The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-06
Waiting to See If Montgomery
 Goes Dry.
Alderman Moritx Says City Is Faced With Depleted Treasury If Pro- hibitiOn Prevails, and Decries
 Further Expenditures.
Economy and prohibition!

through almost every discussion that came up, and their name was legion, were the two prime topics-economy and prohibition. Sometimes 1t was the one, sometimes the other; sometimes the Aldermen would rise in a grand paeon of the two linked together.
 The chief pyrotechnic attraction of the evening. perhaps. was over the vexed question of salaries. And the Aldermen after discussing all the pros and cons and other phases of the sub- sject, decided it was the part of wis., dom not to fix salaries at present, as the adoption of prohibition by Mont gomery County will force them to adopt 8 more stringent economy than will otherwise be desirable.
 The discussion of salaries came up sh ortly after the executive session, when. as one of the onlookers put it, we all got disgusted when they said they didn't want us, and left"
 The executive session was devoted, in large measure, to a discussion of the topics of the evening--economy and prohibition. Saloon licenses to this and that person, can we legally post pone the fixing of salaries7" what Will be the result of the prohibition elec- tion?" should we increase the ex- penses in this direction?." Tn ese were some of the questions discussed at the
  men induIged it. And while the meet ing was not especially oratorical, there were one or two speeches made behind the closed doors that are said to have been tinged with summer temperature. Nothing, however, was done. No ao- tion was engrossed on the clerks rec ord, and 1t is said that no course of action along any line was definitely agreed to.
 In Executive Session:
 The Council went into executive scs- ston- almost immediately after 1t com yened. It was upon the motion or AL derman Moritz, and despite the protest (purely verbal) of Alderman Johnson. Alderman Virgin was in the chair, and still maintained that position when the doors were again thrown open. Those present at the session were: President Gunter and Aldermen Brassell, John- son, Jones, Kennedy, Parrish, Perry Moritz. Saul. Sullivan, Seidle, Tait. | Toole, Tyson, Thompson and Virgin The question of salaries of city of- l ficers came up; through the reading of I the majority and minority reports of | tho Salaries Committee, submitted at a 1 previous meeting.
 | Chairman Moritz of the Finance Com mittee, sprung a bomb in a motion to
 lay the entire matter on the floor, to | be disposed of at 8 future meeting. | Being urged to give his reasons, he de- | clared the city revenues are threatened | with depletion. through the prohibition l movement, to the extent of nearly $4O,- l 900.
 | Therefore 1t behooves us as business | men," declared Mir. Moritz, ITO act
 slowly in this matter. We should not | go into any ordinance or ordinances
 that makes an increased expense for
 the city while this prohibition question
 Is pending. The two reports agree on | one thing, raising the salaries of the
 city officials. One fixes the amount of
 the raise at about $10,00O and the oth-
 CT about $7,000."
 "Will the prohibition movement.
 asked Alderman Seidle, reduce the
 cost of living?'
 "No," replied MT. Moritz. but we l may consolidate certain offices and cur | tall certain forces. We want to go
 ligent manner, and that we will be able
 to do in the course of thirty or sixty | or ninety days"
 1 Alderman Tyson thought the proper
 way would be to act last night, and
 then cut the forces later, should pro- | hibition carry.
 | President Gunter pointed out that
 economy has been the watchword hand ed down by the Mayor at the begin | ming of the administration. Upon that 1 principle, he thought the Council could l better act later. It might be found
 advantageous, he suggested, to consol- | idate two $1,200 positions, and pay the l incumbent $1,500 or SI,S00, should pro- l hibition carry. This could not be done l if the salaries were fixed in advance. | He intimated that he might be in fa-
 vor of making the Mayors Secretary | act also as Secretary to the City En- | gineer or Chief Clerk of the Sanitary 1 Department or of cutting ten men off | the police force, or of curtailing the
 force. and possibly discontinue one of | the fire stations, should the revenues 1 of the city be reduced by prohibition. It was finally agreed to let the mat ter go over to later date, not set. and | the same course was followed with the
 Mayors appointments and SauFs ordi- nance creating the position of city | veterinarian. Economy Again. | Alderman Johnson, as soon as this 1 question of economy was disposed of, | brought 1t up again. by a resolution re- citing that the Council deemed it inad- | visable to reduce the efficiency of the Sanitary Department and requesting the Mayor to appoint the second meat and milk Inspector, as required by the ordinances.
 The author supported his resolution WlLH SldlSHtcut OA LHe necessity or having two inspectors, instead of one, as the department had been left by the Mayor. The fees, he said. were more than the salaries.
 MT. Tyson thought the Council, which had been talking economy all night. should support the Mayor, who was responsible for the city finances, when he wanted to~economize.
 Mir. Moritz urged the Council should not, at this juncture. embarrass the Chief Executive in any manner. There is plenty of time. should the Council finally determine two inspectors are necessary. to incorporate such a pro- vision in the new salary ordinance a month or two hence.
 Dr. Saul urged that there be good inspection or none at alI With only one man on duty at the slaughter house, he said, inspection would be a farce. If one mRn could sbe spared, both could.
 The resolution requested the mayor to appoint an additional in- spector.5 as was formerly done, pre- vailed. on roll call, by the following vote:
 Ayes-President Gunter. Alderman Brassell, Johnson. Jones, Kennedy. Perry, Saul. Seidle. SsiltVa~. Tait. Vylwrtn-l2