The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-03
AGAINST %FIREMEN'S BILL
CONTROLLER JOHNSON says TT WILL
NcREAsE PAx roll 100000.
ne Several Reasons why
the BiII shouia Not Become n
Law-FOIice Discrimination.

The bin now pending in the state Senate
Or Increasing Of hrsmen's pay in Indian
arofz IS being criticised by many city Of
seials and YESTERDAYS City Controller john
81 expressed himszlf in strong terms as
,pposed to the bill.
.Ths Jl should rot be passed. said Mr..
Johnson. "as there:are many reasons why
,be legislature shoSld not enact such legis-
lation. in the first place. the regulation Of
m pay OF members of the indianapolis fire
Seuartment is left IL the hands OF the City
Council. under the, provisions of the city
charter. The Coun;s is vested with full
mower to TX all ssiaries of city officials.
and if the hremen were interested in having
their pay increased: they should have gone
before the Council snd presented their re-
ouest. The City Council is also better abls
10 judge TIE merits: of such measures. as
the members Of that. body are familiar with
the aaacisI condition of indianapolis and
the pay that dremel, shoul receive.
Il am not opposed 20 fremen receiving
good wages. but tbs policemen should not
be Disseminated against in such a bill. If
the salaries of the hremen are raised the
~salariss of the members OF the police force
should also be increased. What the men,
5ers OF the fire department should have
done was 20 present their request 10 the
Board Of Safety aa:i have that board rec
ommcnd to the Co<lncil an increase under
the proposed merit. system.
COMMITTEES WAS CLEVER.
"But the committee of hremen showed
eleyernee-s in their scheme by including in
their bill a section providing for increase
in the salaries Of members of the Board
Of Safety. and as a result. they have the
cooperation Of thee board in their efforts to
secure the passage,of the bill. The firemen
who are working for this bill nave ac-
costed members OF the Legislature and
asked for their support and they nave met
with great success because the members
Of that body do ngt know the conditions
that are prevalent in indianapolis.
The bill provides for increasing the pay
OF hremen. but does not provide any means
whereby the extra. money is To come from.
II the bill Is passeil the firemen, of course,
will have TO be qaid according to such
q law, bat 1 do not know where the city
will get the money The tax levy was fixed
last fall. and every item of expense has
been figured and elere will be no surplus.
The passage of the bill will mean an an
nual increase OF 5early $4,000 to the pay
roll OF the hremea and this year, should
the bill be passed, the city will have to nav
about $Z5.u0 TO the hremen, and l suppose
the Council viii have TO make temporary
loans TO meet the vouchers for salaries. 1t
means an increase of about $4,000 a month
over present salaries.
THE DISCRIMINATION.
There is no reason why the police force
should be discrimiaated against. The po-
licemen were going to light for an amend
ment to the bill, but they have withdrawn
and the fremen are playing a lone hand.
1t is also said the members Of the Board
OF Safety are working for the bill because
their pay will b. increased from $500 to
1000 a year and possibly more. / think the
members Of that hoard already receive suf-
fcient salary in view OF the fact that the
members Of the itark Board, who devote
nearly as much tirae to their work. receive
no compensation. : The fact that about
forty fremen were lobbying for the passage
OF the bill yesterday shows that the Board
Oh Safety Is ~taVCring IL, for the board
would never permit that many men to
leave their duty COR such work IL il were
not in favor of tie bin. Had a large fire
broken out In tie city yesterday there
might have been great loss because the
nremen were in Tie Statehouse instead of
on duty / am not: in favor of such legisla-
ton. and II any ssalaries are raised the
members of the Police department. VINO de-
vote nearly all Fkeir time to their duty,
should not be overlooked
OBJECTIONABLE SECTIONS.
Mr.. Johnson polated out several sections
In the hremen's h.H which he said are OBJ
Iectionable. The oil increases the salary
Of the first assia can't chief from 81. 200 to
h.0N' second assistant chief from 81, 200 to
a4O, superintendent Of fire alarm from
Hao 10 $500; creates the office Of assist
ant superintendent of fire telegraph at a
salary of Sl.0S0; decreases the pay of twen-
Weight captain. from $500 to S1,0SO, in
creases pay of nine engineers from Sq00 m
N'gD The salaries are to be arranged
on the merit system. as follows: Mem
Defs or the department who have served
IesS than one yeif y a day, more than one
Year, E25, which is the same
salary as hren1en receive under the
present system; those who have
served two years, $3.50 a day, and
those Who have served four years $267
q day. The bill slsO provides for ten sub
sttutes who sh..ll have a fixed salary Of
III "a year. Th-s bill allows one day va
cation a week To each fireman. and twelve
Sdys vacation each year with full pay. II
Il also provided that all applicants for ap-
polhtInent 10 this, fire department shall be
tNamined by tlss police surgeon ard a
Ihyslcl9n appointed by the trustees or the
mtmen S pension fund. and the applicant
must pay a fee of s. for the examination
whether he passes or is rejected. The
lofce now comprises 10 men aud of this
number about $50 will come under the
Iourth grade. Wig will receive $3.50 a year.
Chcer the bill there would also have TO be
several new appointments to fill the new
OHlceS created.
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