New Britain herald., 1927-01-08

The annual session of the salary
 which started this week and which will conclude next week, when the report to the council will be drafted. again focused public attention on the methods employed to handle the salary question, and, judging by the comment that is heard in places other than City Hall, the recom- mendation that has been made fre- quently to improve the modus operandi is as far from adoption as it was when originally made.
 A few years ago, Tax Collector Loomis appeared before the com- mittee and requested that the time allotted him for a hearing be spent in his own office, directly across the corridor from the hearing room, and he would be pleased to explain in as great detail as the members wish ed, the system of handling the busi- ness, the varioue bookkeeping re- quirement and the duties of the col lector and his assistants. The offer was not accepted, and the formal hearing was held, with the custo- mary questions and answers. On an- other occasion, the registrars of vot- CTS made a similar request, hoping to impress the committee with the amount of detail in their office and it's importance, but the committee apparently was not interested.
 It is said some individual mem- bers have made it their business to personally investigate the work of city officials and employees for whom salary increases have been recommended, but the practice of consistently keeping in close person. al touch with the work of the de- partments and the individual per sonnel has yet to be adopted. The committee could conduct these in- vestigations very handily and with out submitting the members to an unreasonable tax on their time, and the result would be advantageous to all concerned.
 Under the present system, which has been in vogue for many years, petitioners come before the commit. tee with the feeling that they must "say few words" but hardly with the hope that their arguments will have weight In their earnestness, they frequently exaggerate the im- portance of their duties, but this is a human failing and they cannot be blamed for possessing it. On the other hand, some who lack the knack of putting forth a convincing argument fail to make favorable impression, whereas, were they siv- en the opportunity of showing their work and explaining it, the council members very likely would meet their requests in an entirely differ ent manner.
 Some councilmen who act on sal- ary increase petitions know nothing about them beyond what they are told at the hearings, or what is giv- en them before or after the hearings when the lobbying is carried on. They are not informed as they should insist on being, and the re- suit is that their vote is frequently misdirected. Doubtless the present committee and those of years past have meant to be fair but they should not be content to have good They should also avail themselves of the opportunity of learning by investigation, and then there would be less attention paid to the spoken arguments of the pe- titioners and their boosters.
 There remains time to better the system of attending to the import ant matter of salary adjustment, and whether the committee sees fit to make favorable recommendations or not, the petitioners undoubtedly would receive the report at least with the knowledge that a real ef- fort was made to arrive at a just decision, while the taxpayers, who are the paymasters could not truth fully say that the committee did not function with thoroughness propor- tionate to the matter in hand.
 The Observer Is pleased to note that Mayor Weld is in agreement with his suggestion that an effort be made to provide sliding places off the city streets, thereby mini- mixing the danger to youthful coasters.
 The mayor has written his com on the park board and the public amusements commission