Evening star., 1901-02-02
THE INCREASES ALLOWED
DISAPPOINTMENT AMONG MEMBERS
OF FIRE DEPARTMENT.
F0remen and Engineers Omitted
From List of Favored Ones
Comparison Made.

ported to the Senate yesterday, every MEM
Der of the various companies OF the hre
department receives an increase of So per
month In their salaries, except the fore
men, the commanding officers of the COM
panies and the engineers. The bill as pass
ed by the House increased the pay of pri-
Yates IS a month, and the Senate amended
1t so as to give such an increase to the
twenty-five drivers, fourteen firemen and
six tillermen, making the pay Of the pri-
Yates after July 1, 1901, $40 per annum.
and that of the drivers. firemen and tiller-
men 5000.
Naturally, the foremen and the engineers
are very much disappointed. and trust, al
though with very little confidence, that the
Senate will at least grant them the same
increase given to other members OF the
companies. In support of their claim for
such an increase, the foremen invite atten-
ton to the fact that. commanding off,
GERS of their respective companies, they are
| held strictly responsible for the proper con-
duct Of their men. not only when perform
ing actual fire duty, but as well when In
quarters. They are also held responsible
for the apparatus, horses and all other
property of the District placed in their i'm
mediate care. and yet. If the bill. as amend
ed by the Senate, becomes law, they will
receive but a little more than So a month
after the 1st of next July than will the
drivers. firemen or stokers, and the tiller-
men. whose responsibility, tney contend,
does not even approach theirs.
Allege Discrimination.
The foremen wish it clearly understood
that they are not begrudging the increase
in pay of the other members of their COM
panfes. but, on the contrary. are glad they
will get it. believing the men entitled to it;
but they claim. nevertheless, that they are
being Disseminated against In this con-
nection they say that whereas the pay OF
privates and other members of companies
has been increased heretofore more than
once. the pay Of the foremen has been al
lowed to remain for years at Its present
rate. Comparison is made with the salaries
paid the members of the police force. the
foremen inviting attention to the fact that
even privates on the police force. those OF
class 2, receive 81 ,0S0 per annum, or just
$50 more than foreman Of a fire COM
p6ny, while the sergeants, whose rank Is
not. they claim. relatively higher than that
of foremen. receive 81, 40 per annum, or
$40 more.
Again comparing the two departments,
the foremen. of the fire department COM
panies hold that in the performance Of their
duty their lives are risked quite as often, If
not more frequently. than those Of the po-
licemen. Even when simply responding to
an alarm of fire, whether there Is fire or
not, they claim that their lives are endan-
gered, as there may be collision on the
way or an axle may break, wheel come
off, horse fall or some like accident oc-
cur. On the fire ground, 1t is contended
on behalf of the foremen, that they lead
their men into burning buildings, risking
their lives and those Of their men. and
that, too, even when no persons are to be
rescued Then, again, 1t Is pointed out
that the foremen Of companies are men
who have. as a rule, given the best part
of their lives to service in the fire depart
ment. and who occupy their positions be-
cause Of such long service and devotion to
duty.
On, nholf of ha nCn yUhn
It is to run the steam engines 1t is claimed
that their qualifications entitle them to
better pay than they now receive, and, like
the foremen although not having the re-
sponsibility OF the commanding officer OF a
company, they are men who have. as a
rule gained their positions through long
service. -
What the COmmissiOners Asked For.
When the Commissioners submitted their
estimates to Congress at the beginning Of
the present session they asked that every
member of the fire department, from the
chief engineer down to the private. be given
a 15 per cent increase Of pay, and when
they appeared before the House committee
on appropriations they earnestly urged such
an increase, Commissioner Macfarland,
who has immediate supervision Of the fire
department. making a particularly strong
and earnest appeal for such consideration
of the f1remen.
The House, however, decided to increase
the pay of only the privates. and gave them
an increase Of but per cent, while the Sem
ate has simply made the 5 per cent increase
apply also to the drivers tillermen and the
firemen, or stokers.
The Senate, however, has increased the
| number Of assistant chief engineers from
two to three. The Commissioners asked for
an increase Of two. Such an increase, they
stated. is absolutely needed as although the
strength of the fire department has more
than doubled during the past ten or fifteen
years, the number Of assistant chief engt-
neers has not been increased. Another In
crease earnestly recommended by the Com
m1ss1oners has been granted by the Senate,
an appropriation for an additional truck
company. to be located In the southeastern
section of the city. section sadly in need
Of such additional f1re-fighting company.
These increases, the Commissioners trust,
will be retained in the bill, and they would
also be glad to have every member of the
department receive an increase Of nav =