The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-09-23
WILL INVESTIGATE
CITY EMP LOYES' PAY
First Steps in This Direction
Taken Last Night.

Steps looking to beginning an active In
vestigation of the salaries of city officers
and employees and the final recommended
ton of the ordinance creating board
Of plumbing examiners occupied much
time at the meeting of the Council Com
mittee on Ordinances, Charter and Re
form, which was held last night in room
Il of the City Hall. a full committee was
present, and these matters were given a
most thorough consideration, it looking
for q time as il the plumbing ordinance
would be held up for fully two months
longer. It was finally acted upon favor
ably, and at the next meeting OF the
Council will no doubt become a law.
The City Council a short time ago
passed a resolution referring all ques-
tons of increase in salary of officials and
employees of the city to the Committee on
Ordinances, Charter and Reform. vestinS
in them the power to investigate every
department of the city government with
a view to obtaining such information as
will enable them to Judge the merits and
dement's OF the numerous applications
for increase in pay. and requiring them
to report back TO Council at some future
date a schedule of the salaries they think
lltS Oll!CSiS ttIitl eliplcy IS Suctltl RECEIVE.
ONE AT a TINE.
After all other business had been dis
posed of last night, this matter was taken
up the resolution being read by the clerk
Mr.. Bottom moved that d communica.
ton be addressed to the head OF each de
partment, with a request that the names,
salaries and duties Of every employee be
forwarded to the committee within the
next ten days, at which time q called
IT Is
considering them.
1t was the sense of the body that one
department be taken up at the time. and
as soon as the committee completes a
schedule of salaries for certain de-
part1nent it will be forwarded to Council
with a recommendation that 1T be
adopted.
The work Of revising the salaries of all
o. the city employees Is one of the biggest
and most tedious tasks ever left to a sin
gle COMMITTEES. and it is not expected that
the work will be finally completed Tor
several months.
When the ordinance creating a. board OF
plumbing examiners came up a warm de-
bate was precipitated. the members hav4
ing different views as to the charge which
should be made for certificates of a sue
cessful examination. The ordinance calls
for the payment of 81 for permit and so
bone . attention. several thinking that
nc cb : should be made. while others
were ,r the opinion that at least s. should
be turned into the Golfers of the city for
every permit granted
WILL NOT LICENSE BOOTBLACkS.
After much time had been used up in
talking. it was decided to recommend the
adoption of the ordinance as drawn by
the City Attorney. and it is now up TO
Council again. There is no doubt but that
it Will be passed.
During the meeting an opinion from
City Attorney Pollard was read. III which
he stated that it would be Illegal to place
a license tax upon bootblacks over fifteen
years of age, inasmucfl as it would be
class legislation. Some time ago an ordi-
nance was introduced placing a tax upon
bcotblacks over fifteen years of age at
SIG per annum. As result of the opinion
Of the City Attorney this ordinance VIII
be killed.
An ordinance offered at the last meet
ing of the Council by Mr. E. w. Miner
requiring all lawyers who appear before
Council or Council committees in the ca
pacity Of paid attorneys to pay tax OF
500 was reported upon adversely by the
committee on motion OF Mr. Crensha".
No debate was precipitated by the ordl-
nance, as no one offered to support IL