Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-09-13

COUNCILS FINANCE COMMITTEE
CUTS EXPENSES
CITY EMPLOYEES TO BE DROPPED
TEMPORARILY
All Department Heads Must Keep
Strictly Within Their Approprla-
tiono, This Year, as Deficits
Are Barred

After another days session of the
finance committee of the city hall 1t Is
Z likely that:
The park department must discharge
ten Iaborers and two foremen.
That the fire department must put two
engine companies out of commission.
That the deputies in the city attorneys
office must submit to salary cut.
That the mayors office attaches must
yield some of their salaries.
That several health department In
spectors will be dropped.f
That the city engineers office must
lay off from twenty-five to fifty men.
That the city clerk must do without
needed supplies besides cutting salaries
of deputies.
That many sweepers and sprinklers IN
the street department will be laid of.
That the city assessors office Will be
slow in collecting the assessments
Much suppressed excitement marked the
routine work at the city hall yesterday
in all the offices.
Call Chiefs In Conference
The fact that the. finance committee
was holding an Jall-day secret session,
calling the various department heads to
the tower room every few hours, pooeu
no good to the majority of the employees.
welded.
In most OF the departments the budget
allowance was hardly sufficient to pay
salaries, not counting the maintenance,
repairs, office and other expenses OF eacn
department, all of which have more busi-
ness than last year.
Mayor Harper is opposed to any cut
ting of salaries He says he prefers that
men who are not giving the city full ser
vice. for their pay should be dropped
The departments can be run more
economically with a few men at good
pay than lot of mediocre talent at small
pay, he says.
Rather than see the firemen's pay cut
I'll donate my salary" said the city's
executive.
Chief Kern May Quit
The cut in the police rolls may cause
Chief Edward Kern to resign.
Friends of the former councilman say
the position has proved irksome to him
at times and the latest act of the law
makers has been the last straw.
Kern has been mentioned for the board
of public works as long ago as last jan
uary, when Mayor Harper had selected
former Sheriff Will White for chief.
At that time the non-partisans defeated
the program by announcing that they
would not confirm White.
Further cuts are expected in the police
department, especially among detectives,
who command $25 more in salaries each
month than the sergeants.
1t was stated yesterday that perhaps
dozen to sixteen of the newest men on
the department would be dropped to keep
the payrolls within the limit
Discharge Firemen
Fire Chief Lips stated that 1t would
be necessary to dismiss two engine COM
mi n tho
within the appropriation.
1t is probable that the two newest
companies at Fifty-second and Central
avenue and Sunset and Mohawk will be
put out of commission.
This will leave twenty companies in
service in the city, though seventeen
of these have less than their quota of
men.
The saving for the two companies will
be about $500 month.
Park Commissioner William Hum
phreys said that the park force would
have to be reduced by about ten men
and two foremen in order to keep within
the limit
For seven months last year eighty-five
men were employed In all the parks, and
for five months one hundred and five
men. There are now about eighty-fve at
work.
The department has about 100000 set
aside dating from July l. but out or this
$4,000 in fixed expenditures for lands,
street and sewer improvements must be
deducted. This is for obligations pre-
vously incurred by reason of property
owners pushing street Improvement
measures through the council abutting
park property. In these cases the de-
partment is charged with the cost of the
scity's share of the work.
The park laborers get 1925 day and
the foremen 800 a month
Mayors Office
The finance committee will II possible
prune the salaries of the mayors secre-
tary, Herbert D. Kennedy, who is now
in the seast, and Charles McKeag, secre-
tary of the fire and police boards. Ken
needy receives $3.50 month and McKeag
$780,
The friends of these men explain that
much of their salary goes to charity and |
to buying tickets or various affairs for
which the city provides no contingent |
funds and yet for which they are con-
stantly importuned by canvassers
Health Officer Powers had an unpleas- |
ant half holiday with the committee
His office force includes Secretary Love
and Clerks McGill and Sief.
1t is possible that one of these three |
men will be temporarily laid off until the |
financial skies brighten. If not, some OF |
the milk inspectors are slated for re- |
moval, and possibly some of the sanitary |
inspectors