Omaha daily bee., 1921-01-07
Firemen and Police
Given Salary Raise

SSv"sAAuoU AAVHA i u8O OhC'(
Zimman, that there are 10000 voters.
in Omaha. You have made your bed
and you will have to lie in it. We
challenged the Nebraska Power Co.
when it asked for higher rates, on
1.-THE grounds that the company went
through the peak period of high
prices and because prices are now
on the toboggan, and here we are
raising the salaries of city employees" :"
Other Activities May Suffer.
"You are simply going ahead like
lot of children" said Commission
er ure.
you are taking it for granted
that you will be here after the first
Of May" retorted Commissioner
Butler.
II will be here after the first
Of May if l want to-" replied Mr..
Ure.
Commissioners Zimman and Ring
er both agreed to use whatever in
creases they received toward the in
crease of salaries for their men,
whereupon the mayor stated that
many other activities would have to
suffer.
During a discussion of the needs
of his departments for this year.
Police Commissioner Ringer said:
Needs Money for Drive.
81 need $4,000 to obtain a reason
able enforcement of prohibition, to
make a bona fde drive on the liquor
situation"
Commissioner Butler: II would
rather see. $4,000 used for the ap-
prehension, of burglars and holdup
men,"
The mayor: $50 would T."
Commissioner Zimman: "You
don't need the whole police force to
run down the fellow who has
bottle on his hip"
During last year the expenditures
of the police and health departments.
under Commissioner Ringer, were
100000. Mr.. Ringer asked for
$75,000 for the two departments
this year. He will receive $665, 900.
The health commissioner wanted an
increase of $55,000 for this year. The
increase Of $45,000 allowed to Mr..
Ringer must cover the increased pay
of the policemen and then the bal
ance may 20 for other purposes. Mr..
Zimman's additional allowance of
$S5, 900 is not one-third of the in
crease he said his departments need
ed for this year.
Would Boost Appropriation.
During the discussion Police. Com
missioner Ringer contended that
there is in Omaha an unusually wide
difference between the per capita tax
for police and fire departments, en-
deavoring to make the point that the
police department does not receive
an appropriation which is commen-
surate with its responsibilities, when
compared with the FIRE department of
this city.
"You have completed your salary
grab. you have grabbed it off" was
one of the mayors parting shots.
The action of the city council yes
terday as a budget board in connec-
tion with the increase of pay for po-
licemen and fremen means that
pending resolutions on the subject
will be adopted and that Mayor
Smiths pending counter resolution
will be defeated. unless some of the
commissioners Should change theif
positions on the subject.
Library Fund Increased.
Commissioners Ure and Butler,
heads Of the departments of public
accounts and finance and street
cleaning and maintenance, respec-
lively. did not ask for increased ap-
preparations. The only change in
the mayors department Of public at
fairs was an increase Of $4,000 for
the public library. Commissioner
Falconer's park department received
$4,000 last year and will receive
$4,000 this year. Commissioner
Towl Of the department Of public
improvements will have to get along
with an increase of $4,000.