The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-16
THE FIREMEN'S WAGES.
HOW TIE ronEMES WERE INDUCED 70 stoS

HOW TIE ToREarEN WERE INDUCED TO SIGN
THE REQUEST TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM.
the letter sent on Friday last TO the foremen OF
the several companies OF the CITY for their
sianeturcs, and addressed to the MAYOR, seems 20
have been little piece OF sharp practice Tor tie
benefit OF Comptroller Green that lails TO Tenect
credit upon those at whose insilsation " was
gotten up. The purport OF the letter was that the
old method OF paying the nremens salaries In
money directly 70 them at the houses was not
working well aud IL was desirable TO change the
system and renstate that OF paying the men oJ
warrant on bank as in former times. To this END
the letter was sent. ami many or tho foremen Of
companies we're LED TO believe that It was an
cmananon direct from the Mayors onlce.
A HERALD reporter called on Fire Commissioner
King yestel day 10 get some explanation from him
on the subject, and was informed by that gentle
man that the document Issued from Fire Com.
missioner Pegley President or the Bouru." MI
King further stated That ne was averse 10 the 81 s.
tenn OF paving Dy warrant. he mad from tue first
advocated the method At present In vogue u pay
ing The nremen IN money at their IRE houses; lhat
IL was quite rs convenient to them rs the system
OF paying by warrants lori they lost day or part
OF q Gay IN waiting for the paymaster 70 come
gong down town to get their money alter
the foreman had brought the warrant
TO them. Commissioner King stated that
his ideas on TINS subject were wen known 10 tue
Board OF Fire Commissioners and that the circu-
lar mad peen sent out without MS kno Wedge OF
consent, because II was known that he would OPP
pose It. inc telegraph OF the department haa
been used 10 get the iaea circulated, aud the mes
senGer OF the department mao oeen used 10 take
the circulars around. lie lelt that the treatment
he had received IN regard 30 tile matter was DIS
courteous and ungenIle MANY IN tne highest de-
gree and he mad taken Inc opportunity 10 80 ln-
form his colleagues, aud ne did IL IN such man
ner that they Will not De ilkelY 10 ignore his pres,
question why so many OF tue ioremen refused TO
sign the circuar, anu Why not one OF them
III the third brigade would sign 1t,
that they knew nothing about It, tnat
they were not TO be blinded Ivy sucn lame story
as was told about the Mayors office, and as tney
did not object TO their present system oil payment
sney @0ua t hem Mr. King nrtner added that
the he had kept passive In the matter after
such treatment was that he thought az long AZ
the. deed was done the nflar mad better be
dropped. for II the ioremen undertook TO make
sne signing null aud void 1t might place them IN
dlsagreeaDIs light, and ne did not believe IN max
ing politicians OF the fremen. Mr. King gave lt
mis- firm belief, however, ''tnat no tnreats or
compulson oil any KIND had been used IN the mat
ter but that the loremen signed 1t believing 1t TO
be . regular order, ana In ignorance actually OF
what they were doing.n
ioremen W no mad signed, as wei as upon some OF
those no mad not. The former denied that threats
or com puision had been used IN the matter. They
simply stated that the circular Was sent to tnem
and they signed their names TO H. one OF Two OF
over again thew w would give the matter some
thought before they did IL. and from this and some
otber general remarks II was easy 70 see mat
and ask no questions. ON the other hama, those
VINO old not sign II gave as their reason t1at
they did not quite know what IT was
intended for nor could they get any positive In
formation as TO wno issued It. The opinion IN re-
gard 10 the two systems OF payment was divided
Most OF the men. however, preferred the payment
by warrants "a they said 1t saved them mu;h
trouble, aud most OF the men could get their war
rants cashed AZ the banks nearest their fire house.
Others rather liked the system OF Cash money pay
menis. and thought 1 tnere was some appointed
could 10 1t their leisure and get their money It
would be toe most perfect way tnat could be
found. One aud all, however, ignored the idea
that they were so stupid as not 10 he able 10 do
such simple clerical work AS pay twelve men 500
each when they nad the money IN hand, though
they ala not covet the responsibility OF being the
cusIOdiana OF the mems wages.