The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-02-14
HERE'S MORE ABOUT
County Wages
STARTS ON PAGE /

II am willing 70 announce right
now that / viii favor reduction In
the salaries OF county employees next
fan when the budget board meets"
Paul said.
Commissioner w. A. Gaines said
Wednesday that he viii not favor al.
tcmpts 10 interfere with the present
wages being paid county employees
under the 1873 budget.
The budget In made up for the
year 1879" Gaines said. II consider
that the elective officers OF this
county have right 20 pay any sal.
airy they see NJ under their budgets.
providing II doesn't exceed the maxi.
mum amount In the budget"
Gaines declared that he is opposed
10 the Idea OF wage reductions Of
county employees unless the cost Of
living comes down or unless salaries
are lowered In the city administra.
ton.
when ! was county treasurer /
made a careful check Of salaries my
aides were receiving and compared
them with those paid by the city and
with business firms generally and
found that they compared favorably
from the standpoint Of economy"
Gaines said.
just what viii be accomplished by
the survey called for by Paui's reso.
luton seemed doubtful question
"wednesday. The survey viii be
made by expert accountants appoint.
I'd. one each by the Chambers OF
Commerce. the Rotary club and the
Taxpayers league. They are 10
recommend staff reductions and
economies in the various offices.
Paul admitted that the commits.
sioners cannot force staff reductions
unless the county officers agree. but
said that the savings could be ef.
fTted by cutting down salaries.
which have 20 be approved by tho
board before they are paid.
Predictions were freely made Wed.
nesday that tho survey viii cost be-
tween 5000 and $4,000. County
officers point to two former surveys,
both Of which were expensive under.
takings.
County officials were indignant
"Wednesday at the attack made upon
THEM BY speakers AT the hearing and
thru newspaper articles. Pauis
claims that county offices open at .
instead OF s n m. and that many
county employees work only five and
six hours a day. and that there are
scores Of men on the county payroll
who are 20 much dead timber were
bitterly resented. II developed that
the office Of Prosecuting Attorney
Malcolm Douglas is the only county
office which does not open AT n. m.
and c. e at 8 p. m. and which closes
Saturday afternoons during the win.
ter months.
Every county officer. with the er.
ception OF the prosecutor. who re.
fused TO comment on the charges.
claimed that staff reductions have
been made this year and that their
present staffs are the smallest that
can possibly handle the county's
business.
II was pointed out that while Paul
has been talking economy that he
has created an entirely new position
since taking office January s. that
OF assistant to Road Supervisor I.afe
Hamilton. w. L Gritman. a sup.
porter OF Paul in the recent cam
paign. holds the office at a salary
OF 81 a day. Gritman's warrant has
been held up by Auditor D. +. Fergu.
son because there is no provision for
such position In the budget and no
payroll under which he Is classified.
The resolution introduced by Paul
at Tuesdays board meeting. calling
upon county offices 10 open at s
a. m. and close at y. m. was finally
tabled late Tuesday by the vote OF
Commissioners Gaines md Tom Dob
son. II had previously been amend.
ed, on an opinion OF the prosecutor.
that the board had no authority TO
regulate the hours OF anyone except.
ing appointecs of the county commits.
/ ainnera