The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-11-30
FIREMEN and
POLICE WILL
lose RAISES
City Agrees to Strike $105
Salary increase From
Budget for 1928.
CUT IN LEVY IS CAUSE
State Tax Board Must Pass
on Reduction to Lower
Debt.

Police and f1remen probably will
lose their $105 salary increase for
1928 when the State tax board rules
on next years budget.
Increased pay for the 1900 police
and firemerl was provided in the
1923 budget by city council. State
tax board and city officials inform
ally agreed today that the pay
boosts should be eliminated to pro-
vide for the 6.4 cent levy cut or
dered by the State board. They
conferred at the Statehouse.
Act Before Dec. 10
Mayor Slack will confer with
william H. Book, Chamber of Com
merce budget expert; Corporation
Counsel John w. Hoffman and
other city officials on where the
cut shall apply on the budget and
make recommendations to the State
body. The State board must act
before Dec. 10.
Slack agreed with Books recon-
riendation that police and firemen
should not have an increase. Board
Chairman John j. Brown said he
believes the local salaries now COM
pare favorably with other cities.
Slack insisted the police depart
ment needs "more men," but did
not indicate how many more.
Put Saving on Debt
Holtzman suggested the approx
innate $4,000 saved from police and
f1remen's salaries be used to clear
part of the $450,000 Indebtedness for
utility bills.
at would be bad advertisement
to have utility obtain Judgment
and then pay it with bond ISSUE"
Hoffman SAID. - *
William Huff, tax board member,
suggested the remainder of the in
debtedness be borrowed next Sep
tember and met by an additional
levy in 1929.
Wholesale pairing of the 1928
budget as passed by the council ap-
peared necessary to bring the budget
within the amount provided by the
levy. The amount will be Offset
somewhat by the increased taxation
valuation to $666 $4,000. The bud
get was figured on a $653,000,000
valuation.
Brown told the city officials the
State board did not designate where
the cuts should apply because of
chaotic conditions of city govern
n1ent" had kept them from getting
the desired information.
There was no discussion of means
Of providing salaries for three sani-
tary department positions cut from
the 1923 budget. One of Mayor
Slack's fisrt acts was to order res
toration Of the positions, the en-
ployes forming an operating coun-
cil'' to supervise General Superin-
tendent E. w. Mccullough.
Many Offices Cut
Slack is expected to recommend
that the salaries be reinstated.
1t was agreed at the conference
that these cuts should be made:
Purchasing agents Office clerk,
$1,000; city plan commission con-
sultant, $2,400; trim city plan
"other compensation fund" from
$1,000 to $1,50O; $4,000 appropriation
for publishing of council minutes to
$2,400; board of safety bookkeeper,
$2,400; elimination of two weights
and measure inspectors, assistant
smoke inspector, $2,400; chief sign
inspector, $2,400, and assistant po-
lice surgeon
On suggestion Of Book 1t was
agreed to reduce the number of fire
battalion chiefs and police officers.
Battalion chiefs number was cut
from ten to nine and police captains
from five to four, heutenantS twelve
to eleven and sergeants from thirty
two to thirty.
Would Merge Lawyers
Book pointed out how the police
department would have an increase
of about fifteen men through return
Of men assigned to other depart
rilents. Slack said he hopes to elm
mate transferring Of employees from
departments.
Slack Indicated he would. cut the
city plan commission appropriation
Of $4,000, placing engineers under
the engineer department.
Possibility of eliminating special
attorneys for city boards, placing all
legal advisers under the corporation
counsel. was discussed.