Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-23
EMPLOYEES SALARIES
Report on Recommendation of Insur-
ance Superintendent.

While the Commissioners at various times
have Indicated their desire to secure remu-
neration for their subordinates more COM
nensurate with the duties performed, con-
siderable argument has obtained in the Dis
trict building during the past few days con-
corning an increase of salaries in the in
stIrance department, as provided In an
amendment to the District appropriation
bill intended to be proposed by Stnator Gal
Iinger The salaries as fixed in the amend
ment include: Superintendent, 5000; sta
tistician who shall act as superintendent
in the latter's Absence, $1,000; examiner
81 $50: clerk, $1,000; stenographer, $500; tenn
porary clerk hire, 81 300; in ali S9.3oo-
When the papers went to Superintendent
Drake he preferred an urgtnt request that
the proposed amendment be not approved
in its present form, and he stated that the
examiner in his department had been per-
forming the duties of superintendent on oc-
casion, and that he, and not the statistician,
was the man entitled to second place IN
the department.
Mr.. Drake submitted a form of amend
ment as a substitute fixing the salaries as
follows: Superintendent, $500; examiner
"Who shall act as superintendent In the lat
ter's absence" 81 900; stattstician, $l.SeO,
clerk 81 400; stenographer, $500, and tenn
porary clerk hire, 200; in all $40. 500, rms
was approved by Commissioner Mcfarland,
but when the papers went to Commissioners
West he disposed of the question in the
following language:
THE amendment above submitted pro-
poses an increase of 80 Is per cent in the
salary list of the department of insurance
and larger salary list than was estimated
for by the Commissioners in the annual es-
Inmates. 1t is now proposed to raise Inc
salary of the examiner from $l,500 to ST.
coo; of the statisticianefrom 81, 400 to 81 500.
and the clerk from 81 eco to S1,4Oo. mas
much as these increases of salary have not
been provided in the appropriation bill. ana
especially because they were not estimated
for by the Commissioners, / disapprove the
above recommendation, In addition to this,
| do not believe that it is wise to secure
Increases of salary through independent
amendments.
Engineer Commissioner Biddle took much
the same stand when he said:
II agree In general with the ideas ex-
pressed by Commissioner West, and | there
fore move that a report be made to the
committee stating that the Commissioners
in making up their estimates carefully con-
sidered the question of increases In sala-
ries and while it is known by them that
the salaries paid In the District government
are small and much less in proportion to
the work done than those paid by the gem
eral government they realize that all estf-
mates had to be cut down very consider
ably in order to bring them within the
amount obtained from taxation due to the
fact that the permanent projects are paid
Tor from the current revenues with the ex-
ception of such amounts of money as have
been allowed to be borrowed from the
treasury. Therefore they restricted the in
creases in salaries asked for to what seemed
most important and absolutely necessary.
They would prefer therefore in this case
to adhere to their original recommendations
as to the increases and to take up other
increases In preparing their next estimates !"
This Endorsement approved by Com
missioner Macfarlana and a report recon-
mending unfavorable action on the amend
ment will be prepared for transmission to
the Senate District committee.