Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-29
SPECIFIC CUTS MADE.
BILLS TO MAKE SWEEPING REDuC
TIoxs IN SALARIES.
ESTIMATED WILL SAVE OYER $4,000.
The Patron OF the Bills Says They
VIII Pass-A RetrenchmentC Confer
ence Held Last Nighf-Senate and
House Committees.


The bills introduced in the House yes
terday by Captain Featherston, Of Camp
bell, making cuts in the salaries Of base
ment officers and the clerks Of the Senate
and House, will, il they become laws,
effect an annual saving to the State Of
s25 $50.
The cut in the salaries is not horizontal,
but IL Is In no instance less than 10 per
cent
Following are the reductions made in
each case: Attorney-General, from $500
TO $3.50; Auditor Of Public Accounts,
from 5000 to $500; Second Auditor. from
$1,000 TO $3.50; Treasurer, from 5000 to
$3.50; Secretary of the Commonwealth,
unchanged from 5000. but all fees are to
be paid into the State Treasury; Superin-
tendent of Printing. from $3.50 to 1920;
Engineer at the Capitol, from $1,000 to
$3.50; Superintendent of the Pententiary.
salary unchanged from $1,000, but the
surgeons pay is reduced from S72O to $500,
first assistant Keepers salary of s72O is
unchanged, but those of the other six as
sistants are reduced from 500 to 5000; the
clerk'a salary of $500 is not changed. nor
that of members of the Board of Direc-
tors. The salary Of the Railroad Com
missioner is left intact. The Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction will receive
a salary OF 81, 800. instead of $1,000, and his
necessary travelling expenses, which have
to be approved by the Board Of Education,
| as at present.
1t is provided by another bill introduced
| by Captain Featherstor that the salary
of the Clerk of the House shall be re-
duced from 81 800 TO $3.50 a year, and that
of the Clerk of the Senate from $1,000 TO
$500, and in the event Of an extra ses-
sion, they are to receive in addition the
sums of $500 and $500. respectively.
DEMANDED BY TAXPAYERS.
at is very hard for me to advocate
| cutting the salaries of men VINO are
among my dearest friends said Captain
| Featherston last night, but l, in COM
| mon with my NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., realize
that have sworn duty 10 perform, anu
] believe my oath TO perform TO me
best of my ability the duties Of my once
requires that in this time Of the state $
dire need salaries should be greatly re-
duced.
"Our officials are paid too much. Why,
the entire family. estimated to average
| five, of every farmer in this State, Is
only 1886 per year? These people are
| taxed to paw the salaries of the officials
affected by my bill, and 1t is unjust that
office-holders should receive 50 much ana
| the taxpayers so little. l am oIten
shocked and depressed when think that
/ the average annual income OF each per
| son living on a farm is only about ISL
for | know many receive much more than
this and | can't help feeling for those
who must receive less. Radical retrench-
ment is needed, and believe we are
! going to have 1t. We have taken no snap
Judgment on anybody, for my resolution
adopted by the joint caucus az the Degln-
! ming of the session, provided that election
of these officers did not mean mat the
| right to abolish them or reduce the saia-
ries was not reserved
Retrenchment Conference Last Night
A rather small-sized joint conference
! of the Democratic members of the 6ehe
| raj Assembly. called for the purpose OF
| considering the question OF retrenchHiene
| and reform, was held last night In the
Hall of the House, with Mr. COOKE, Oh
! Norfolk in the chair. 49,
conference was called, opened the us
cussion. He said the members were ho'
going forward with the work OF re
trenchment that was expected OF thein.
| He recalled their promises TO tnelr coz
| erituents and said that while he could
| not definitely outline what was 10 pe
done. he was in favor of greater earnest
ness in the matter
A HORIZONTAL CUT
When he closed Senator Flood oftered
the following: % chic
conference that the salary of every ON
| ciaI paid directly out Of the State lltd-
sury be reduced 10 per cent, ana the
proper committees are hereby reque 49,
to prepare bills carrying out TINS iues
! and as TO the various institutions OF lhe
| state. where the salaries have been hAeu
| nv The board thereof, to give careful con,
| sjderation TO the report OF the sPtcia'
committee appointed to investigate 'ne9o
Mr. Withrow said that he had never
| made positive promises for retrenchment
| 10 his constituents He had Simply prom.
| ised ia serve them. one and all. lie urged
the danger of SUCH action as Ssna n.a
said that It was on the wrong line, ana
| i'm conflict with the work being done py
| the special Retrenchment committee,
| which. he said, would report IN ie"
senator Flood replied that he was IN
| favor of a horizontal cut Of all salaries
| paid from the treasury, no naIler wn IS'n
| II affected. from the highest oincial uoWn
and including the members OF inc hoe'S
! lature.
OTHER PROPOSITIONS MADE.
Mr. Minter objected to horizontal CUT
of salaries, as did Senator keezeil, WIN
| offered the following resolution:
| "Resolved, That the matter OF reuu "
ton of salaries be postponed untli re-
| mort from the committees on reHehCn
| ment has been received: -, .,
The following resolution was "iSo u
| fered by Mr.. Chaplin: -, s,,,,
| 'Resolved That this conference has 1ull
confidence i'm the Committee or Rerench-
| ment. and in the pledges given thse
| within three days such measures VIII DC
! brought forward as will be acceptable u
| all who favor general retrenchment
No action was taken on any OF eneso
resolutions. though considerable uiSouS
sion was INDUCED in.
WANTED NOTICE GIVEN.
Mr. Darlington thought that while the
| resolution of Mr.. Flood might be a goou
| one vet some Of the offices could De
! ahoiished There was one, he sald, Will
J in The sound of his voice, the Register Oh
the Land Office, that In his oplnion9 a InG1e
was no use Tor ne ne. i1e" declared the
delegate from Charlotte. "Wny, we get
Ittle enough now" continued MT. Car
rington. Think OF statesman getting
| only 81 a day." .,..,o.,, no
! soid .swithout giving the officers notlce
| SVhv Il is unjust. You must remember
| mat those gentlemen have iamliles 'hal
| have been Increasing. .us.
Mr. Darlington said that, or course,
| thouch he had nothing to DO with tne
outti1o except In his own case, he uld
oot tbinlx N fair to decrease the salary
! Of a bachelor like himself, VINO was an
| Lone In the world. He declared himself
| in favor OF reducing the salary OF the
Governor. 49,. .Ao ,s,a,urs
,.'.ia ha,a the courage not only 10 cut