced from $4,000 to $1,000 a year.
The committee recommended $1,000
a year for the first assistant corpora
ton attorney-a reduction of $500-and
the recommendation was adopted, after
a failure to restore the compensation
to $1,000.
The salaries of the second and third
assistant corporation attorneys were
fixed at $1,000 each. They now draw
at the rate of 81 200 a year.
The city engineer now receives $4,000
year. The committee recommended
$4,000. The commission reduced it to
$500. The assistant city engineers
salary was cut from $4,000 to s1,SOO.
An effort was made to reduce the SAL
airy of the chief of police from $500,
as reported by the committee to $4,000,
but it failed by a vote of to 4, Messrs
Alness, Dean, Horn and O'Brien vot-
ing for the reduction.
The commission voted to fix the sala-
ries of the municipal court judges at
81, 500 year, instead of $4,000 the pres
ent compensation.
The clerk of that court Jared even
worse, as his salary was reduced from
50, 500 to 1000.
The salary of the secretary of the
water board was fixed at $780, as rec
commended. Secretary Caulfield is now
receiving $500.
The section providing for a salary
of 500 year for each member of the
civil service commission was stricken
out on motion of Mr.. Lightner.
The salary of the chief engineer of
the fire department was fixed at $780,