The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-06
SALARIES MAY BE SLASHED.
ATLANTA ON THE VERGE OF A GIL
GANTIC RETRENCHMENT.


Committee Amounted to Investigate
Affairs Looking to n Decrease OF
Municipal Expenses Make IA Major
fty Report Finding Little Extrhv-
aEance-Judge HiIIyer Composing
the Minority Make Recommends
lions just the Reversible Calls
for N Reduction In the Annual
budget of S13S, OOO-City Council to
WrcstIe with the Affair Wednes-
day.
Atlanta. Ca. Sept 5.-This was the reg
vlar meeting day of the City Council, out
after being called to order adjournment
was taken in honor of labor's holiday.
The Council will resume its session on
"Wednesday, at which time some important
action viii likely be taken looking to
general reduction of the municipal eN-
penses. Several weeks ago the Council
appointed a special committee of council
men and citizens to make an investiga-
ton of the city's affairs, with view to
seeing whether the various departments
were being economically administered and
whether or not reductions could be made
IN any or all of them, which would In
consequence permit a reduction in taxa
ton.
The committee completed It's work sew
eral days ago, the majority falling, how
ever, to find any extravagances or any
way to reduce expenses. One of the
members of the committee was Judge
George Hillyer. He dissented from the
others and to-day filed a minority report
which calls for reduction of $1SS,00O in
the annual budget Over these two re-
ports the Council will have a wrangle.
The politicians are afraid to advocate
any reductions in the departments, be
cause of the recoil from the men affected.
Judge Hillyer, however, declares that he
is clean out of politics, and can afford
to take an impartial view of the situation.
The only item in which the majority of
the committee suggested that saving
might be made was on electric light, if
the city owned her own plant. Incidental
1y, they suggested that $500 might be lop-
ped off the salary of the ex-recorder, an
other $500 off the city controller Judge
I1illyer advocates a sweeping reduction
on all sides, from the Mayors salary on
down to the firemen and policemen, He
declares that ten years ago the city de-
partments were as well run as now upon
an average of little more than third of
the present expense, and yet the city has
not grown in proportion TO this great in
crease IN the cost of administration. he
also argues to sustain his economic views,
that a dollar now is worth a good deal
more than it was ten years ago in its pur-
chasing value, and as nearly every class
of business has suffered depression and
reduced incomes from investment, the pap
suckers at the municipal trough ought to
take their medicine the same as other peo-
pie.
In his figuring, Judge Hillyer estimated
that the sanitary department can get along
on $50o00 less a year; the police department
on $40, 600 less; the fire department on $22,-
0O0 less; the water department on $500
less; the electric light department on S2O-
600 less; the city clerk, 5000; the tax collec-
tor $500; the marshal, $500; the mayor $500;
the Recorder $500, and the Grady Hospital
1000 less than they are now receiving.
A comparison of statistics shows that
Atlanta really pays good deal more for
the maintenance OF her municipal depart
ments than any other city of equal size in
the South. The public is beginning to take
a good deal of interest in the subject, and
things are shaping themselves for the big
gest retrenchment campaign the town has
ever known. Corruption in the city govern
ment is not charged, but the trouble seems
to be, according 10 those who have been
making a study of the situation, that the
city has been run in the interest of those
who have been holding the offices. They
want TO get all they could for their ser
vices, and salaries and expenses have been
gradually creeping up until the reformers
declare the town Is in danger of being
ewamped by the army of office holders
who live high and do little work.