Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-08
THE SALARY BILL.
Committee on Conference Fail to
Reach an Agreement.
President Potter Makes an Address on the
subleot-Presldent Hall Talks About
City Hall Tablet.

as the result Of the meeting Monday
evening. President Potter brought the
matter before the board. and 1t was re-
ferred to COMMITTEES of conference, but
no agreement was reached. 1t was vot-
ed to grant hearings to the Consolidated
street railway for permission to lay
turnouts on Park avenue, and the Wor-
cester and Clinton Street Railway for a
franchise to operate an electric street
railway between Adams square and
the Shrewsbury line, Feb. %, at eight
O'Clock
President Potter brought Sac salary
bill before the board after disposing OF
a number of petitions, by calling Alder
man Brannon to the chair and taking
the floor
Mr.. Potter said: 1t is a serious prob
lem In the complexity Of modern NUM-
clpal life to secure all of the up-to-date
improvements at an expenditure that
Will not make the burden of taxation
too heavy to be borne by the owners OF
moderate estates. Year by year the
pressure Of taxation is felt more and
more by the people, and it is no time to
Increase the salaries of office holders
except in those cases where changed
conditions have increased greatly their
duties and responsibilities.
Mr.. Gage, secretary of the United
States treasury in a recent speech,
asserted that there has been fall in
the prices of commodities of q per cent
during the past few years, and that in
Itself is equivalent to large increase
in the salaries of all office holders.
Without doubt the past few years the
people who live upon salaries have had
the advantage over wage workers and
business folks 4 person who has a
fixed salary with regular payments,
especially in times of falling prices and
decaying business, is relieved of the
losses and anxiety which beset those
who have the salaries to pay.
Again, as matter of pub.
lie policy, don't believe it is
advisable to pay public Of
flcials more than is paid for the same
class of work in the walks of private
life. To do so is to elevate office hold
ers into a privileged and favorite class,
and as a consequence there is a scram-
BILE for place in their ranks. 1t is
contrary to the true theory of repub-
ican government to have a privileged
class to be highly paid while in Office
and pensioned in old age. An honest
and efficient official is a useful citizen,
but he is no more useful than an equal
ly honest and efficient private citizen.
But while l am utterly opposed to CIV
ing any public servant a pension after
he has ceased to perform public service,
yet I would not object to letting old
and faithful public servants continue in
the public service on reduced pay after
their energies have been impaired by
age, so long as they are able to earn
the salaries given them. For instance,
think it would be we'll to organize the
old men in the street department, who
have worked faithfully and we'll for
many years, into an honor brigade to do
light work in cleaning streets at re-
duced wages. And likewise it might be
Well to allow efficient and faithful old
policemen to continue in office in easy
positions at reduced pay. And I can
see no objection to the application of
this principle to some other public serv-
ants.
AS a member of the finance commit
tee, ] was actuated in some degree by
this view of the matter in voting to fix
Mr.. Barton's salary at $500 I knew
that Mr.. Barton had grown gray in the
honest and faithful performance of pub
lie duties, and I for one should be will
ing to let him continue in Office a while
longer at a salary commensurate with
the services performed. 1t did not oc-
cur to me that the reduction of his sal
airy was subjecting him to any indignity
where by his own action in the appoint
ment OF an assistant to do half mis-
work, he confessed he was unable to
perform all the duties of his office
When the pastor Of the church where ]
attend divine worship asked for an as
sistant to help him in his work. and his
request was granted, he said: PAY the
assistant out of my salary" and it was
done In that case I never heard any
one suggest that the pastor had beer
subjected to an indignity because his
salary had been reduced
To my mind 1t is not dishonorable tc
grow old; nor is it dishonorable for ones
eyes II grow dim, and to have his nat
ural force abated; but it is dishonorable
Tor one to ask full pay for half service
| 1t is unreasonable to expect that the
city will continue Mr.. Barton in office
| at full pay when he is unable to render
| full service If he and his would be
! friends insist upon full salary, then his
! days as city treasurer are nearly mum.
bered. The finance committee and those
in the city council who agree with then
| are the real and true friends Of Mr.
Barton.
But there are other reasons why the
! expenses of his Office should be reduced
! The expenses of that office are out Of
proportion to the work performed
| suppose that something like S., 900, 0Ot
passes annually through that office. and
the city pays about 200 per year fol
having that money handled In the ma
! tional banks of the city. where the worl
is something similar, it probably does
not cost the banks over 900 for every
! 100000 handled. There are plenty O
men in the city entirely competent and
perfectly able to give ample bonds t.
/ guarantee the faithful and satisfactory
| performance of the duties of the office
who would be glad of an opportunity tC
4 perform and furnish all the services in
1 cident to the duties of that Office for $40
] 900 per year. Besides Mr.. Barton, there
are three other highly paid officials il
that office, and five or six clerks.
BY section SO of the city charter every
administrative officer having the charg,
of department is authorized to appoint
and employ all subordinate officers
1 clerks and assistants in his department
and fix their compensation. Now, wher
such administrative officer employs
more help and appoints more subordi
nate officers than necessary to per
| form the work of his department. is il
| unreasonable or unfair to reduce his
own salary? Last year the officers o.
| one of the best banks in the city Offered
to furnish Mr. Barton for a reasonable
compensation a competent man to as
| sist him in receiving the tax money, bu
he refused their offer, and proceeded t
appoint an assistant to help him all The
year round at an annual salary of $4,000
| / will not tax your patience by goine
over the other items in controversy il
the list of salaries. / think the finance
committee struck very near the colder
mean. know 1t tried TO do what wa,
right and fair for the city and it's pub
lie officials. for one am willing to ad
nit however, that there is great meri
| in the common councils raise of Mr.
Eddy's salary. Mr.. Eddy has now helt
his present office for five years. ant
there has not been raise in his salary