The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-01-15
Salaries Of the City officials Are
Slightly Readjusted.
Proposed That Officials Be Paid Accord.
ing to Work They Do.
Provision Providing for Issue Of EIec-
trio Light Bonds Adopted.
State Law Regarding Park Board Is
Also Incorporated.
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
The charter commission held a wei
attended meeting last night, and made
good progress with the work of prepar
ing the amendments to the present char
ter.
The chapters that have been passed
upon were discussed briefly, some atten
ton being given to the provision of the
present charter which allows the coun.
ell to restore liquor license that has
been revoked, upon a two thirds vote OF
| the council. The commission has already
adopted an amendment requiring a five
Lsixths vote to restore license over the
mayors veto. 1t is also provided that
the saloon keeper shall be given hear.
ing before his license can be revoked
in order that he may have fair play
and after it is revoked, it is
made next to impossible to restore it.
The state law provides that certifi-
Gates of indebtedness issued when prop
erty owners are allowed to pay for pub
lie improvements over a series of years
shall draw no more than five per cent
interest. 1t was doubted whether they
could be floated at that rate under pres
ent financial conditions, but Senator
Eberhart said that there would be no
difficulty in having the legislature
amend the law so as to allow as high as
seven per cent interest to be paid, owing
to the changed conditions since the law
was passed.
The principal part of the evening was
devoted to the consideration of the pay
of the city officials.
A motion to increase the salary of the
mayor to $500 was lost, and his salary
was fixed at 5000, as under the present
charter. 1t was recognized that the
mayor does not receive compensation
commensurate with the work and re-
sponsibility of the office, but it was
also thought that the office carries a
good deal of honor that will always
make it sought after by good citizens.
1t was suggested that the mayor
should have a contingent fund for use
for the city's benefit, but this was not
Incorporated in the charter, as it was
feared that it might lead to misunder-
standing on the part of some of the tax
payers.
The pay of the aldermen was left as
it is at present, So a meeting. The char
ter that was last voted down limited the
pay to $50 year, but with the addi-
tional duty of making the assessments
that has been devolved on the council,
it was thought that the aldermen should
be allowed the same as they receive now.
The aldermen are also allowed to draw
pay at the rate of So day for twelve
days as board of review.
Alderman Roemer jokingly remarked
that the pay of the aldermen should
be high enough so that they would not
have to accept any Doodle. He said that
some people had accused the present
council of accepting Doodle for grant
ing the electric light contract, and some
of these seem to really believe that such
was the case, as it had been thrown up
to him.
The salary of the city recorder was
placed at 500 a year. He receives at
present only $500 year, which was
considered altogether too small figure
to pay as important an official as the
recorder The latter also gets 800 a
year as clerk of the municipal court, be-
sides few fees.
A motion to leave the salary of the
| treasurer the same as it is now, $500
was lost, and it was voted to make ii
5000, but he is required to keep longer
office hours. He must be in the office
| from 8 a. m. to noon and from 2 p. m
until 6 p. m.
The city attorneys salary was left as
itsis now, 5000 year, and the coun
Gil has the right to procure assistance
for him when necessary.
1t was voted to make the salary Of
the chief of police $75 month, and al
fees to be turned into the city treas
ury, and the salary of the patrolmer
$50 month for the first year, and So
a month thereafter. The chief now re
ceives $50 month and the fees, which
have sometimes raised his income tx
800 to $l25 month, and the patrol
men receive about $52 month now
1t was thought that with little rais'
the patrolemen will be willing to buy
their own caps and pay for their owl
bicycle repairs, which the council ha
been paying for.
i The salary of the city engineer ant
superintendent of improvements wer
left to be fixed when it has been decid
ed definitely what their duties are t,
be. Some felt that the city enginee
should be paid more than he now re
ceives, as his duties have largely increas
led since the present charter was drawn