The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-03
Only $3.50 Is SIaShed
From Budget in Five
Nights of Toll.
VOTE DOWN WAGE CUTS
Its an Academic Victory
Is CauStiC Comment
of Tenant.
The mountain labored and gave
birth to a mouse.

After flVe nights OF TEDIOUS peruSai
of budget items in an effort to pare
the 1882 civil city tax levy. city
councilmen Wednesday night con-
tented themselves with a total slash
of $3.50 in the S8,O2l, 1854 budget.
As result, the levy will remain
at S108 in 1882, as submitted to the
council by the city controller. The
$3.50 budget cut does not affect the
levy, but merely reduces the savings
necessary next year to bring the
budget within the amount of money
to be raised by the levy.
1T is an academic victory of five
nights spent in studying the budget,
the victory, however. not being par
ticipated in by the taxpayers, Maui
rice E. Tenant. one of the three
Republican councilmen commented
caustically, after acceptance Of the
budget with the $3.50 cut.
Reduce Budget Request
The cut was effected by reducing
the street commissioner budget re-
quest $500, city clerk $50 and works
OOdIQ plSO.
The councils action followed two
weeks of study in which proposed
salary slashes and budget reductions
which would have brought the levy
below 81 we're studied.
Inability to agree on where salary
slashes should start, opinion being
divided as to whether the cuts
should start with employees receiving
81 900 a year or $4,000 year, pre-
vented any action along this line.
The council also voted down dras-
tic salary cuts for nine police wom-
en-, proposed as means of forcing
designations and reducing the force
from eighteen to nine
IF you don't cut policemen, I am
against hiding behind women's
skirts" Councilman Fred c. Card
ner, who advocated salary cuts for
all city employees above 81 300, COM
mented.
designations of the nine police
women were sought as result Of
statement by Chief Mike Morrissey
that they were not needed Nor
rissey wished to retain five police
women in juvenile court and iour
police matrons. The police women
can not be dismissed arbitrarily, it
was pointed out.
Will Receive $3.50
AS a result fourteen police women
next year will be paid $500 and
four matrons will be paid $500, as
provided in the budget submitted
by the council.
At present both matrons and po-
lice women are receiving second
grade policemen's pay, $2,O26 a
year, the reduction to S1,320 and
81 500 having been made by the
controller before the budget was
submitted to the council. Several
councilmen favored restoring police
women's pay to $2,026, but found
they legally can not increase budget
items submitted to them.
The $l.08 levy is reduction of
l cent over the levy for this year,
the reduction having been made be-
lore the budget was submitted to
the council by the city controller.
While the budget was cut ap-
proximately S545, 600 below the bud
get for this year by the controller
and mayor, only l cent could be cut
from the levy because of a reduc-
ton In anticipated balance and
miscellaneous receipts next year,
together with a lowered valuation
and increased tax delinquency.
Morgan Motion Fails
Gardner was joined by Charles
G. Morgan in opposing salary cuts
Tor police women unless male en-
ployeS were reduced.
A motion by Morgan that budget
cut suggestions of William H. Book.
Chamber of Commerce civic affairs
director, totaling more than $780,
600, be accepted, failed to pass.
Suggestion Of Gardner that A
straight 10 per cent cut be made
in all budget items for equipment
and supplies and 5 per cent in SAL
aries above $1,000 failed.
I'VE are not going to get any
place, however, without cutting
wages Gardner said.
Arbitrary slashing of the budget
was opposed by Councilman Leo F.
WEIGH, who commented "it is the
duty Of the council to make
sensible budget on which the city
can operate next year, rather than
to make a grandstand play"
Council President Ernest c. Rop-
key renewed his suggestion of last
year that an efficiency expert be
employed to put the city on bust
ness-like basis.
wen Just Be Out"
We'll, if We spend $4,000 for an
efficiency man and he recommends
a cut Of only $1,000 in the budget
next year, then the city will be out
$4,000" remarked Clarence I.
Wheatley.
The council discussed plans for
making study Of salaries paid by
different departments in an effort
to standardize wages during the
next year.
Official action on the budget and
the S1.08 levy will be taken at the
regular council meeting Monday
night. following public hearing on
the budget.
The council failed to act Wednes-
day night on request of Row o.
Johnson, Indianapolis Smoke Abate-
ment League executive secretary, and
Mrs. George A VanDyke, women's
clubs representative, for transfer of
one building inspectors salary to
one for smoke inspector.