New Britain herald., 1922-01-18
MEN WANTED

The people, majority of the peo- ple, are not against cuts in the salaries of the city officials and employees. Most of the people want cuts
 But the people want men, real men, in positions of authority in the city government. People who think want such men more than they want cuts in salaries.
 The people want committees which will act upon matters coming within their Jurisdiction as though the word of the committee was the final word. They do not want committees which will pass the buck" to the common council, compelling 1t to do the un- popular thing which the committee was unwilling to do. They do not want committees which will contain mem- bers who vote for a popular thing solely to please their constituents and against their own better judgment; they do not want committees contain ing members afraid to vote against popular plan because such members do not like the idea of listening to the complaints of their constituents thpt they opposed something they. their constituents, desired.
 The common council committee on salaries will recom mend to the com- mon council tonight what will amount to a general, Substantial cut in the salaries of the city officials and em- ployes. The salary committee has heard the testimony of the different departments that salary cuts are in- advisable and, in most cases, unjusti- fable. The people have not had the advantage of learning the facts in each case. The salary committee is in q better position to judge what would be wise than are the people who are ignorant of the amounts of the salar- its and how we'll deserved they are.
 If the salary committee, in good faith, in view of the evidence pre- sented, has reached a decision to rec ommend cuts, expecting that the com- mon council will approve, and if the committee has acted thus for no other reason, there may be no complaint. The members may feels satisfaction that their decision, strangely enough, happened to be the decision that will bring them the most popularity.
 On the other hand if those mem bers of the salary committee who do not believe this is a time for cuts were forced to compromise with those who favored more drastic cuts in order that those greater cuts would not be recommended; If the members of the salary committee, or any of them, vot- ed to recommend cuts in order to gain favor with the voters, feeling EAat they did not. care to take the ejOloquy attendant upon opposing the general feeling: if they felt that it would be all right anyway as the council would not recommend the cuts-if they did these things, and if it is known that they did these things with this ulterior motive, then the sign should be hung up, when committees are to be appointed: Men wanted"
 If the salary committee knows more about proper salaries than the peo- pie know, certainly the department heads know more than the salary committees. If the argument Is raised that such department heads are prej udiced in favor of their workers, then the reply may be made that the mem as apt to the prejudiced by their desire to please the people who, it has been have been camoring for such salary cuts. It is good to please the people
 
 all. It Is bad beyond words to please the people at the expense of a few, where the pleasing" is attended by injustice to that few
 Many public men are tempted to take the popular stand, regardless of the merits of case. Many news papers are so tempted. It is hoped and expected that the common coun- cil will act upon the recommenda- tions of the salary committee moved only by the merits of the matter.
 WATER It may be trite to remark that wa