The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-05
INCREASE THEIR Ply.

No class of public servants are paid
as little in proportion to the value OF
their service, or with reference to the
arduous character of that service or the
risks attending it, as the firemen The
firemen of st. Paul are paid less than
those of any other large city in the
country. This latter fact is owing to
their accepting silently a reduction which
when it was made was tacitly under
stood to be temporary in character
We had hard times in 1895. Many local
philosophers were telling us around that
time that we should retrench on mu-
nicipal outlay. We did retrench-on the
pay of the firemen. The pay in every
other line of city service remains what
it was before that time unless it happens
to have been raised since. The firemen
alone are the victims of the cry for re-
trenchment at that time-a cry, by the
way. which was attended by as many
and as cheap exhibitions of demagogism
by certain city officials as ever were
offered to a gullble public.
These mems pay has not been raised
to it's original standard simply because
they have not demanded it. This is the
world where a man usually gets what
he goes after; and if he don't go after
what he wants, he invariably goes with
out. The firemen should have done be-
fore what they are doing now.
Considering the confinement attached
to the firemaa's life, the actual labor in
volved. and the greater risks attending
his employment, as we'll as the standard
of intelligence required, there is no rea-
son whatever why fremen should not in
point of compensation be put on the
same plane with the police. AS it is, the
men get little more than the pay of COM
mon 1aborers in private employment. AS
one advances UP the grades the pay
does not advance in the same proper
ton by any means. The public is prompt
to recognize the picturesque features of
the ffreman's calling and his bravery
when he shows it, as he invariably does
when the occasion arises; but the pub
lie, as represented by the local city pay
roll, seems to have very practical side
to its sympathy and admiration, by see
ing to it that neither costs too much.
The least that can be done is to put
the firemens pay back where it was be-
fore it was reduced. This ought to be
done as quickly as possible. The charter
prescribes that the board of fire commits
sioners shall regulate and prescribe the
sum to be paid to the firemen and the
other employees of the said department.
except as in this charter otherwise pre-
scribed." The charter does not ''other-
wise prescribe" 1t provides that no
greater sum than $215,OOO shall be ex-
pended for all purposes in the admins
tration of the department. The majority
of the fire board may be relied on to put
the old schedule into operation as early
as it is at all possible consistently with
the other financial obligations of the de-
partment. Even if they have not the
funds at their disposal the Glob be-
lieves that the public will sustain them
in passing the necessary resolution and
afterwards securing the necessary change
in the charter through the legislature.
Whatever course is pursued it is right
and proper that these men shall receive
the increased pay as soon as it is at all
possible.