South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-04-19
DENY ASSISTANTS
TOCITY OFFICERS
Council Committee Refuses to
Sanction Appointment of
Two More Employees.

prOverbial worm. is turning upon
His Highness with a vengeance.
Upon the grounds that the expendi-
ture IS unnecessary the council
committee OF the whole last night
refused 10 make a favorable report
upon the ordinance providing for an
assistant building commissioner 10
De paid 800 a month and an assist
ant electrician at $50 a month.
Although Mayor Keller himself
City Atty. Eli r Seebirt. Building
Commissioner Perkins and City
Electrician Dickey have pleaded
with the council for the salary ap-
preparation. the vote last night
showed four cOuncilmen for the
ordinance and four against IL. there
By killing the motion for a favor
able rspcrt COuncilmen Thompson.
Seifert, Hagerty and Miller voted
against the motion. while Buechner.
Goebel, Smogor and Lang supported
the administration officials.
Against Electrician Assistant.
II appears that the council is In
favor OF giving the building com
missioner an assistant, but as 10 the
assistant for the city electrician
nothing doing. The opposing coun-
cilmen are Of the opinion that Elec-
tricfan Dickey can do more work
than ne is doing and that IL an as
sistant IS necessary, a clerk could
be hired for a small sum. The cOun-
cilmen voted against the ordinance
In the face Of the assertion of the
city electrician that the work of the
Il department ia increasing at the rate
OF 30 per cent annually, and during
the present month the work is so
DeT cent heavier than in the same
period a year ago. Dickey also told
the council that requests for appn-
cations SIX months old are in his
office which have not been attended
10 because of the lack of time. that
only the really necessary Inspections
are being made and that the cleri-
cal work Of the office is months n
arrears because of the lack OF az
sistance.
Someone Taking Chance.
Viewed in some ways the action
Of the committee of the whole last
night places the building and cleo
tricaI departments and the board OF
works i'm a rather embarrassing po-
sition An assistant electrician and
am assistant building commissioner
have been employed by the boaro
81 works and have been on duty for
some time. Still no appropriation
has been made for their salaries and
il is the opinion OF the councilman
that someone. the board OF works.
is taking a long chance
But. even so. City Atty. Seebirt
and the board of works asserts that
II can hire and pay these assistants
whether the council approves or
not. There was bit of a Joker"
IN the building code ordinance. the
Joker consisting Of the section
which says that assistants can be
hired whenever deemed necessary.
No salary is specified in the build
ing ordinance and the city attorney
asserts there is a statute whereby
the board can pay whatever 10 deems
necessary to such assistants when
no salary is specified I'm the ordi-
nance providing the offices. Thus
the board Of works has the power
10 pay the assistants whatever il
desires.
Board to Make Fight
The COUNCIL stu has a chance 10
thwart the board OF works and that
opportunity comes when the annual
appropriations are made IF the
council does not so desire. 10 need
not appropriate money Co the works
board for these officers and then
again the board viii be mp against
"A stonewau. unless 10 should man
age to squeeze the salaries from the
miscellaneous appropriation. Ii APP
pears that the works board lis anx-
ious 20 avoid a fight with the Coun-
cl over the matter. but is deter
mined TO secure the assistants. as
sorting that if the work of the de-
partmeuts is 10 be done efficiently.
men must bee had 20 carry ou- its
purposes
The ordinance providing for the
salaries for the two assistants was
laid over until the next meeting OF
viii be held early in May In the
meantime the board or works viii
81 necessity he compelled 20 pay the
present assistants ont of some other
fund than a regulation appropria-
ton.
Through q motion made 1y COUn-
Gilman Lang the ordinance providing
for the purchase of am aerial fire
truck was laid on the table until
the next committee session. Lang
announced himself as opposed 10 the
purchase OF the truck. holding il 90
he an unnecessary expenditure lie
said that ne made Investigations
which revealed that aerial trucks
we're of little value except "a the
metropolitan cities.
SsscS Insurance Trust Hand
'T also understand that the In
diana insurance trust is working
with the companies selling these
aerial trucks declared Councilman
Lane. There may Doe "A possibility
that somebody is getting "a rake
on
CITY clerk Rostiser was instruct
ed 10 write 10 cities owning aerial
trucks and secure some informa-
ton as TO the real value OF the appa-
r1fus and as 10 whether rhe trucks