The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-12-31
COUNTY CHANCES
Comparison Of the Payrolls
Of Today and Fifteen
Years Ago.
MANY new APPOINTEES
The Positions and Salaries
Have Been Puzzling the
Freeholders.

The new Board of Freeholders created
something OF a sensation at last Thurs
days meeting, when some dismissais
were made and the salary roll was de-
creased over 5000 annually. Whether
there was any actual need of the i'm
mense increase in the number of county
employees made by different boards dur
ing the last fifteen years, and whether
there was sufficient warrant for the in
creases in the salaries of many of the
appointees during that time, have been
problems that the nine new Freeholders
have been graphing with since they en-
tered on the duties of office on December
6 last.
All were new men in the conduct of the
county's business, and, as 1.-THE News
told at the time, the determination to
make no wholesale dismissals at the
start was based on the Freeholders' de-
sire to learn from experience where the
payroll could be lessened without injury
to the service. In less than one month
it has been found that over 5000 could
be saved to enable the Board to live
within it's decreased appropriation for
the present year. The current rumor
that further decapitatiens may be look
ed for in the near future makes inter-
esting a summary of the number and
salaries of county employees fifteen years
ago as compared with the number and
salaries of the appointees with which the
Freeholders will begin the new century
In 1856 the entire clerical force in the
office of the board consisted of a clerk
at $500 per annum and an assistant at
$500. Then years later the clerks salary
had been increased by $500; the assistants
by $500, and a second assistant had been
appointed at salary of $780, The in
creased business of the office neeessitated
the enlargement of this force from time
to time and the first assistant was in
creased $500 more. Three extra clerks
were appointed at $500 each, making the
total pay roll for clerical work in the
Freeholder's Office $500 as against So, 400
A net increase, ,SloZXar9cmfw ypajojU
in 1856. A net increase of $500. That the
entire force now employed is absolutely
necessary is conceded by all acquainted
wit hthe work being done in the Free
holers's office.
Fifteen years ago when the late Job
H. Lippincott was counsel to the board,
sistant. Today the counsel receives $1,000
and has an assistant at $1,S00. About
twelve years ago the positions of counsel
to the County Collector and counsel to the
county board for the equalization of taxes
were created, but have since been abol-
ished.
The County Collectors salary in 1885
was $3.50 and he hed no assistant. The
work of this office has increased material
ly during Mr.. Dugan's incumbeney and he
now receives s4,5O0 annually and an APP
preparation of 1920 for clerical help in
his Office is made by the board.
County Physician Converse in 1886 re-
ceived 81 LOCO annually. His present salary
is LOCO more than that amount, and an
assistant at $1,000 was appointed about
six years ago and is still on the payroll.
Of all the county officials the salary of
only the County superintendent remains
today what it was fifteen years ago-$s, 900.
The positions created at the Court
House and Jail were:-Map Clerk, $1,S00;
custodian, $1,000; night engineer, $500;
bookbinder, jury clerk and two index
clerks, 81, 900 each. Prior to the time mem
toned the only employees on this payroll
were:-One engineer, $780, night watch
man. $3.50, and gardener, $3.50. The last
was succeeded by the custodian, but the
other two appointees still remain.
The payroll of the penitentiary in 1886
contained the names of sixteen under
keepers, nine other male employees and
one female employs; ten years later thre
wre eighteen underkeepers. twelve other
male employees and three female employees.
Today there are sixteen underkeeperS,
thirteen other male employees and three
female employees. The payroll of that in
stitution in December, 1886, was s., 1,49l.04;
ten years late, in September, 1886, it had
increased to $2014.47, and with the present
force of employees it will average about
$2,2l5 a month.
In December, 1856, it cost the county.
81. 1.039s7 to pay the salaries of seven male
attendants, five other male and eleven
female employees at the Asylum. Ten
years later the payroll for August was
Si,S4S.S0, and there were twenty male and
eighteen female employees at that institu-
tion. The present payroll will average
about the same as in 1896. The large in
crease over fifteen years ago is largely
due to the building of the new Asylum
and the removal here of the 100 odd pa
tients belonging to this county and be-
ing cared for at the MOTIFS flalns lnstl-
tuition.
In 1886 there were nine male and six
female employees at the Almshouse with a
payroll of 1920 a month. Today there
are fifteen made and eleven female en-
ployes whose joiptsalaries will aggregate
$1,4e ,.66 a month.
Two gate keepers at salaries of s72o
each an assistant store keeper at s1so00,
were among the appointments of recent
years The latter position is one of those
abolished by the Freeho,ders at their last.
meeting.
The increases in the salaries Of the
heads of the different Snake Hill institu-
tions have been:-A1nshouse Warden,
1856, s., 200. 1900, $1,000; Asylum superinten-
dent. 1886, s1,l5o, 1900 $3.50.