New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-24

SOM: REASONS FOR iNCREASiNG THE SALARIES
or pArRol.MEN TwENTY-EiGHT YEARS
WITHOUT ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Permit to say word in behalf OF the
BIZ; now before the Legislature to Increase the
pay Of patrolmen in this city This Is not tnie
| am aware that anything Involving any additional
burden. however light, to the taxpayers Il looked
upon with favor. but there reasons why TINS
particular measure should receive favorable con-
slder..iou. despite the opposition Of Mayor Gliroy
Mr. Croker and all the other leaders Of Tammany
Hall.
Pco,ie are in the habit Of speaking Of our police
force as The finest in the world" II wou'd De
irnnnodes: for one Of MS - echo that compliment.
I merely refer to It for the SAKE of contrasts; Tor
while our department Is pointed to by our CIT
zons with especial pride the fact remains that IL
IS the only ono which has not enjoyed correspond
ing advantages with the citys marvellous RFo"ih
and material prosperity. The employees 81 an olHeF
branches & the municipal government have had
their salaries Increased from time 10 time that OF
the uatrolrnen remains the same as 1t was one
quarter OF a century ago. Away back in 100 our
yearly ccrnpcnsatlon WAS fixed at $3.50 a year;
that Is what receive today
Il speak OF 1t nominal pay, FOR the fact IS that
we really 80, for our families and ourselves only
two-thirds Of that amount The regulations gov
errius the police force compel an expenditure OF
about $50 every year in providing uniforms ana
tho outlay for necessary extras When man ~
SICK or gets leave of absence his pay ceases one
way or another our pay-that Is. the amount mat
We can actually put 70 our own use-wil not OK
cetl $50 q the most on the other hand our OK
penses have gradually increased. The man en-
gagged in the ordinary vocatons OF life finishes
his days work and goes home t. his family across
tho East or North rivers where he can secure
decent home for a rental In hs power 10 pay. We
are obliged to remain IN the city. within easy dls-
..ft IN tgh a
signed our wages do rot warrant an "Np' MIXTURE
Of NOE tnan 81 or so mon!n ioT rrnt - w., w.
in halfway decent and comfortable quarters me
cost OF fuel ana PROVISIONS mas a'o s",e , q,
.@rhe ara population AMI assessed value Of real
and personal property has more than doubled since
ipS The number OF pttrO.me1 during mat period
has increased from l.ni to &.i.s or only 70 per
cen, :, nat the average duty - BE- performed by
patrolman to-day is one-fourth more than 1t WAS
some people have lAel that a POLICEMAN
leads an easy: n not lazy NC \ DAY or two on
the force would soon dispe that illusion. We have
not A day-harily an hour-thlt we can call our
own. sunday brings no cessation to our labors.
and holidays incrc1', them. we are IN constant
danger from the knives. pistols or clubs or In
furlstcl drunken rufians. At nres We have TO
tekc almost AS many chances as the hrenen them
selves. We must patrol our posts on the stormiest
day OF summer our home NE Is practically broken
up. and all this for the nominal pay OF Ngo year
our hours on duty VIII average from thirteen to
Another point: Every man employed in the or
extra labor. The policeman IL an exception % this
rule We ar called upon % perform dangerous
and protractei service IN case OF riots AMI strkcs
and ID NOT get penny Of ezra pay for such work.
In the Thrd-ave railroad strike We were on duty
almost continuously n.SGt and Gay for months We
acreage. AZ that time. twenty hours duty ont OF
order an! anarch 81 outbreaks ana have always
done So and have not ask "A FOR the all of the
militia I'm such cases. ~ has frequently been done
In other cities and States. These some ~ the
reasons that think eutltle as TO increased com
rrns1t!on.
The pay Of captains and sergcants. although much
arger than that ~ parJlmen has been considerably
Increased by legis,aiipn in recent years. Captains
who formerly got $500 year receiving
&1-0 Sergcants have been advanced from 81 61O
Ia S2e0 annually bu the poor patro,man. who bears
the hrunt of the exposure. peril and hardship. gets
not a penny more than h. diI nearly thirty years
ago
IN my opinion tho arca; reason why the public
ia so apatheuc 70 the Justice OF appeals Is that
An erroneous impression exists that politl-
cal machine NJ IL, beck AMI call OF Tammany.
Their" IL foundation for this .lea but the fault
does not lie with the rank AM hc. our discipline
is AZ stringent thnt OF the Regular Army. The
orders superior must be implicitly obeyed with
out questioning II follows therefore. that II Tam
many Hall controls IN" higher officials of the Police
Department. l. can sway the whole organization.
ana have nothing to do but obey You never
hear ~ a patrolman buying yachts. fast horses or
brownstone fronts. II "a only our superlors who
indulge In such luNuries All that ask. look
for is decent livelihood. PATROLMAN.
NcW-NOrk, April p. 1871