The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-07-04
POLITICAL DEBTS
EASILY PAID BY
FAT CITY Jobs
Tax Rate Committees Report
as to Legal Department Ap-
pointments Shows Where
Taxpayers Money Goes.

mi |.
me report Of the special subcom-
mlltee which investigated the city
FINANCES and recommended that the tax
Tate TOT the current year be held down
10 ~, mas caused more widespread APP
proVal on h part Of the taxpayers
port nat mas been mad in Memphis
IN years.
Inc report was made by business
men, h gave nearly four weeks time
TO tnelr investigation, assisted by two
auditors, who compiled the statistics
as 10 expenditures IN the various de-
upon which part OF the re-
port was based, There was not the
slightest political bias In any Of the
recommendations OF the committee.
AS an example, In mention of the
expenses Of the juvenile court, the
committee merely said;
I'VE are convinced that the expenses
OF the juvenile court are far In excess
OF what they should be. We see no rea:
could not handle the affairs Of the Iuve-
nile court without additional compen-
satIon, and we also feel that the other
down largely"
Cnap for EaJo11a
~"~P Ava
The Hon. John Galella was appointed
Judge of the juvenile court soon after
the adjournment of the legislature, in
which he did conspicuous service for
the city administration.
His salary is 5000 a month. That Is
| not excessive for a judge, perhaps,
but the juvenile court holds but two
sessions a week as a rule, and those
last perhaps 80 minutes. Other salaries
are not so large, the total May payroll
for salaries only being $615 for the
other employees. The city board of ed
u~cation supplies the teacher for the
juvenile court school. 1t was shown
during an Investigation about a veal
ago that there were an, average OF
about as children in the school. The
court pavs no rent, Occupying the old
| Jefferson avenue school building.
~xnenditure for the maintenance Of
the juvenile court last year were, for
| payrollS. S711l: for maintenance, Sc, 1853;
total, Si4'744.
Estimates In the budget call for a
| total appropriation for the court this
year of s19, 900. or nearly IS, 1000 more
Than for 1918.
make I . 'fs0 Tor salaries this year, or
81 7s5 more than the payroll for last
wear
This is only one item In the many
nointed out by the tax rate committee
as showing the tendency to increase
the payrolis in all departments, with
out any apparent increase in efficiency.
It is known to most taxpayers, Of
eet~ahlishment Of the Juvenile court, the
indees Of The CITY court, men like Judge
yx - E1ovd and Judge p. Harry Kelly,
acted as iudges Of the Juvenile court
svjtbout anv additional compensation,
W. m1der their su~peryision. the
anu '"ao oan, Lnnwn throughout the
Ifnited Statas as n model ones
Tbe oity administrator is employing
tonr c;tv attornevs, the committee re-
Iout Guy ont although for year
Two LAWYERS were able to care for all
tSs c awse IegsI business, and that was
dnr;ng years. when yiaducts and sub
uur,as yere hsing constructed, new
SasS yyars heins opened and other
SubIIo work done which demanded the
pu ua ftwo good awyers constantly in
tthhaa e ,~onsemnstion proceedings necessary
tne G onu az the worn.
IN ea.r ~ on this department the
o,nittea rsnorts saws;
couh.il''. ~ cali ~attentIon to the
We W'sn 20 In addition TO the
.aot W. -nsv ,hree LAWYERS who are