The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-16
CITY HALL NEWS.
City Council insurgents" Rebel
Again and Make Demands.
Ways and Means Committee Dis
regards Chairman Hughes.
THEY CALL MEETING.
Firemen Salary Raise Will Now
Come Up Tonight.
Other Items of Interest From
City Building.

The second uprising of the 'insur-
gents of the city council took place
this morning when the leader, Coun-
Gilman H. B. Howard circulated a
petition among the members of the
ways and means committee which de-
manded that their chairman j. w. F.
Hughes call meeting of that COM
mittee tonight. This petition was the
'-follow-up" of the desires of the
members of the committee to have
meeting and decide one way or other
on the matter of raising the salaries
of the firemen and the refusal of
Chairman Hughes to call the commit
tee together.
The question of raising the salaries
of the firemen has been up for some
time and at two different times Alder
man Hughes fatty refused to call the
committee claiming that the mem
bers did not want anything to do with
the firemen proposition. To prove that
the members did want a meeting
Councilman Howard has presented
petition signed by all of the members
asking for a meeting at once. The
meeting will be held in the council
chamber tonight without the pres
ence of Councilman Hughes.
In heated debate over the tele-
phone last night Councilmen Howard
and Hughes tried to ravel out the
it is known that during the contro-
versy Alderman Hughes gave Mr..
Howard to understand that he was
liar" When asked about the discus
sion this morning Mr.. Howard admit
ted that he had been accused of not
knowing what he was talking about.
He also admitted that Mr.. Hughes had
made him out as a man who didn't
tell the truth.
The meeting tonight will possibly
he IoT v-liz xr-ft1 fhn frsa-
men of this city. All of the mem
bers of the ways and means commit
tee with the exception of Hughes are
for the raise and Hughes will not be
present tonight Mayor Green is
against the salary raise and he will be
on deck tonight in an attempt to
show the committee where they will
make their mistake in raising the sal
aries. The mayor is placing his con-
f1dence in the fact that there is a de-
felt of about $500 in the general reve-
nue. fund.
Howard Insists on Raise.
In answer to this Councilman How
ard said this morning:
Il do not consider this a very good
excuse. We have always had a deficit
in the general revenue fund and this
year the deficit is much lower than it
has been in some time. Why, only
five years ago the deficit was $4,000.
The city is used to this deficit and it
has never worked a hardship"
Besides the taxes will begin to
come in next month. There will be
$4,000 worth of taxes next month
and half of this will be in the general
revenue fund. This will cover two
years of the salary raise. It is only
a question of about $500 per month
to make this raise and it will not eat
out a $4,000 chunk as has been
stated.
Then do not think that this council
is acting in good faith to turn down
this request for raise in salary which
was made by 400 of the heaviest tax
payers in Topeka if they think the
commissioners should handle it. If the
council turns it down and leaves it to
the commissioners I am sure that the
commissioners will do likewise These
firemen have worked under our OBJ
servation as councilmen and it is our
duty to reward them. It is an item of
business and needs immediate atter-
ton
The city officials have wtitten to four
other cities who operate their fire de-
partments under the same conditions as
TOpeka-Wichita. Pueblo, Kansas City
(Kan.) and Sacramento, Cal, and asked
concerning the salaries they are paying
to their firemen. But it is a we'll known
fact that Sacramento pays a salary al
most double the salaries paid here and
in Wichita they pay 20 per cent more
Tonight is probably the first real
chance the nremen and their friends
will have to express their views to the
councilmen. The ways and means COM
mittee will meet at 8 o'clock and a
lobby from the firemen or their friends
the taxpayers, is expected to be pres
ent in behalf of the petition for raise
salaries.
The annual report of the sanitary de-
partment for the last fiscal year has
been handed to the city clerk for pub
LEGATION in the official booklet which
will soon be issued.
According to the figures presented ty
Sanitary Sergeant Vanderpool the de-
partment cost the city S5.207 during the
last fiscal year. The cost of caring for
smallpox patients alone amounted tc
$S24s1. The patients paid 1852 for thu
board and this helped reduce the totl,
cost to II cents per day per man.
The table of diseases as follows:
Disease Cases.
ScdFIeI FEVER --...... 30
Dlphrnerla ...-. .............. 66
measles 56
ShicheHpoA %
IuDerculoSlS -.-...-........... s
Typhoid fever :. 49,. ........... II
Iotal -. -.-.--....-...... 400
Street Commissioner Snyder has or
dered all the public drinking fountains
and troughs in the city closed down for