New-York tribune., 1901-04-01
PRICE THREE CENTS.
TO REDUCE CITY EXPENSES
HOW s2OOOOOOo MAY BE SAVED IN THE
SALARY LIST.

MEASURE TO PROVIDE FOR COMMISSION TO
INQUIRE INTO NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
AND THEIR COMPENSATION.
Albany. March 81 (speciaD.-AssembIynar
Weekes. OF New-York. will introduce a bill to-
morrow night which is intended to bring about
a curtaiIment OF more than S2OO00OO0 in tbs
salary list of New-York City. and to safeguard
the treasury of the municipality against the
efforts TO drain it of money.
! To accomplish this great work the bill pro-
vides for the establishment of a commission OF
fifteen men, TO be appointed by the Governor
and who will be empowered to thoroughly ex-
anime the present voluminOus payrolls OF the
city. In order to carry on the examination with
especial vigor the commission is to appoint
sub-commissiOns. one for each department ot
the municipal government.
The bill. which is given H. full at the end os
this article. provides that the fifteen commissions
ers shall be allowed to expend not to exceed
$4,000 in all, defines their duties in examining
employees and provides that they shall suggest
legislation which will fix The number of Offices
| necessary in their Judgment in each department
and the salary which each Of such employees
would receive If employed by a business firm.
/ The commission is therefore to be made up OF
| business men, chosen from the commercial and
| financial world. men much Of the stamp OF the
present Committee of Fifteen. and who will have
no political purposes to serve.
| 1t is to be their purpose Mr.. weekes says 70
learn how many men on the city's payroIls
| there not for service TO the city. but to draw
funds with which to guard the power OF Tam
| many Hall and the election OF their "bosses' to
| office The commission is. furthermore 70 de-
| termine what is equitable pay for the different
| officers and employees of the city and to frame
legislation which will define exactly the number
of offices in the different departments which are
| actually necessary and the exact salary for each
office.
This pr posed legislation. IL enacted into law
by the legislature. is 70 be added to the city
charter. and will therefore render impossible
the increases of salary and Of officials which
now are of weekly occurrence. These new
tions of the charter in which are to be contained
the itemized salary list Of the city cannot be
changed except through legislative enactment
Mr.. Weekes believes that this is no violation ot
home rule If the city will save more than
$2oO0OOO0 thereby.
! GOVERNORS PLEA FOR ECONOMY.
No man at the State Capitol has felt the need
OF retrenchnent in the municipal government OF
New-York more than Governor Odeu
In his message regarding the commissions re-
| port he urged the legislature to amend the re-
vised charter TO secure the city greater economy.
This recommendation was little needed if at all
In some instances the Cities committees. which
had the work OF charter revision in charge. even
went counter to the Governors wish and sought
20 increase the city's payroll The most glariaS
evidence of such action is the amendment to
provide for three platoon system for the Police
| Department which. it is said. will add fully
/ S4.O00OOO to the city's expenditures.
| In his message the Governor said:
al i 5s is unf0Tu9aS s BsRaP % that the commission
mendations for economy instead of combining them
the various departments This omission upon their
part should not restrain ram you however: IRON put
the affairs Of the city Of New-YOrk.
That the Governor favors the ends sought To
he reached by the weekes bill may be inferred
from another extract from his message regard
ing the report of the Charter Revision Conmis-
sion. which is follows:
The suggestions Of the commission for the fixing
OF salaries OF employees etc, by the Board OF Esti
mate and Apportonment and by the Board OF
protection of the taxpayers We must understand
been outlined In the case OF the Dolice recon1ena
tions. The limit Of salaries should be fixed by the
rect existing evils before continuing to this board
the power which 1t now possesses.
Evidence OF the way the payroIs of We city
have been rolling up is forcibIy shown b. The
City Record OF January 81. which tabulated an
increase OF S266265 in salaries and an addition
of twelve hundred names TO the payroll for the
six months preceding The records also show an
increase of S627. .4S5 for the year Of 1900.
DETAILED TABLE OF INCREASES.
These figures do not take into consideration
the increase in the payrolls Of the Department.
Of Education made mandatory by the Davis
law. In the other departments the increases ara
=