The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-19
PUT ON BRAKES
City Commissioners Curtail
Employees Salary Raises.
Ordinance Providing for In
creases Revised Today.

The city commissioners today re-
fused to permit an almost wholesale
increase in salaries in officials in the
water and light departments. recon-
mended by Commissioner Frank M
Newland. In some instances, the
commissioners approved the increases;
in others they cut them in half while
in others they absolutely refused to
increase salaries.
The commissioners also absolutely
refused to sanction any further feed
ing of horses and teams by the city.
Numerous employees have in the past
presented bills to the city for the
feed and maintenance OF horses ana
teams. Some employees owned their
own horses while other employees used
horses owned by the city. Where II
was discovered that the city had been
furnishing feed for horses, salaries OF
employees were increased with the I'M
derStanding that in the future they
were to purchase their own feed.
1t also was discovered that many
employees using automobiles ana motor
cycles supplied gasoline from the city
supply. Increases to care for the pur-
chase of gasoline were permitted but
with few exceptions employees must
purchase their own gasoline and pay
for the upkeep of their own machines.
Revise Proposed Ordinance.
This action was taken in an official
session in the city attorneys offlce at
which a proposed salary ordinance
was reviewed and the various changes
in salaries were agreed upon. Ac-
cording to word given out by one OF
the commissioners after the meeting,
the recommendations of Newland for
salary changes were the only recon-
mendations disapproved. Probably
one-third of Newlands recommends
7 Xx-nr
formal action on the ordinance is
promised at a meeting to be held al
! 1890 o'clock tomorrow morning
| Wherever possible the commission
| erS- endeavOred to make the salaries OF
| officials in the water and light de-
partments conform. 1t was noted that
as a rule officials holding the same
! positions in the water department as III
the light department received less sal
airy while like increases were recon-
/ mended for officials in both depart
ments. The commissioners endeav-
ored to add and trim to the salaries OF
the officials in such manner as tC
make the salaries similar for both de-
partments.
| That the proposition was ticklist
was apparent when a visitor popped
his head into the meeting while ar
increase of one of Newland's officials
was under consideration. Mayor
House was called out of the room t.
the telephone. Newland made a mo-
ton that the increase be allowed.
al Wait for the Mayor.
"Tandy, you call for a vote, you're
president of the commission when the
mayor is out" suggested Newland
NO, SIR replied Tandy, well wal
until the mayor returns We're al
going to vote on these propositions.
Considerable fun was enjoyed while
the meeting was in progress. As New
land explained why one after another
of the two dozen. or more employe.
needed an increase, he usually ended
by describing the elnploye as very
competent
Frank" said Mayor House, 81
J never saw a person with so many com
petent men in his department 1 can
help but get large number of fliv-
vers in my departments