The Saint Paul globe., 1903-03-18
BOARD OF ALDERMEN
WOULD RAISE
WAGES
Passes Three Resolutions In
ereasing Pay of Employees
Under City Engineer =
Rundlett Protests That the
Extra Cost Will Cripple
His Department.

With half a dozen members trying to
climb onto the band wagon, others
making every effort to send the meas
ures to the committee on streets, and
the balance sitting idly by enjoying the
run, three resolutions were passed by
the board of aldermen last night which
call for general advance in the
prices paid for city labor.
One resolution. introduced by Aid.
BantZ increases the wages of all street
sWeepers and members Of the city
street force generally from 50 to $40
a week, and two others, introduced by
AID. Dobner, advance the monthly sti.
pend of all street commissioners from
$f5 to 1888, and the daily hire of men
employed in repairing sidewalks from
Sl.o0 to 81. In each instance the reso-
Iutlons went through by a close vote
. to 4. The minority wanted all sent to
the committee on streets.
Hinkens Starts Ball Rolling.
Aid. Hinkens set the ball rolling
when he gave notice, several days ago.
OF resolution to raise the wages of
all white wings" from $1.50 to $1.60 a
day, with the allowance of a free uni
form, but henever realized on his mag
nanimity.
Aid. Bantz beat him to it by a dozen
lengths, and the first thing he knew
he was facing a bill to raise labor gen.
orally, and listening to the voice of the
Eighth ward alderman beating the air
oratorfcally in an endeavor to show the
other members that the prices of tea
and coffee are up, and it behooved the
city to act, promptly and save it's ILL
paid laborers from the poorhouse.
Aid. DObner demanded reference to
the committee on streets, and was sus-
tanned by AID. Corning, who remarked,
sotto voice. Yes, we can kill it there"
The vote on the reference was called.
but the proposition was lost, the count
showing a tie
City Engineer Rundlett here protest.
ed, telling the members that such a
marked advance would cripple his fl
nances, but the aldermen couldn't hear
him. The vote was called and the pas
sage Of the measure announced. The
vote was close, 6 to 4, but 1t was suff1-
cient.
RundIett Opposes Measures.
Aid. Dobner, not to be outdone, in
troduced two resolutions, raising the
wages of sidewalk workmen from $3.50
to 81 and street commissioners from
S75 per month to 1888. No one raised
protest and the two went through
with votes to spare.
In view of Aid. Bantzs activity and
the passage of his measure giving the
street sWeepers and the street force
generally $40 a week. Aid Hinkens
gave notice of withdrawal of his reso-
luton to pay street sweepers $1.6O a
day, but someone insisted that he
stick, and he did. He failed to get suffi-
c1ent support, however, and the meas
ure was killed. Aid. Bantz led the cIl-
position against Aid. Hjnkens' resolu-
tton. and the burden of his talk was
that the city should not go into the
banking business ~
The resolutions calling for a general
adv. Eceo in wages have yet to receive
the approval of the assembly before
they become law, and City Engineer
Rundlett says that if they do his de-
partment will be crippled. He says it
will be neeessaryfto cut down his street
force 20 per cent. He favored the raise
to $3.50 per day suggested by AID.
Hinkens for street sweepers, but op-
posed the ganeral advance.