Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-16
THREE vETOES
MADE PUBLIC
BY WOODWARD
Opposes New Wage Scale for Po-
lice, Increasing Attorneys Sal
AIRY and Closing Street.
WOULD CLASSIFY EMPLOYEES
Declares General Advance Would
Cost the City Nearly $1,000.
Wants Highways Kept Open.

Mayor Woodward Saturday made
public three veto messages, which
VIII be transmitted to Council Mon
cay afternoon. One is on the new
wage scale for the police another on
the increase of $50 per month in the
salary of the City Attorney, and the
third disapproves a resolution per-
hitting the closing of the street at
the corner of Broad and Alabama
streets for the purpose of construct
ing a new building.
In regard to the increase in the
salaries of policemen, the message
states:
While this measure does not con-
template the interference of the sal
airy of more than 90 per cent of the
police department, yet it carries an
increased expenditure on the pay rolls
OF nearly $1,000. ] am not opposed to
the men doing the work getting a
living wage, but | send this back for
the purpose of having the matter re-
ferred to the Salary and Finance
Committees, in order that the sala-
ries of the firemen, the school teach
ers, sanitary department and water
department and the different en-
ployees of the City Hall shall be taken
up and considered at the same time.
| realize that on account of the high
cost Of living 1t is a hard matter for
great many of our worthy EN-
ployees, upon the present wages paid,
to live in comfort, much less secure
any of the luXuries of life, and ] am
thoroughly in favor of giving them
the neCessaries rather than indulge
in luXuries for higher paid officials.
Would Classify Employees.
Another matter that ] would sug-
gest that the committees referred to
should take up is the matter of
properly grading and classifying the
employees of the different depart
ments, in order that all Of each and
every class shall receive the same
emolument. AS 1t is, we have book
keepers in some of our departments
who are getting 500 per month, with
another man working right by the
side of the 500 man but only receiv-
ing $50 per month. This is demon
alizing and discouraging, and the city
is the sufferer thereby.
Mayor Woodward objects to the
present law, which provides that sal
aries of all chartered officers must
be increased the year previous to the
election of such officials. He sug
gests that the matter be taken up
at the next meeting of the General
Assembly; for, he says, he does not
believe the law ever intended that
salaries should be fixed more than
year before they go into effect. Re
ferring to the Increase of $50 lsar
month in the salary OF the City At
torney the office now held by James
L. Mayson, the Mayor declares:
Not limo for Increase,
II desire to state most emphatical-
ly that with the present condition of
the citys finances and the general
clamor for improv ements in the way
of schoolhouses, fire engine houses
and other much needed improvements
that now Is not the time to commence
lncreasin salaries of those officials
who are already receiving fair cal
aries"
The Mayor is very emphatic in his
position about closing streets He
says:
81 am firm OF the opinion that the
General Council should grant no more
permits for blockading the streets
through the business and consested
sections. Besides, | thoroughly be-
lieve that all such permits are Illegal
thorities have power to blockade the
street, or any part of a street The
streets are public highways and ev-
cry person has the right to such
streets and no one has the right to
impede travel through such thor
oughfares."