The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-12-28
SALARY INCREASES SOUGHT IN SEVERAL
 CITY DEPARTMENTS
Ordinance Committee Has Busy Session With Public Hear ing On Proposed Leg
 islatiOn

Salary increases in several of the city departnents-and in some in stances the fixing by ordinance of compensation at a rate approximatIng the present compensation from various fore the ordinance committee of the Common Council in the office of the city clerk, last evening.
 The substitution s Of of the title "city s0psrel5er foc citv cfty Sdifon ndito rnssd Keating at a public hearing of the ordinance committee on g. resolution recently introduced into the Common Council at MT. Keating's request to regulate the salaries of his depart ment.
 MT Keating explained that with the new system of accounting. and the growth of the c1ty's financial transac- tions the duties of his office have become greatly increased. The au- ditor and his assistants have been obliged to take work other than that strictly confined to their own depart ment in order to receive suitable sal aries. What the auditor desires in the way of legislation is the fixing of the salaries at a figure approxinating the present revenue.
 MT. Keating explained he believed salary of $4, 800 would be oornensur- ate with the duties of his own office. At present he receives nominal sal ary of $2,5OO, and from clerkship in the public works department, and sec retaryship of the paving commission at $500 each, and other sources the salary is brought up to approximately the figure he mentioned.
 Assistant Auditor Henry J. Waters spoke along the same line. He re- ceives $1, 200 as assistant auditor, and from compiling the sprinkling book he receives additional pay, making his 1,sOO. Some of the outside work is done at night. He suggested $2,000 as a suitable figure.
 Similar regulation of the position of second assistant is recommended. Alp propriation for this position has been made by the Board of Apportionment at $s0o. and the occupant of the po- sition has been called on to do out side work. No figure was suggested for this position, which is held by Bernard Keating, Jr.
 Auditor Heating expressed the bel1eT that the interests of the city would be best served by placing the office on a straight salary basis, and requir- ing the incun1bents to devote their en- tire time to the office, to the exclusion of the outside work now done to bring up the salaries.
 City Treasurer Fred w. Hall was heard in relation to salary increase. He suggested $1, ,500. The present figure is $500. MT. Hall has been the treasurer for 20 years, and during that time the salary has never been raised, despite the great growth in the busi- ness.
 Incidentally he mentioned that the recent investigation of the city's ac- bond had been accepted by the city if the investigators had gone back far enough. The investigators reported that Halls bond had not been accept ed. Hall snilfngly remarked that 1t had been accepted 20 years ago, and if the investigators had gone back that far they would have discovered the fact.
 City Engineer A. H. Terry advocat- ed the encouragement of salary sched- ules in his office. The present ordi- nance fixes salaries of assistants in his office, from first assistant to fifth, at $1,sO0. $1. 400, $1,2o0. s1,150 and s1,- GOO.
 He favors the elimination of the office of fifth assistant and the raise of the second and third assistants from s1,4o0 and $1,2o0 to s1.50o each. ant had recently passed a civil ser vice examina ton in New York, stand ing 10th in a long list of el1g1bles, ana was likely, to be called away at any time to fill a position that was so in viting that he could not expect to re- tain him unless the schedule was changed as he suggested
 He said the positions called for men worth that money, and that it would be difficult to secure men of the re- quisite efficiency to replace his pres ent men.
 The present ordinance gives the en- gineer power to engage other assist ants at not more than s per day The engineer suggested no further changes
 Increases in the salaries of the su- perintendent of machinery and the superintendent of the fire alarm tele- graph to $1,70O per year, also of the salary of one of the three 11nemen assistants to superintendent of fire alarm telegraph from $1, POO to $1, 300 and making the recipient an assistant slroerintendent. were advocated by Wallace G.. Taylor, representing the Board of Fire Commissioners Presi- dent Taylor was the only person who asked to be heard.
 Avon-Bertram c. Froidevaux has been named by Senator Mclean as principal candidate for West Point. The alternates are T. c. Cornell, of Stonington, and Albert L. Ford, Jr., of Milford.