The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-08
Wide Range Of Allowance for
Horses in City Service.
Some Officials Get $50 a Month
and Some $5.
WHAT'S THE REASON?
Horses the Same but Officials
Get More.
Clerks May Petition for Their
Transportation.

Does a horse belonging to q street
commissioner eat more and require
more care than a horse belonging to
sewer worker? That is, does this
aristocrattc street commissioners horse
eat $40 more month than the sewer
mans dobbin?
This is the question that is being
discussed at the city hall. There are
nine city officials who are paid a cer-
tain amount each month for the use
OF their horses-and the price paid these
men run all the way from SIS to SIS
month.
Not long ago the city didn't allow
money to its employees for the use Of
horses and carriages. When a man
was given city position it was re-
quired that his horse be a side partner
in the work.
But times have changed-so have the
IDEAS of the city officials in charge and
the price Of eatables for horses. Now
each man who finds 1t necessary to use
horse and buggy in his work-even
though he carries in his pocket q nice
fat book full of street car ticketa-and
the city pays the bills
The question that is bothering the
inquisitive at the city hall is this-why
does one horse require so much more
money for care than another when
they both do about the same amount
OF work and when they spend q good
part OF their time standing in the barnr
Frank Snyder, street commissioner,
is given SIS a month for the care Of
his horse and buggy. Commissioner
Snyder finds it necessary to be out on
his work at all times Of day and night
and he usually takes his horse and
buggy with him. Then there is Charles
Winburn, a city sewer man who is
supposed to be on duty at all times
when there is a choke in the sewer or
after a storm when things go wrong
For the use Of his horse. Winburn gets
So a month.
OF course there might be something
in the fact that horse belonging to
the city street commissioner has to
carry his head higher, step more frisky
and act more blooded than the nag be-
longing to the sewer man.
But from what can be learned from
the average horse who has seen all
kinds of duty, any animal would eat
a little less and take less care II he
could jog down Kansas avenue with
the street commissioner behind him.
Ask "B1ack Beauty" il that isn't so.
Then there are other comparisons in
the city service.
H K. Goodrich, superintendent of
the city electric light plant. has a
horse. superintendent Goodrich spends
most of his time at the plant-he is
directly responsible for all that goes
on in that busy place But of courTe
Mr.. Goodrich. can't be at the plant
ways-and he has horse and bugsN.
The city believes that that horse should
be taken care of and SIS a month is
set aside for the purpose.
Dr. George, Swatthecow Babb, the
CITY milk Inspector, Is the only man
donated funds for transportation pur-
poses who is using his money for mod
ern methods DIR. Babb has pur-
chased motor cycle and the city is
paying S12 a month that the. doctor
might spin through the country visit
ing the dairies and calling on the
farmers for fees. But there are not
street cars in the country and be-
tween the dairies-neither are there
lsidewalks-so the present to the milk
inspector Is judged correct. Even at
this the motor bike of the genial doc
tor eats up 81 month more than the
horse of Charles Winburn, who
trudges to and from his stall at all
times of the day and night.
E. J. Stewart. city electrical Inspector.
nee necessary that inspector Stewart see that
note no tina that he doesn't have to go any place
| outside the city--is inspected and judged
properly. The Stewart horse Is given SO
a month by the city to keep alive-and
b. F.. Allen, an inspector in the engi-
of the engineering department., all receive
fheir animals. And c. A. Miller. fore
man of the water service work, gets $zS5o
Some of the clerks and minor en-
ployees of the city are thinking Of max
! ing their petition for transportation. They
go home at noon and night light on the the street str
month street car fare to get to work.
Then it is necessary for the city treas
| iIrer to hire out of his own salary an as
| sistant IL the office: The city doesnr
| nrovide for this assistant-and the assist
ant eats. three times day;
| THE city, in other words, pays out
| aLoIIt sf90 a month for the care of animals
belonging to the employees. No one Is
! kicking on the expense-far from that
| b11f the question fs-why is 1t necessary
| FOR one horse to be favored with the best
| of oats with alfalfa trimmings when the
| other horses have to have menu filled