The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-16
Wilder Alleges Attempt
 to COerce Aldermen
ccontinued from Page 1.)

 Greene if he was either a resident, a voter. or a taxpayer in Bridgeport!
 The question was the same that the Alderman has so diligently asked in MT. Greene. The latter contented himself with asking a question and re- turned to. his seat
 Alderman John H. McMurray asked a number of questions directed to show that the League has not present ed all .he statistics relating to the pay of firemen in the cities of the Unl- ted States. He extracted from Thomas H. Macdonald the admission that the League had not considered many cit- ies smaller than Bridgeport in which the firemen are paid more than they are here.
 President Dennis F. O'Neill of the council opened the session and said that those who were opposed to the. increase would be heard first He then turned the chair over to Alderman w. F. Primrose, the Republican leader. while he went to attend committee meeting in another part of the build ing.
 The first speaker was Thomas H. Macdonald of the Manufacturers As sociation- He said in part: The Tax payers league is opposed to the ire mems increase for several reasons. The principal reason Is the belief that the present pay of the firemen. com pared with other employees, of the city and the firemen of other cities is ade- quate 1t is already above the aver age salaries paid in 54 cities of the country with populations ranging from eOOOO to 10000. This increase would make Bridgeport firemen the fifth best paid in the country. Bridgeport is not the fifth city in importance in the country-either in size. or in wealth by bulk of per capita The city needs all the money 1t can get. yes, even more than it can get
 A. w. Burritt. head Of the A w: Burritt Lumber Co., was the next speaker. He characterized the pro- posed raise of salary as. extravaganza He said taxpayers do not want to De Diggardly. They want the firemen to have a square deal. Mechanics and men employed in the building trades average up pretty well to the present wages of the firemen if they have full time. But wet days. cold days. and delays cause them to lose from 15 to 20 per cent of this amount. It takes years for the mechanics to qualify Tor their lines of business. but a firemen does not have to go through that course of training. There Is always
 Isaac W. Birdseye. former president of the Board of Trade. was the next speaker He has been to Europe re- gently and talked about Switzeriana and Germany. and described how they do things over there. He said in part: Tn Germany and Switzerland l found that good public servants averaged ht- tie less than artisans. or mechanics. All are well paid. They get from 15 to 20 per cent. less than the artisans because they have their pay rain or shine. sick or well. After several years of service they are retired on pension for faithful service so that In the end he is better taken care of than the artisans or the mechanics. They nave something of the same kind of pension here. so they have something to look forward to- On the other hand the man who works in the factory has nothing when he gets old unless 1t IS what he has saved from his own earn ings."
 Buildinfi CO. showed a Keen insight into the make up of the fire depart ment He was of the opinion that the employees of other city departments must be raised eventually in propor- tion to the proposed raise of the fire men.
 Other speakers were F. L. Bradbury. the cr,iller manufactures. and c. L. Beach. formerly of Beach Bros Ice co. MT. Bradbury figured 1t out that If the tax rate went up the rents were going up and eventually it would hs the wage earner who was going to suf- fer.
 ble fellows. but he had been paying
  number of years without second dis trict benefits and he thought he and his reighbors should get some benefits before thefr taxes were increased.
 President Jerome Orcutt of the Tax payers' League. announced at this time that there were many more sneakers but as the hour was get ting late the league would conclude
 Alderman Frank M Wilder wanted to know if the cost of living had not increased. Attorney Phelan answer ed. "Yes. mine has and so has every body else.''
 Alderman Daniel Mahoney. Jr-. want ed to know why the salary of the clerk of the fire board had been raised $500. He saiG the commissioners should follow their own advice as the clerk of the fire board did not have to eat smoke, fight fire orNput in 24 hours a day on his job
 President Bullard replied that the clerk earns the money and that hls work was not of the same class as that of the fj-emen-
 Alderman OConnell wanted to know if there was not a night watch system whereby the men lost a good deal or sleep.
 man who lost sleep was allowed to make it up in the day time-
 Judge Frank N. Wilder. during his remarks in favor of the firemen. di- rected attention to the fact that the hearing had been called in such a way as to give them no opportunity to be heard He devoted some time to showing the pay of skilled mechanics. and such public servants as policemen and firemen.
 He said: ''The basis of employment is the amount of time the worker gives to his employer. A carpenter. for in stance. works eight hours a day and receives S3.25. which is 40 5-S cents an hour. But for each hour of overtime a carpenter would receive 60 cents. A carpenter working the same number of hours as a fireman would be paid several times as much"