The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-17
MAYORS SALARY CUT FIRST.
$500 TO COME OFF THE CHIEF
EXECUTIVES PAY.

NV CounciI-The Board Is Not
Ready Yet to Talk of Its DcIibera-
tions-Supt. Lotion. City Marshal
Power. Clerk of Council Bailey and
CITY Treasurer Hnrdee Among the
officials Hcduced-Where Cuts Are
Not Specified. IL Is said n General
Reduction of 10 Per Cent. May BE
Made.
At a meeting Of the City Council, as
committee Of the whole. yesterday after
noon. the reduction to be made in the sala-
ries Of city officials was agreed upon. and
will probably be announced at the meet
ing next Wednesday night. A slice IS to
be taken off the pay Of nearly every official
Mayor Myers first proposed reduction
in his own salary. from 81, 500 to 5000. The
reason for this is explained in the fact
that the Mayor advocated a reduction all
along the line, and desired to put himself
on record by making the first cut i'm his
own salary. After that he felt free to
suggest any further revisions. When ask
ed about the conclusions that Council
reached, Mayor Myers declined 10 talk.
He said the reduction would be announced
Wednesday night.
Clerk Of Council Bailey is understood to
have been instructed to draw up notices
of reductions in the salaries Of City Treas
urer Hardee, Assistants Pritchard and
Dreese an the treasurer's office, City En-
gineer VIM, Assistant J. de Bruyn Hops,
Commissioner of Public Works Gadsden,
city Marshal Power Clerk of Council
Bailey and City Recorder Hartridge. With
these officers it is understood a specific
cut has been agreed upon, but with all
others a reduction of 10 per cent is 10 Re
made.
The main object in the cut, said
an alderman last night, Is. 10.
bring expenses within the es-
tmated revenue. While he was not au-
thorized to give out any information, the
alderman said that the salary of Superin-
tent Lotion Is to be cut from 81, 400 to $1,000,
and City Marshal Power from 81 800 TO
$1,000. Beyond this he declined 10 say
anything, except that "a general cut of
10 per cent. was to be made on all sala-
ries."
Just what the further reductions will be
cannot be told, but il is stated that a gen
eral sweep will be made
Those who volunteered information de-
clined to give the amounts of reductions,
but stated that each official would be re-
duced TO the fullest extent.
According TO the statement Of one alder
man, the Office of Plumbing Inspector Cos
grove is TO go. 1t win be consolidated with
the water works department and the
plumber under Superintendent Lotion will
be expected to perform the work. For some
time it was understood this Office would
be retained, but il seems the board saw
chance TO save the amount of the In
spector's salary, and did not hesitate to
do it. In discussing this action an alderman
said there is no reason why the plumber
in Superintendent Lotions office should
not perform the duties. He said il had been
urged that the city is not out anything for
the Inspectors fees, but ne considered il
the amount were collected from the people
the City Council was directly responsible
for il by creating the office. He said he
thought the abolition of the office was a
saving to the city, and he therefore advo-
Gated It.
Several other reductions In salaries are
understood to be under contemplation.
Supt. Mcguire of the fire department is to
be cut, and Supt. Screven of the police
department viii also have to share the
burden of expenses Supt. Screven now
receivs $500, which is more than the sal
ary paid the Mayor. OF this. 5000 comes
from the city. and the other 5000 from the
Ocean Steamship Company.
Besides these officials Ii Is also under
stood Health Officer LeHardy Is to be cut.
He now receives a salary of $3.50 which
was increased from $3.50 several years
ago, when the health officer was required
TO devote his entire time to the office
PREVIOUS to that the health officer was
allowed to carry on his private practice
Mayor Myers was seen after the meeting
and asked as to what had taken place. He
declined TO say anything, except that the
board had been considering the budget
Whether there will be another meeting
this week. Mayor Myers could not say. but
he was confident that Council will have
decided by Wednesday on all the changes
Il proposes to make.
IL was settled at yesterdays meeting
that City Engineer Winn's office is not 10
be consolidated with that of Commissioner
Gadsden, but reduction of salary is to
be made instead. This will be a consid-
cradle relief to Col. Winn. as he has been
expecting some kind of change in his de-
partment. and the fact that he is only to
suffer reduction will doubtless be receiv-
ed with satisfaction. For some time IL
was thought this office would be absorbed
IN The consolidation with the public
works department, but, as a reduction In
salary has been agreed upon, this step will
probably be abandoned
There is considerable conjecture about
whether the officials reduced will resign.
The opinion is that they will not. though
this cannot be told until they have ex-
pressed themselves. While it will be pretty
hard 10 stand a reduction il is not beliey-
ed there are any who will give up their
positions, as they would much prefer hold
ing on to what they have than search for
others.
At the tail end of the meeting of the
committee of the whole the board went
into open session long enough to grant
Health Officer lie Hardy a three weeks
leave of absence. The request for an ex-
tension of time was sent to the Mayor
some days ago, but as he could moi grant
leave for more than thirty DAYS. the
matter was referred TO Council. There
seemed TO be no hesitancy on the part of
the board in granting the additional leave
TO Dr.. LIE Hardy, and the hope was ex-
pressed that he may soon be able to as
sumo his duties.
MILITARY PRISONER ESCAPED,