New Britain herald., 1919-12-30
ANNUAL CRAbFEST
 ON IN CITY HALL
Salary Hearings Give Rise to Per- tinent and Impertinent Comment

City hall is having it's annual up heaval over the proposed salary re- adjustments Naturally every depart ment feels that it is entitled to sub stantial recognition, and even more naturally every employe is positive that his or her services have become so valuable to the city that tho in crease sought is no more than fair
 Following the initial hearing of the salary committee last evening. the general topic of discussion heard in the corridors and in the various off, ces of city hall today has been on this subject. The individuals and de- partments already given hearings are either annoyed at some of the QueS- tions asked, or incensed at what they consider reflections on their ability, while every one is decidedly curious and impatient to learn just what action the salary committee will take. Those who have not been accorded hearings as yet are preparing their lit tie appeals and at the same time man. ifesting no little concern as to what attitude the committee will adopt in their specific cases. And then, too, there is cropping up that annual eN- hibltlon of ter-departm nta1 Jealousy that is bound to appear every January when these matters are discussed.
 Employes of the -- departm ent are openly scOrnful of the arguments raised by the members of the ------------ department in their request for raises. Their arguments are ripped to shreds and the work done by the other de- partment is decidedly belittled in this
 "office-jury'' deliberation. At the same time the weak spots in the ad
 jacent office arguments are held up for ridicule, while their own pleas are
 being stren gthened. This is not char
 acteristic of any one department, but goes straight through the entire city
 building. Neither is this anything
 especially characteristic of the present
 year or the present staff of employees. It was ever thus.
 Also, once more there springs forth the ever present antipathy of city em ployes for the city council. Again the argument is advanced that city em- ployes should not be asked to go be- fore a committee of the comm on
 council to seek salary adjustm ents. City employees feel that they should be called before the board of finance or taxation or some special commits sion made up of a different personnel than is found in the council body.
 The contention of the wotkers is that
 the members of the common council
 are not as we'll informed on city af-
 fairs and on the work of the diff
 ferent departments as they should be,
 and because of this cannot act as fairly as could some other body. Likewise they contend that members
 of the city council, because of the linn .itations of their everyday occupations,
 are not as well informed on cor
 responding conditions and actions in
 other cities and, therefore, cannot
 look at the matter in a fair way. An
 other thing that causes a feeling of
 resentment among the city employees
 are the som etimes caustic remarks
 made by members of the salary com
 mittee in commenting upon the var
 ious departments and their efficiency. Today's chief grievance was aimed at
 Alderman Cornelius J. Dehm, who is credited with having made the unsup- ported statement that the health de- partment inspectors are not onto their jobs. This unsupported statement imme- diately raised a protest by Chairman M. H. Camp who demanded proof of the allegation, but the alderman is said to have hidden behind his posi- ton as a board mem Der and declined to submit any evidence at that time. City workers today expressed the opinion that if the salary committee
 members have any fault to find with the work done, or have any com plaints to register they should make them and give the accused an oppor
 tunity to respond and either refute
 the charge, or stand convicted. h. tense indignation is everywhere in city hall expressed at the attitude of the first ward alderman who made the charge that certain city employees
 were not onto their jobs, yet goes no
 further.
 One more thing that has caused
 some adverse comment is the stereo-
 typed question regarding almost every
 clerk: How many hours a day does
 he, or she, put in on the job?'' These
 same clerks brand this question as
 ultra-fo since the common coun-
 cil, of which the salary committee is
 but a unit, has long since stipulated
 by ordinance just what hours the city employees shall work
 More hearings are to be given. 1 More feelings are to be hurt possi bly,, and more complaints are to be heard from all sides. And even then the end is not yet. If the past can be any criterion of the present, the k salary adjustm ents as finally made by the salary committee will not satisfy the council or the individuals. The council will argue and wrangle. Changes will be suggested, possibly
 made. And in the end, discord among the city employees who are pleased, and those who are not pleased, will run rampant until some other thing comes along to claim their at
 tention. Then all will oe quiet and