Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-14

ment and the public schools are not in
| cluded, as they manage their own
| affairs. The increase in the five years
, is $3.50, 900 in round figures. or an aver
| age of $150,000 a year. The charter de-
! termines the compensation of heads OIL
| departments. The salaries fixed by the
council are only those of the deputies
| and other employees. OF these there are
seventeen who received last year from
5000 to $3.50 per month, twelve who re-
ceived last year from $175 to 5000 per
month, and forty-seven who received
from $3.50 to $175 per month. As you go
| lower down in the wage scale the num-
bers increase, and the figures show a
large number from SIPS to $3.50 per
| month.
Problem Difficult
80 long as the budget committee is
| made up of men with human teellngS
the question of salary adjustment will
be an absorbing and difficult one. The
| fixing of the salaries of so many hun
dreds of men carries with it the de-
| termination of many fact pertaining
to home comforts and family educa-
| ton.
1T is the duty of your committee to
! arrive at some understanding of the
character of the work performed by
! the employees of the city in its various
/ departments and to determine what
! shall be the compensation of those rem
| dering more expert service as well as
those performing common labor. Your
| committee is materially aided in all
! these matters by the heads of depart
ments, but the unmistakable tendency
| Of almost every department is to mag
nifty the service of it's trusted and in
many cases efficient employees.
Positions Compared
"a custom also has grown up in the
city hall of comparing positions as to
their responsibilities and the kind of
! service demanded. and repeatedly to
make argument for an increase of sal
| ary for q given employe on the ground
! that he is rendering more important
! service than some other employe in
| some other department whose Compen-
sation is greater. This is done in good
faith. but the effect of 1t is steadily to
! increase the sum total of the pay roll,
and not always wisely.
"Your committee was urged to make
a great many advances this year, Most
of these were refused, and I hold in
my hand a list of all that were granted.
| There are two departments where we
cannot readily get at the exact increase
that is. the police department, where
| there is an automatic advance accord
ing to the years Of service, and the fire
! department. where the advance made
| this year has relation to the number
of years that the employees have been
with the department Aside from these
! two departments. the total increas
provided by the budget amounts to S637
! per month, or a total of s7044 for the
year. The remainder of the increase in
this years salary list over the last is
| to be accounted for by new. positions
! The creating of these positions seemed
| imperative. and the disposition of your
committee was to create many more
! positions, especially in the police, en-
! gineering and street departments. but
| lack of the necessary revenue made
! that impossible. In the matter of in
| crease of salaries it must not be as
| sumed that your committee was at all
times unanimous, but there was yield
| ing on all sides and the recommended
! tion is as you have it. Personally my
| judgment favored the increase to the
fire forces and onlv a few other ad-
vances in very special cases.
Politics Not Involved
at is common on the street corners
and elsewhere to hear that POLITICAL
conditions are chief factors in the fix
ing of many salaries, but if those who
hold that view could have overheard
every word in the various discussions
that were held in the committee room
! they would have changed their views,
and the decision would have been that
where error was made, If anywhere, In
recommending an increase 1t was
chargeable to that kind of human
weakness that leads one to desire to
be a little helpful to the other fellow
where opportunity is afforded. And
even then no advances were made until
the reasons were fully given for the
increase.
Il take pleasure in giving this ex-
preston of my view Of the spirit mani
tested by those associated with me In
forming the budget report that is here
recommended.
Experience teaches some things,
| and hence the following observation:
If the newly elected council at the very
! beginning of its administration would
! take up each department in the city
| service and fix the compensation for
each position in that department from
! the standpoint of what should be paid
! by the city, without reference to the
individual, it would greatly improve
! conditions. By so doing some salaries
! might have to be advanced, and in
| some cases the city might lose the serv-
ices of valuable men. but on the whole
/ the efficiency of employees would be in
outlay would be made and the entire
city hall business would thus be placed
on better basis
1.-THE budget committee is as unani-
nous as II is hearty in its expression
OF appreciation of the remarkable eff
| hciency S we'll as courteous aid rem
dered to 1t by the city auditor and his
/ helpers
Some of the things most earnestly
desired are provided in the budget. al
Trough they do not show in the GEN
! efal apportionment The money is set
aside for four of the most important
fire engine houses. One of these is to
/ be erected in Boyle Heights, one at
Second and Hewitt streets. one at Sew
/ enth and FiguerOa and one on Fifth
rear Winston The Fifth and winston
and Second and Hewitt street engine
houses are especially to the credit of
Councilman Lyon. To secure these two
engine houses was what Lyon was sent
to the council for in exactly the same
way that DrOmgOld was sent to the
council to get the Buena Vista street
viaduct and bridge, which he got.
An Increase in pay is provided for
the firemen, below the rank of lieuten-
ant The increase is not as large as it
was hoped it would be made, but it is
something and the, fire department is
thankful for that The necessary mon
/ ey is given the fire department to pro-
/ vide men and equipment for the new
engine houses.
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