The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-01-11
LIGHT CO. CHIEFS INCREASED
OWN SALARY BUDGET WHILE
SLICING CLERKS PAY, IS CLAIM
Workers. Wages SIaShed by
$4,000 in 1882, Says
Public Counselor.
POINTS TO 1927 PROMISE
Executives Figures Raised
by $14,200, is Assertion
OF MintOn.

Clerks of the Indianapolis
Power and Light Company
received a slash of more than
$4,000 in 1882, according
to reports of the light COM
pany to the public service
commission.
And at the same time an addition
OF $14,20J was put upon the budget
Tor executive salaries, according 10
the same reports.
In contrast TO the wage cuts doled
out to the hired help, the ngnt
companyS own reports 10 the pup
Tic service commission reveal Cnat
salaries of executives have skyrock-
eted steadily until, in 1882, executive
salaries reached $134,938.
While executives of the light
company were handing themselves
wage boosts which totaled $134.938
in 1882, the pay roll of the entire
force in the general Office only
amounted to $96,984 for that year.
The reports show:
Merger Promises Recalled
In revealing these contrasts in
executives and clerks salaries.
Sherman Minton, public counselor
before the public service commits
sion, recalled promises made at the
time Of the merger in 1927 when
economy of operation and conSe-
quent lowered rates were pledged.
Due to Mr. Minton's investigation
OF light company affairs and the in
dependent investigation by The
Times, the public service commits
sion recently issued an ordar to
show cause why electric rates in
Indianapolis should not be reduced,
Hearing has been set for Feb. l.
From the time Of the merger in
1927 when executive salaries totalled
only SGT ,083 for the eleven month
fiscal year the amount has risen
steadily until last year, when ac-
cording to public service commits
sion reports, the total salaries of
executives was two and half times
those paid at the time of the
merger.
Figures Are Copied
Previous to the merger, the COM
bined salaries of the officials Of
the Merchants Heat and Light
Company and the Indianapolis
Light and Heat Company for 1925
and 1926 amounted to only S57, 420
and $58,190, respectively, according
to the reports to the public serv-
ice commission.
The following figures, copied
from the light companys own re-
ports to the commission, show how
the salaries of executives have
climbed. The low figure for 1927
was caused by the short fiscal year
due to the merger:
Executives of the Indianapolis
Power and Light Company in 1928
received S113,568; in 1929. S1l7.772:
in 1890, $124,453; in 1881, S12O 1853.
and in 1882, the top figure Of
$134938.
Workers Wages Cited
In contrast, The Times cites the
total salaries of the large corps of
gneral office workers for the same
periods. In 1927, general office work
ers received $88,961; in 1928, S88 96I:
Ill 1929, S94,524; in 1880, S102, 1876; in
1881 $l07,506 and in 1882, s96,984.
Despite the fact that there is no
evidence that the Indianapolis
Power and Light Company has been
involved, either privately or with
the public service commission in any
legal matter, the company maintains
large staff of lawyers.
The available records, filed with
the public service commission. re-
veal that while the combined figures
OF the Merchants Heat and Light
Company and the Indianapolis Light
and Heat Company for legal talent
were S43,200 in 1925 and 1900 in
1928, the merged company, pledged
70 economy, far exceeded them.
Legal Talent Expensive
In 1923 shortly after the merger,
the price Of legal talent for the In
dlanapolis Power and Light Com
pany jumped to S62, 224; in 1929 it
was S62,255; in 1880, s56,072; in 1881.
s60,415, and in 1882, $4,000
In studying the figures, Mr.. Min
ton recalled the pledge" made Jan.
10, 1927, at the time of the merger.
1t was:
The evidence clearly shows th.t
a considerable saving can be effected
o. the unified operation Of the two
companies. One group of officers,
engineers, accountants and clerks
can be eliminated el rely The
combined maintenance of duplicate
7erties will be avoided and the
waste Of money in a competitive eff
fort to get new business will be