Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-19
CITY COUNCIL TO
INCREASE PAY Of
SOME EMPLOYEES
Government Willing to Help Mu-
nicipality to Protect South
Side Lowlands.
COUNCIL IN SESSION

That number of city employees
arc to hc gwen increased wages was
| practically assured last night, when
| City Council gave first and secind read
| ings to an ordinance presented by Coun-
Gilman Robertson, the purpose OF which
| is 10 fix and establish the salaries OF y
| city employees, while there is . proba-
| biity that at least one more Will be added
| to the list, as Councilman Kane, after
| hearing the ordinance, SAID that ne
| thought the clerk of Council should have
his name on the list although 1t was not
| there
The tax collectors for the Northern and
| Southern districts and the Judge OF the
| Municipal Court have recently sent com
| munications to Council, asking that the
| wages Of the deputy tax collectors and the
| clerk Of the court be increased.
| The ordinance did not specify that the
| salaries of the city employees were to be
! raised. but this is almost known fact.
! As nearly every city official has asked for
| more money to increase the pay of those
| cmDloycd IN their offices and n num-
| Der of the employees have recently resigned
The proposed ordinance was in blank,
| as far rs the amount of the salanes to he
paid was concerned. 1t is estimated
| that the increase to the various offices
will amount to several thousand dollars
annually Those mentioned in the or
dinance who are To have their salaries
established and fixed by the new law. to-
gcther with the amounts they now re-
ccivc, are as follows: Mayors sccre-
tary. ST 1000; clerk Of City Court, 81 500;
assistant building Inspector. ST 200; in
spcctor of meats, 81 900; Inspector Of
milk. 81 900: deputy collectors Of taxes
81 200; executive officers Of the health
department, 5000; city vaccine physicians
500; bailiff of Council, S720, and guard
at Eighth Street Park. $3.50.
After the two readings Of the ordinance
it was referred to the finance and law
committees. but not before Councilman
Kane had made the suggestion that the
name of the clerk of Council be added
10 the list
WANTS BETTER CAR SERVICE.
Councilman Cathcart Of the Twelfth
ward made a motion, which was unanl-
mously passed to have the Wilmington Il
Philadelphia Traction Go. discontinue
the present service in effect on the West
Front street line in rush hours. The
Twelfth ward member sand the cars on
this Inc III the greater part were 50 old
that they were falling apart and about
Il O'Clock as many as l2O persons were
] crowded on ono Of these cars. He sand
last night on the front step OF one car
there were nine men hanging on and
that he was looking for the car 70 give
way at anv time He pointed out that
the condition endangered the lives Of
great number of people and upon his
motion the traction company Will be notl-
fed 10 better the existing condition.
The third and final reading was given
In ordinance To allow Council 70 borrow
S60,0oO from banks for an extraordinary
appropriation 10 the incidental and mis-
celIancous accounts The money, ac-
cordlng to the ordinance, Is 10 he Dor
rowed from banks and repaid from taxes
rentals and receipts for the present fiscal
wear. or as much as possible, and the
balance viii be taken care OF IN next
wears expenses. The aye and nay vote
was taken and every member Of Council
present voted for it. Councilman Hop
kins was absent.
TO PROTECT SOUTH SIDE.
A communication was presented by
Councilman Johnson of the FIRST ward
from George " Sparks, president Of the
Street and Sewer Department, which
called the attention OF the city fathers
to the conditions prevailing along the
banks OF the ChrlstIana river when the
tides recently 0ver6owed the hanks
Mr. Sparks said he had taken the mat
ter 10 with the nited States Engineer
ing Department and had learned that If
the clty would stand the expense OF build
ing banks strong and high enough u
keep out these high tides, the government
would fill in and reclaim the marsh lands
that are now along the banks OF this
river The matter was referred to Coun-
cil as d committee of the whole, and Mr.
Johnson, who is greatly interested that
sonnet hing be done 10 better the con-
ditions, stated that he would try 10 have
committee OF FIVE appointed and re-
port to Council as TO the conditions.
The report Of City Treasurer Banks
showed the bank balances TO be s276,-
695 SO
George T. Lyon, president Of Council.
read q letter addressed to him person
ally from the Thacher W c T. L., urg-
ing that a public comfort house be con
structed in some central portion Of the
city The communication stated that
young men were frequenting saloons
where If such comfort house was avail
able, they would not frequent the saloons.
After the letter had been read President
LYON moved that it be referred to Coun-
cil as q committee Of the whole but as
the communication was not addressed
to Council, no action Was taken
The question Of allowing or urging
that sunday baseball be permitted here
was brought before the members when
a resolution adopted by the Central
Labor Union was read, in which they
asked that baseball and other amuse-
ments be allowed here on Sunday The
letter and resolution we're received aud
filed
John j Monaghan. one Of the Sink
ing Fund Commissioners whose term
bad expired was reelected without
opposition, City Councilman MELON
ough casting the ballot
A AGSIIREn Sly MONTHS