Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-23
CITY BUSINESS.
Fight Over Items in the Annual
Salary Bill Expected.
Some of the Other Matters Likely to
Come Up Before the City Council
Monday Evening.

The meeting of the city council, Mon.
day evening, promises to be lively. The
most important matter to come befors
the two branches will be the annual SAL
airy bill, whose provisions, as agreed
upon in finance committee, were pub
lshed in the Spy Saturday morning.
There will certainly be opposition to
that item In the bill which reduces the
salary of City Treasurer Barton from
$3400 to $780, The vote in committee
stood four to two in favor of the reduc-
ton, and it is understood that the mi
nority of the committee will carry their
opposition to the reduction to the city
council, and will endeavor to keep the
salary of the veteran city treasurer at
the old figure. They argue that Mr.
Barton was reelected to his old position
three weeks ago, unanimously, and that
it is not fair to him, after such an en-
dorsement, to cut his salary % per cent.
The economists on the committee ar
que that Mr.. Barton has grown old in
office, and is not capable of giving the
city so much service as he used to. They
urge the fact that during the past
year he has, at the earnest recommend
alton of members of the city govern
ment, appointed an assistant to act as
v
should be reduced. There Is likely to
be some question as to the other items
which call for increase of pay of sew
eral of the city hall officials, though
probably no one will object to the paltry
800 which is added to City Messenger
Marvin's pay, when it is understood
that the books of the highway depart
ment have been taken away from him,
and with them a salary of $500, which
he used to draw from that source. His
pay with the increase of $100, will
therefore be $500 less than it has been,
and his duties in the new city hall are
likely to be more onerous.
There is some interest in the expected
opinion from City Solicitor Rugg as to
the legality of the sale of merchandise
to the city by a member of the city
council or municipal board. This ques-
| ton comes up every few years, and
some attention is paid to the law for
few months, and then things go on as
before. The occasion Of the present ag-
itation is the big bills which Commits
sioner Draper has had against the city
for shade trees which he has sold to the
parks commission, Of which he is a
member. There is not much doubt as
to how Solicitor Rugg will construe the
law. Its provisions are plain enough
for even a layman to- read and under
stand.
duced Monday evening will be an order
by alderman Potter looking to the pass
age of an ordinance requiring the citv
treasurer to present the itemized tax
bills, so that the taxpayer may know,
without visit to the assessors office
just how much he is assessed upon each
piece of property he owns.
1t is possible, too, that there may be
some attempt to inquire into the meth
DDS of the parks commission outside OF
the custom Of some OF its members to
sell goods to the city. Some members
of the city council say there must be
unbusiness-like methods in a parks com
mission whose members disclaim all
knowledge of what has been doing In
the principal park of the city during an
entire season. In some quarters there
is question as to whether all the MEM
berS of the commission are as ignorant
as they would have it appear. A sketch
of what was going on in the parks, pub
hshed IN the Spy Monday, July 12, told
of the change in the policy of caring for
Elm Park, about which so much Is said
nowadays, and aus to which all the com
missioners, with the exception of Com
mission Hadwen, now express the most
profound ignorance. The chief differ
ence between Mr.. Hadwen and his col
leagues seems to be that he has the
courage of his convictions and is will.
An order will come in from the COM
mittee ON police, asking for the an
pointment of 10 additional policemen, to
meet the wants of a rapidly-groWdnx
city, which will make the number ot
patrolmen ia, exclusive of sergeants.
doormen, drivers and other attaches OF
the department.
1t is also possible that a petition will
come in asking the city council to res
cind its order to have the Canterbury
street school house built by the day. II
is known that many Of the labor lead
ers in the city are disguised at the
course which has been pursued by the
Stonecutters' Union with regard to the
work on this building, and they dread
renewal of it when it comes to work
on the superstructure of the building.
Certainly, such an unseemly exhibition
as has been witnessed regarding the
cutting Of the stone for the school
house, cannot do the cause of labor any
good. and it seems extra expense and
delay to the city.