The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-05
NO RAISE
SALARY OF
OFFICERS
Not Able to Secure Increase
From Legislature.
COUNCIL WILL OBJECT
Killed Bill to increase Pay of
Bank Commissioner.
COUNCIL WILL OBJECT

Guthrie, o. T., Feb. The territorial
official who is desirous Of securing an in
crease of salary for the next two years.
or a larger appropriation for his office.
viii run up against hard proposition
in the council. The members OF that
body, or at least majority of them, are
OF the opinion that the official who is
not satisfied with the amount of the
salary now drawn by him, has the con-
gtitutional privilege of resigning and be-
coming a private citizen. The council in
all stages of the present legislative game
has been the most economical body of the
two. While it has not been seeking for
opportunities to knock salaries or con-
tngent funds. yet this morning when the
bank bill came up, having majority
and minority report from the committee,
the council, after an interesting debate,
substituted and adopted the minority re-
pert, thus doing away with an increase OF
salary for the bank commissioner and an
appropriation for an assistant commits
sioner and stenographer. together with an
increased appropriation for incidental ex-
penses The minority report carried With
it amendments for the bill recommended
for passage in the majority report.
The majority report on the bill was
that the bank commissioner should re-
ceive salary of s., 600 per annum, and an
annual appropriation of $500 for office
and travelling expenses. II also provided
a 81 200 salary for an assistant commits
siCner and a salary of $500 for an office
stenographer With the bill as ii now
stands in the council there is little
change in the status of the bank COM
missioner's case. There has been de-
Eciency in running the Office for the past
take care of the work of the office with
the appropriation for a contingent fund
made by the Legislature two years ago.
The governor, in his message, took up the
matter and suggested that some provision
be made for this deficit, and this will
probably be done later on There is hard
ly any question but what some radical
changes should be made relative to the
bank commissioners office. When the
present law was placed on the statute
books there We're only fifty banks for the
to look after, and at the
present time he has 226 banks to examine
and watch This fact makes the bank
commissioner one of the hardest worked
men connected with the territorial adj
and almost compels him TO
have an assistant, even if the salary for
the same comes out of his own pocket.
Owing to this condition of affairs it has
to take the office. and it is now said that
unless some radical change is made. the
present capable official. Paul F. Cooper.
will tender his resignation TO Governor
Ferguson.
Senators Mathews and Massingale were
decidedly opposed to an Increase in salary,
regardless of the fact that the fees from
the 90 banks for examination would more
than pay the increase in salary. Math-
avc do oil ha
question. and when the vote on the mi
nority report was taken, enough of the
Republican members of the council voted
with the Democrats to adopt the report.
The ways and means committee has
had under consideration Hickam's bill
providing a stated salary of 81 l.Se0 per
year for the territorial secretary in addi
ton to the appropriation from the gov
ernment for salary and expenses, and
three members of that committee have
signed n report faVorabiy recommending
the bill. The congressional appropriation
is 81, 500 for salary and s2,0I0 for expenses.
The legislature two years ago appropri-
ated $500 TO the secretary's office for eX-
penses making the amount for expenses
aggregate $3.50. II is understood that
Secretary Grimes is OF the opinion, taxi
ing into consideration the expenses of his
office, that the amount is not enough,
and suggested that it ought 10 be at least
Il. 800 more
Mathews house concurrent resolution
providing for committee of three from
the house and two from the council to in
Vestigate the office OF the territorial sec
retary. reached the council today. having
been adopted by the house this morning.
The vote the resolution will not be
taken until tomorrow. There is a senti-
ment that the resolution should not be
adopted. owing II the fact that Mr..
Grimes has submitted statement 20 the
council. and IL the house desires informa-
tion relative 10 fees IL caa secure the
game from Mr.. Grimes, as the council has
done.
The council this morning passed Cores
measure relative 10 Grimes and Punish