Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-12-13
SANTA CLAUS IS
NOT COMING TO
CITY EMPLOYEES
Mayor Puts Sand on Tracks to
Halt Sleigh With Salary
Increases.

1t will be a blue Christmas for the
city employees who are anticipating
an increase in salary for the first of
the year AS the situation now stands,
the members Of the council who are
Iof the Democratic faith are quite
willing TO grant some of the i'm
creases, but they realize that when
| the resolutions are passed and pre-
sented to Mayor Thomas l.. Raymond
they will promptly be returned with
his veto. Furthermore it is said that
former City Counsel James r.. Nu
gent, who wields a strong influence
with the Democratic minority. has
given the word that no increases
should be granted.
officials about the City Hall are any
thing but hopeful since they are all
in possession of the facts. The re-
cent meeting of the subcommittee
on salary adjustments was held as
matter of form and it was realized
that all of the requests could not be
granted. In all, the increases reach
total of $4,000, and while some are
deserving of more compensation, the
committee will hardly make any eX-
ceptions and recommend that in
creases be granted. notwithstanding
the heads of the various departments
were asked to submit lists of their
employees who were entitled to an in
crease and this has been done.
In order to deal fairly with the
proposition on the broad principle of
Standardization and equalization of
salaries, the aldermen find 1t utterly
impossible to meet the demands. Ger
tainly no equalization or standardiza-
tion of salaries viii be carried out
at this late day, although Mayor
Raymond has Informed the Repub-
lican members of the council that he
would be glad to meet with them on
the subject
One or two Republican members OF
the council We're very much dis
pleased very recently when the mayor
vetoed the resolutions granting an
increase to the license inspectors, but
did not include his veto of the reso-
luton giving James w. Ward an in
crease. They felt that if the mayor
desired to practice economy he should
not play politics. Charles W. Little-
field, a Republican. took occasion at
the last council meeting to comment
on the fact and he did not hesitate
to criticize the mayor.
STANDARDIZATION Must Come.
That the question of standardiza-
ton and equalization of salaries is a
problem that must sooner or later be
taken up in a serious way is realized
both by the mayor and the members
of the council. Some of the requests
for increases in salaries are becoming
out of reason and proportion, with the
result that city departments are COM
pletely disorganized and there is an
apparent lack of discipline, it is as
serted. The unequal division of salary
has caused much dissatisfaction, as is
exhibited by the fact that the request
for salary raises has steadily grown
until now it includes practically all
of the clerks in the various depart
ments. Eventually it is believed
minimum and maximum salary sys-
tenn will be introduced, but before this
can be accomplished a number of or
dinances providing certain salaries
for specific positions will have to be
amended.
Politicians are forced to use their
influence to secure increases Tor some
of their fold, heads of departments
find a continual insistent demand for
more money, and finally the problem
is placed in the hands of the COM
mon Council to decide.
The sub committee on salary ad-
justment will report back to the
finance committee, and in turn tho
recommendations will finally be sub
mitted TO the Common. Council for
action. Even though the resolutions
are passed the mayor will undouot-
edlv veto them, and the necessary
two-thirds vote cannot be secured 10
pass the resolutions over the mayors $
veto, who is inclined to veto any
thing that, if passed, the Democrats
would get credit for. So the salary
situation seems to be an impossible
one at this time.
employees who sought an increase
have taken the trouble to secure the
mayor's views on the subject. and
they have come away with the clear
understanding that no salaries are TO
be increased. atsleast for this yearf