OCR Text |
Show SALARIES OF MAYOR AND HIS ASSOCIATES HAVE BEEN CUT $1800 A YEAR BY LEGISLATURE Beginning January 1, 1017. the next mayor of Ogden will receive a salary of $3600 a year, instead of $4200 paid at present, and the two pther commissioners commis-sioners will receive $3000 a year, instead in-stead of $8600. The new salary will be ?300 a month for the mayor, instead in-stead of $350. and $25o a month for each commissioner, instead of $300. Each official's salary will be $50 a month le--s than at Ibresenl In . I t - wages the new rating will be (jij days per month) about $11 50 a day for the mayor, instead of $13 50, as paid at present, and about $9 50 B day for each commissioner, instead of $11.60. The new rating legally could not be made i o apph to the present administration. adminis-tration. This news was mentioned incidentally incidental-ly by Senator .Joseph C. Chez, who returned yesterday after his arduous labors in the legislature. He merely mentioned it In connection with other legislation The figures and comment are exclusively by the reporter. No Personal Criticism. Senator Chez was asked for an interview. inter-view. In behalf of the people He was overwhelmed with work, trying to make head and tail of his prof) SSional work, accumulated during his absence, but he paid lie was ready at all times to answer any question oncerning the people's welfare and how it was conserved con-served in the legislature. He criticised criti-cised no one. He was silent to questions ques-tions concerning the work of other legislators and Governor Simon Bamberger. Bam-berger. "Let the record answer all such quesllonS:'' he said. Why Ogden Is Second Class. "How about our bill gninc,' the city power to do its own improvement improve-ment work without contracting up 1o $6,000 and what became of Raleigh's three bills compelling ihe county to contract every thing above $"00?" "Remember, Ogden, as a city of the second class, can do its own improvement improve-ment work up to $2,000 without con tract ing," he replied, "while for cities cit-ies of the first class $f,000 is the maximum. max-imum. I was pleased to see a state ment by Mayor Hey wood in The Standard that he was in favor of luis measure if the maximum were placed at $2.00. which he said would be economical Yes, Indeed. I'm sorry the maximum couldn't have been placed higher, but the $2,000 limit will help a lot. The power granted the city Is discretionary. Tt is gratifying gratify-ing to find our Mavor committed to it. The contractors were strongly op-.posed op-.posed to this bill, of course. They I issued 'literature,' and struggled against it. They have been enrich-: ing themselves and employing aliens ' whn rnlildn't tnpL- l'n ft icln Thic Hiq. cretionary power, if exercised, will give the work to worthy citizens and offer! a great saving. I hope" The Raleieh hills, giving all county work above $50u to the contractors, died the death, I am pleased to say." City Court's New Power. 'How will the new power granted the city court be exercised?" was asked. "We simply enlarged the jurisdiction jurisdic-tion of the municipal court from $300 to $500. The Judge receives the same salary. The fees will be less for litigants, lit-igants, saving them heavy expense A vast amount of legal flotsam and jetsam will be kept out of the district dis-trict court. The city's legal business busi-ness will he greatly ex-pedited. effecting effect-ing a large savine to the taxnavers" "Whal is the meaning oi" youi venue bill9" was asked. ' I introduced the same bill two vears ago," the Senator replied, 'and it passed, but Governor sprv vetoed it. This time it went through. Any one suing a corporation which has headquarters outside of Ogden (usually (usual-ly claiming Salt Lake) ran bring the suit here and have it tried here This will relieve the people qo( only of Ogden. but especially the residents of sen ions remote from Salt Lake and Ogden, of a great and unjust burden Their remotejjess from the place of trial has enabled the corporations to compel litigants to compromise claims at ten or fifteen cents on the dollar Praet jeallv .ill damage rases have bee,, I handled that way, The corporation always seeks a change of venue to Sit Lake. Hereafter, all such cases will be tried in the countv where the suit is filed. The Governor hasn't signed the bill, yet. but undoubtedly will do so, for it will accomplish Kreat good for the people." More Help for Ogden. "How much financial aid was obtained ob-tained for Ogden's charitable institutions?" institu-tions?" was aski d. "Ogden fared exceedingly well in this respeet," he replied. 'We have three institutions, the .Martha society, the Children's Aid BOCiety and the Crittenton home. Each was granted $2,000. Two years ago we obtained $.'00 for the Martha and $500 for the Children's Aid society Blessing will flow from that appropriation, I am sure " Good News For Ogden. "How about the Initiative and Refer endum"" was asked. "What was our amendment ?" ' My amendment made it apph to municipal corporations," the senator replied. Under this new law any ordinance or-dinance may be initiated directly b the people, and if adopted the city commission is compelled to enforce It; also, the commission can be compelled com-pelled to refer any ordinance to the people for their approval. This gives Ogden a large measure of home rule Its importance, in my opinion, is vital. vit-al. Yes. we had to fight for it and make ir conservative The percentage of signatures required is graduated but it is a people s power measure easily eas-ily within reach when really needed." The senator expressed regret that the recall bill was lost. "Nobody Knows How Dry " "Senator, are we dry as bone-dust, as a powder-house, as promised"" was asked Senator Chez smiled. After reflection reflec-tion he said: "Nobody knows how arj ve arr. Th aw ia the most stringent ever enacted. Enforcement is up to the governor He has power to use in enforcement all agencies in the state and to employ new agencies, all the help needed. The commission-er commission-er feature was lost on the argument that a governor inclined to the 'wet side could appoint a 'wef commis- sinner and thus block enforcement. The law centralizes power and fixes responsibility directly upon the gov-; gov-; ernor " "Why was Ogden classified as a city of the second class?" he was asked. "To keep taxes down, to maintain efficiency, to prevent the adroit building up ot a municipal political ma-i ma-i Inn'', to prevent the doubling of mu-mcipal mu-mcipal expense and a heavy increase in taxes," he replied. 'Ogden isn't ready yet," he r-ontin-ued. "to adopt the two additional city commissioners, the city court system with two judges at $2,500 a year, the additional commissions. bureaus, boards, committees i lie many addl' tlonal city emploves. the useless and eostly impedimenta which WQUld have been imposed upon the taxpayers if ogden had remained classified as a city of the first class. Saves Enormous Expense. "In Die re-r lassiheation of the eit-ies, eit-ies, I insisted that Ogden be classified classi-fied as a city of the second class until our census shows 50,000 population. Had Ogden been classified as a citj of the first class, all of these additional addi-tional expenditures would have been added, beginning win, a proclamation for the election of two additional t om-missioners. om-missioners. Ogden wasn't rcadv for this heavy additional expense. Taxes already are so high as to be burden- j some our people are complaining bitterly of excessive taxes and unnecessary un-necessary expenses Had I weakly yielded to the prldeful but thoughtless demand on the part of a fen- to h.nvni I ogden classified as a city of the first' ! class, the city's running expenses j would have doubled and taxes would! I have been raised thereby aboe the prohibitive point "Our people don't need the complicated compli-cated and costly system which would' have been imposed upon them as a city Of the first class. The municipal debt j is now enormous. Our action in keeping Ogden a city of the second class will save our taxpayers many thousands of dollars." Reveals Legislative Methods. "How did you manage to reduce the pay of the Mayor and city com-, mlssioners of Ogden," was asked. ; The Senator smiled broadly. "Our folk seem keenly interested in that matter," he said 'It was done this' way. Salt Lake's city auditor Mr ! Rock, is a rare genius and wonderfully wonder-fully efficient. His salary was onlv $2,400 The people wanted to pav him $T r,nor which he earns and much more, they said They introduced the necessary bill, which required the re-modeling re-modeling of the entire law. The fact was on my mind that Ogden's Mavor 9 Tin rininmlsaUMAH. . viiujiMuiifig were receiving an excessne salary; it so seemed to our people and to myself. They are re-eeiving re-eeiving the same pay as officials of Salt ,ake. Therefore j offered an amendment cutting theJr salaries St.m, per annum each Senator Parker, my olleague, stood by me in this I m sorr the reduction could not be made to applv to the present citv administration adminis-tration " oo |