The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1913-10-02

COMMISSIONER WOODS nus put III
$4,000 for replumbing and in
stalling a new heating system in
the city hall. 1t would be nice,
but can be done without.
He asks $11, 900 for an asphalt
plant. The city can shift another
year without this.
A city stable is wanted at
South Tacoma for $1,000. That
is an additional expense, and next
thing will be Waterman to look
after it, and barn boss. The
more stables, the more expense.
Commissioner Woods has $780,
900 for grading and repairing
streets, with $4,000 for lumber,
$4,000 for stone and $4,000 for
brick largely used for repairs.
The commissioner will in time re-
pave the whole of Pacific avenue
with brick if the present policy is
| pursued. 1t is question of judg-
ment how much could be sliced off
this bill of $4,000. There is lots
of room.
The item of supplies for all Of
fices runs into thousands annu-
ally. 1t is especially heavy be-
cause employees generally do not
feel responsibility for economic
ing, but what is convenient is or
dered. Often it might be gotten
along without.
The city storekeeper is now
purchasing agent for the light and
water department. He could just
as easily purchase for the whole
| city and save much more, and by
standardizing purchases and sys-
tematizing affairs make material
saving.
The big item of cost i'm running
the city has been studiously avoid
ed by all who have suggested tnk-
ering with the budget. 1t is dan
gerous for politicians, for 1t has
votes-nearly 1000 of them. 1t
is the municipal payroll. The list
of city employees is getting well
toward the thousand mark when
everything is going strong. The
payroll reaches nearly $4,000 a
month. This means almost a
round 81 100000 a year. That
after all is where the money goes.
There have been salary boosts
this budget OF over 81, 900.
And new positions for about as
much more.
There were salary boosts last
year of about $25, 900. There was
a similar one when the commissions
first started, when Woods, Lawl
son, Roys and Freeland conspired
together against Mayor Fawcett
and each of them got their own
men boosted. 1
The salary boosts of the last
four years alone would make the
difference between a IL and a 49,
mill levy.
But many city employees do not
get more than they should now.
And the city has lot more
things going than formerly. The
question is whether by reorganiza-
ton one man cannot do what two
are doing now in many cases to
reduce the payroll.
The health officer gets $500,
the bacteriologist 1900, the city
chemist $500. 1t has been sug-
gested that one man might do all
three for $4,000 or $4,000.
The marketmaster, and pure
food inspector have been COM
bined without hurt to the work of
either. 1t has been suggested the
city sealer's duties also could be
added.
Three sanitary inspectors roam
the city looking for filth. A police
force of 100 scour the city COW
ering the same territory for pre-
serving order. In many countries
the cop is the sanitary official as
we'll, and discovering a dead cat
does not hinder him from catch
ing a highwayman at all.
The policeman goes down the
street looking for crime. In ten
minutes the license inspector fol-
lows looking for unlicensed ped
dlers, and in half an hour a sani-
tary inspector comes along look
ing for germs. A cop with good
eyes might see the peddler and
the germs and the crime too, and
several $1,000 a year salaries
might be saved by reorganization
of city affairs.
Such suggestions are things
that have to be worked out. What
the city needs to get to an eff
cheney and economy basis is an
efficiency expert" to reorganize,
and then commissioners with cour-
age enough to carry out the sug-
gestions.
The state bureau of accounting
changed the local Improvement
roll records this year, and said
two clerks could be dispensed
with, but no commissioner had
the courage to make a motion
that the ak be brought in.
| The library this year asks for
$35,236, with $19,220 for SAL
aries. It looks awfully top-heavys
with salaries. But the plant Of
the librarians that the city is in
terfering with education has pre-
vented any material slicing since
the present library regime took
hold.
The great saving ON the budget
cannot be made by simply SLASH
ing items that are not understood.