Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1922-02-09
CITY COUNCIL
PLAYS POLITICS
MISS HELEN OHM CHOSEN
FIRST ALDERWOMAN-
SALARIES FIXED

all of its grand stand ability cover
ing wide field of suggestions and
criticisms, and prolonging the session
until after 1880 o'clock A fight on
salaries of city officers, the accept
ance of Louis G. Leaks resignation
as supervisor, discussion of the rein
forcement of the Beebe and Leahy
bridge, the election of Alderman Geo.
Borowitz as supervisor, the election
of Miss Helen Ohm as alderwoman of
the Third ward, and the reading Of
many complaints against assessments
OF property We're among the principal
matters of the evenings business.
The committee on salary, consist
ing OF Aldermen Kell, Juers and Pre-
CONT, recommended that the salaries
of city officials be fixed as follows:
mayor. S2100; city clerk, $500; comp
uoller, $500; treasurer, $500; as
SCISSOR and building inspector, $500,
city attorney, $1,000 city engineer;
$780, assistant city engineer, $1,000:
health officer, $2S0O (S1o0O paid by
state); city physician, $500: super
intendent of poor, $1,000; sealer of
weights and measures. $500; electri-
clan. $500; plumbing and sanitary
inspector, $1600 street commissioner.
$500, and members of the common
council, 5000 Recommendations of
salaries per month were as follows:
chief of police, $3.50; captain of po-
lice, $135; patrolman 1st year, $120;
ttthereafter) 1925; plain clothes man,
$3.50; chief of fire department, $3.50;
assistant chief of fire department,
$135; captains of sub-stations, $3.50;
captains hook and ladder, $3.50; pipe
men and truckmen, $120 first year and
$l25 thereafter; members board of
lreview. $500 day: inspectors and
clerks of election, SO cents an hour.
The report was adopted, the only dis
senting votes being those of Alder
men klokow, Borowitz and Garske.
i Should BE Reduced
The vote was not taken, however,
until after a hot verbal contest had
taken place. Alderman Borowitz had
a speech. written out in part, which
was oratorically delivered "Im not
pleased with this report Mr.. Boro-
! wjtz declared, AT this time when
the taxpayer is asking reductions in
expenses IL is not fair that we do
not take heed of his request. 81.
The taxpayer has a right to ask that
reductions in salaries be made. All
times and it would be unfair TO re-
duce salaries in one department with
out doing so in all of them" A rea-
sonable cut, Mr.. Borowitz suggested,
would be fifteen per cent. 1--WE came
up on salaries when that was neces-
sary Now the government shows us
that living expenses have fallen nine
teen to twenty per cent" He assert
ed 1t poor Justice to leave salaries
where they are. Loud applause greet
ed the address.
Mr.. Borowitz, however, was not al
lowed to be unopposed Alderman
Gehring took the floor declaring that
"Mr. Borowitz believes we should do
exactly as the manufacturers have
done" He asked the alderman If he
had thought Of the taxpayers when he
had allowed public utility company
TO make extensions. "If you want
good, efficient men here you've got
to pay them salaries" concluded Mr..
Gehring, and the applause that rent
the air was greater than before.
, Contest Personal
The contest became rather person
al for a moment until Mr.. Borowitz
; said when a poor man is receiv-
ing only $500 day or so, and has
; to go down In his pockets to pay
these taxes, it's outrageous. No one
in the city has made any money in
a year and half. Why should pay
them more than is due them?" Mr.
Borowitz concluded by declaring that
the alderman against him was try
ing to makeNpeople believe that every
one else was against the working
man. Alderman Kell hazarded the
opinion that city employees have al
ways been underpaid.
During the first part of the meet
ing there were numerous complaints
against assessments read and re-
ferred to proper committees for con-
sideration, in all cases the claim be-
ing that there had been too great
an increase, and unreasonable. A
number also asked the city to take
care of all or a part of their taxes
this year as they have no money with
which to pay them. The Federated
Charities submitted a letter request
ing that the city pay the taxes ON
the building of the children's infrma-
ry, the work of which the Charities
has now assumed. The communica-
tion was signed by A. p. Woodson and
was referred.
Asks Transfer
T. G. Konl appeared in behalf of
the T. G. Kohl Manufacturing compa-
ny asking that the lease of city prop
erty to that concern and the agree
ment made last June, be transferred
to the Anko Manufacturing company,
which is absorbing the former con-
eern. The matter was referred to
the committee on Industries and the
city attorney.
A petition signed by residents of
the Franklin school district was read
In which the closing of Bridge street
between Fifth and Sixth streets was
severely criticised The petition said
that the city should purchase ground
to the north OF the building OF in
struct children to be careful. but that
inasmuch as that street is a main
artery it should not be closed.
The petition submitted some time