The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-01-22
CITY ELECTION TO BE HELD FEBRUARY %, TO
VOTE ON SALARIES.

The City Commissioners have ordered an election for
February 22nd, at which time the voters will have an OPP
portunity to ratify or reject the salaries fixed by Ordinance
for the Mayor-CommisSioner and the two Councilmen the
amount of the formers salary being fixed at 81, 000.O 0
and the latter at $500 90 each.
The people do not vote on the salaries fixed for the
appointive officers, as was inadvertently stated in The
Commonwealth last week. They can object, however, to
any Of these salaries by petition if they so desire.
The following estimate Of the difference in salaries
under the old and the new form Of government annually
has been kindly furnished The Commonwealth:
Saving in police force .. .. ...- s 687 80
" clerk, assessor and tax COL 27O 90
" city attorney, salary 100 10
" city farm 4"o
' fire chiefs salary TO %
and courcImcn $3.50 90
Increase St cOm'r salary l2O 90 1915 90
Total saving $2432 SO
The above figures do not include the salary Of Mr.. W.
L. Hemingway, assistant clerk in the Light & Water
Plant office, which is 100000 per year, and which should
be deducted from the estimated savings of $2432. 5O-leaV-
ing the reduction in salaries only $l532.5 50 per years.
This is pretty good as far as it goes, but the pruning
knife should have been used a little more freely and made
the decrease a little more worth while.
For instance, we think the commissioner
should be SATISFIED with a salary OF Sl8UO.OO per year, and
the two CounciImen with $500. 90 per year each. 1t oc-
ours to US that the Mayor can afford to give the necessary
attention to his duties for $1,000 per month, and that
the time the two Councilmen will be able to give to their
duties, as the work has been arranged. is not worth more
than $50 90 per month each. The police force could be
reduced by one at least, and there are d few other items
of expense to which the seal pei could be applied advan-
tageously.
We are all pleased with the reductions made, but the
stringent conditions which the whole country is UNDER
going neccssitate the curtaHing Of every possible expense.
Every purchase Of supplies Of all kinds should be given to
the lowest responsible bidder, and wherever or whenever
a saving can be made in any department Of the govern
ment it should be promptly made,
The saving effected in the police department had been
attended to by the old board Of aldermen, by ordinance
adopted last year and effective the first Of this year, pIac-
ing the marshal on a salary and a~bOllshing his commissions
on tax collections. And the saving on the city farm
should also have been attended to earlier.
The Commonwealth is not knocking the new admins
tration in any sense whatever. We have nothing but the
kindliest feelings for each of the Commissioners, and for
the appointees serving under them, but we advocated the
Commission form Of government because it promised
general reductions. in expenditures and better system Of
work. And a great many of our leading taxpayers and
citizens had that idea about it. However, if the majority
of our people wish to ratify the salaries fixed by the mem
bers of the new Board, it is their right and privilege to
vote for them at the election on the 22nd of February.
We propose to vote against them.
The only salary we favor. increasing is that of the
Street Commissioner-th most important position in the
city. If he does his duty and we believe he will his
salary should be at least $lOO.O 90 per month.