The morning news., 1899-12-20
SALARIES WERE NOT RAISED.
CITY EMPLOYEES FORMER PAY RE-
STORED IN SOME INSTANCES.

The Salary List for 1900 Less Than
That for 1898, the Mayor Says.
Some VIII Continue at the Reduc-
ed Figure-The Park and Trees
Appropriation the Same as for the
Present Year-Chairman Damn
Tells why the Appropriation Is
Too smaII-The City to be Furnish
ed with "A New Map-HOuse Drain
age Work VIII BE Pushed.
The city's budget and salary list for 1900
were scanned with interest yesterday. The
people of Savannah take a very decided
interest in the financial management of
their city. In fact, there are probably
few municipalities where the public ex-
penditures are more carefully watched.
There was some comment because the
salary list did not show the names Of sew
eral of the well known officials of the city,
and there was a disposition in some quar-
ters to draw the conclusion that the sal
airy list was in reality larger than 1t APP
peaTed to be. Mayor Myers attention
was called to this.
''The city's salary list" said the Mayor,
Simply provides for the salaries of the
officers and employees, whose salaries are
not included in any of the department
appropriations. This has been the rule
for years. The salaries of such officials
as the health officer, superintendent of
police, superintendent of water works and
superintendent of the fire department are
included in the appropriations to their re-
spective departments"
The salaries Of some of the department
officials were cut last February, among
them the superintendent of police and su-
perintendent of water works Mayor
Myers said no change had been made in
the salaries of these officials and ne did
not think any would be made. The su-
perintendent of police receives 81 800 from
the city, but as he gets 5000 as chief of the
Ocean Steamship force he is not an OBJ
ject Of sympathy. The superintendent of
water works gets 5000. the superintendent
of the fire department $1,000 and the health
officer $780, The latter is the highest
paid official in the city, but the action of
Council in bringing him back from Ha-
vana at any price has been generally ap-
proved.
THE citys salary list for 1900" said
Mayor Myers, 'ls somewhat less than that
for 1895 though more than that for 1899.
At the latter part of January when the
present Council assumed charge, the city
was threatened with a deficit. To eet
the emergency a general cut was made in
appropriations, including salaries The
emergency no longer exists and as these
gentlemen have served the city faithfully
for a number of years il was only right
that their salaries should be restored"
Mayor Myers called attention to the fact
that at the beginning of his administra-
ton the budget made up by the previous
administration, amounting to a total Of
SSl0,44S was pruned considerably,
number of the departments having their
appropriations trimmed, so that the re-
vised budget called for only $3.50, ,977.S2 BY
good management the city's financial op
erations have been conducted within this
revised estimate and Il will carry over a
balance to next year. The total budget es-
innate for the coming year is 1874, 65377.
This lead to the errer that reduction
had been made in the appropriation to the
Park and Tree Commission said the
Mayor. 'The commission was allowed
$1,000 in the original budget as made up by
the last Council. This was reduced to
5000 in February. The commission has
been given the same amount, 5000, for the
coming year"
Mayor Myers was told that many peo-
pie would have been glad to see an in
crease in the appropriation TO the Park
and Tree Commission for 1900 on account
of the good work that II is doing in beau
tifying the city.
with the large appropriation to the
house drainage work and the large amount
demanded for opening streets, chiefly 10
meet notes falling due said the Mayor
''it was out of the question to increase the
appropriation to any of the departments
except where ii was absolutely required
II was case of providing for our necessi-
ties first and for ornament afterwards
The Park and Tree seems to have made
..aNt Ill hi
doubtless do as well next year"
Mayor Myers said that the Estil Park
matter is still undecided, the committee
which was appointed to take up the mat
ter with the County Commissioners, not
having reported yet. Alderman Haas,
who was chairman of the committee left
for the north yesterday, but the other
members of the committee will probably
submit report at the next meeting of
Council. The fact that no appropriation
was made for Estin Park in the budget Is
significant.
Chairman Daffin. of the Park and Tree
Commission, does not agree with the Nav
or In this matter. "Our appropriation this
year" he said was barely sufficient TO
carry on our routine work. We have had
TO skimp and save in every possible way
We were compelled TO use our one team cf
mules last Sunday in hauling debris from
the parks and squares as the team is re-
CURED all the week in hauling in new trees
for planting. ] was in nope that we would
be given sufficient means to buy another
team, as there is a great deal Of work re-
curing the use Of teams to be done There
are several hundred. probably 1000 dead
trees in the city, which should be re-
moved this winter. This is more cost
~ work than an Inexperienced person
would imagine, as the trees do not have
to be simply cut dowp and sawed up, but
the stumps have to be removed and the
soil replaced, and all this work has to be
done In manner not to injure other trees
or surrounding property. We may nave
90 call on the street and lane department.
10 ald US in this work. as our one team
VIII hardly be sufficient"
Mr.. Dafiin chiefly regrets the small ap-
preparation because it limits the commits
sion TO caring for the work It already has
IN hand without allowing it to undertake
any new work.
Next TO the sanitation of the city"
he said, should come its Identification
By oeautifying the city we do not only
give pleasure to our own people by adding