Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-05-02
AWAIT DECISION
UPON ORDER OF
PUBLIC SERVICE
Law Department May Test
Wilson Measure, Forcing
Police to Pay Fares.
DEPARTMENT SUFFERS;
EFFICIENCY LESSENED
Officers Confident That City At
torney B0ggs Will Win
Fight.

The rank and file, as well as the Off
GERS of the police and fire departments.
in arms over the effect of the public
utilities law, which forces uniformed
men to pay their fares. are now await
ing the decision of the city law de-
partment as to whether the law can be
successfully fought.
The police department especially will
suffer. 1t is said. One of the officers,
who did not wish to be quoted, said
today that the efficiency of the depart
ment would be impaired inasmuch as
officers very often prevent rows by
their presence in the cars, and often
times when they are notified of an
alteration a few blocks away they
jump on a car and are at the scene
of action in time to prevent trouble.
Now. however, an officer will hesitate
about paying for a three blocks ride.
Roundsmen Affected.
The roundsmen, too, will be seriously
affected 1t has been the custom of
some of the roundsmen, it is said, to
jump from one end of their district to
the other in order to surprise the men
on duty. This they will not do, it is
believed. if it will cost them ten or
fifteen cents to jump around their dis
tricts.
The members of the fire department
have it figured out that 1t will cost a
fireman 50 per month to go to his home
three times a day. This. on top of the
fact that Governor Wilson refused to
sign the Donnelly bill, which called for
an increase in firemen's pay, has made
the members of the department resent
ful towards the attitude of the Cow
ernor in considering fire department
measures.
Expect to Win.
In talking about the subject this
morning one of the men said please
do not quote me. 1 think we will win
out in the end. and I do not want my
name used. | know that City Attorney
Boggs will win the fight for us, but
listen to this: Why should we be sur
prised by the inconsistency of the Gov
ernor in signing this bill? Has he done
anything during his term of Office that
has not been inconsistent? He defeat
ed the Increase of salary bill, which had
a referendum attached to 1t. because
he said that such matters should be left
III the hands of the municipal govern
ment. Then, right on top of that, he
signed the Shalvoy bill, which puts the
stablemen in the same class with fire
men of the first rank. He signs a bill
whereby their salary is raised from SIS
a month TO $1,000 per year, despite the
fact that there was no referendum on
the bill, and despite the fact that the
pay of these men had been increased
about six months ago from $50 to $75."
This same officer caid that by the
governors act the stablemen are now
considered permanent members of the
fire department and are entitled to a
pension.
City Attorney Boggs was in Eliza
beth today and could not be seen. 1t
is known however, that he has the
case in hand and will do all in his
power to restore the privilege of which
the uniformed firemen and policemen
have been deprived.
The policemen will not protest the
payment of their fares today. The
order to do so was in effect yesterday
Continued ON Second Psse.)