South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-04-28
Killed by "CitizenS" in Council
on Claim That Men Would
Rather Have Nothing Than
a Little.
HAGERTY HINTS BOARD
OF SAFETY ACTIVITY
Implies Men Do Not Object to
Small Increase But Would
Rather Have No Increase
Than No Job.

South Bends fireman can continue
at the game at their old rate Of
postage" the result Of last nights
session of the common council, the
salary increase ordinance going the
way of eternal desuetude by a vote of
FIVE TO three, Councilman Hagerty.
Seifert and Smogor voting il up and
COuncilmen Lang, Buechner, Wolter
and Miller voting il down.
Il am sorry" said President Lang.
apparently devoted to his policy Of
secrecy, and disliking public discus
sion where the reporters might hear.
that the councilmen should care TO
go all over this thing again. 1 thought
we had reached an understanding
among ourselves. but since IL is up,
L want 10 say I snail vote against the
ordinance because the city's financial
condition does not justify the ex-
penditure, and 1 understand the fire.
men are taking the position that the
increase granted by the ordinance is
not enough"
1t was Councilman Mille-, however,
that started the debate, asserting that
Chief Sibrel and several of the fire.
men had told him that they would
rather have no increase az all, than
take what the ordinance offers them.
He said he had made a canvass Of the
situation preceding the meeting, and
knowing that the ordinance could not
be passed, everybody should vote
against it.
Hagerty Defends Ordinance.
Councilman Buechner thought it
was bad policy for the new council to
start in at once increasing salaries,
forgetting that the first thing it did
was to vote $500 increase to the
superintendent of waterworks, which
was answered by Councilman Hagerty
to the effect that the new council had
received the proposition as unfinished
business left over from the old coun-
Gil, and could hardly be considered a
new council measure.
THE petition came to the old coun-
Gil during the last days OF the old
administration, said Councilman
Hagerty. I'VE did not think we
should take to increasing salaries for
the new administration to pay. as
our almost final act and so the mat
ter was referred 10 the new council.
We sent it to the board of safety. We
know how the board of safety stands
1t does not want to grant the in
crease. 1t held the matter up until
We called upon il for a report and
then it complained that il lacked the
means Of meeting the increase. The
ordinance provides those means and
justifies an increase of just one-half
OF what the petition called for. I
can understand the chief and l can
understand other officers of the de-
partment They hold their positions
at the behest of the board of safety"
The councilman natly insinuated
that the men have thought best to be
satisfied with their old salaries, rather
than run chances Of getting none.
The administration is simply making
goat of its finances" said Hagerty.
They will be in no better shape next
fall than they are now, and | doubt
If the next budget will make any more
provision for increase of salaries for
tremen than this ordinance does. I
know the men would rather have a
small increase than none"
ii was about all there was to the
meeting. The council did. however,
pass an ordinance confirming a con-
tract between the board of public
works and the Lynchburg Foundry
Co, Lynchburg. Va. for iron water
pipe and specials, under a suspension
of the rules. 1t also referred to itself
for consideration in the hole" a
communication from the Seventh
Ward Municipal league, urging a
crOSs-tOwn car line on the south side;
a one fare rate from any part of
South Bend TO any part of Mishawaka
and vice versa: a double track on s.
Michigan St. from Ohio 10 Bronson.
and six tickets for a quarter to all
passengers