The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-06-08
VOX POPULI.
WRITES ABOUT FULL PAY FOR
THE POLICEMEN AND FIREMEN

Editor Pensacola Journal:
I am sure that every citizen and
taxpayer read with pleasure that the
city's most faithful employees. the pO~
lice and firemen were again TO be put
on full time and he able to earn a Iiy-
ing wage Also that every one appre-
ciated the proposition Of those higher
up to stand for the price Of the sum
mer uniforms
These men should never have been
caused to lose one days time. | read
where one OF the commissioners states
that it Is against the law 10 reduce
the salaries of the commissioners or
heads of the departments. ] would like
for some one to show me where is the
law that permitted il for the policemen
and firemen. Also would like to have
the name of the illustrOus individual
in whose brilliant mind conceived the
idea of such reduction. Certainly he
deserves a monument Of course the
men were not bound TO accept. They
could have their choice, a half a loaf
or none.
Can anyone name a man in either
department that was responsible for
the carelessness in handling the city's
money that when the bank suspended
there was not proner security? If I
remember right some guarantee bond
and trust company gave security for
the state bank. How comes it that
the city lost by it?
/ also read t1at Two or the commits
sioners are willing to put the men
back on full time, even if they had to
borrow from some of the banks to do
so. Then up jumps the third man and
says that they have already an in
debtedness of twenty thousand dollars
standing against the city. There was
not a word said about this twenty
thousand dollar debt when a certain
commissioner ruede quite an expensive
trip to Washington. Where did the
money come for that trip if the city
is without funds?
I think that the commissioner who
suggested paying for the summer uni
forms really had some heart or maybe
he had been a policeman himself once
upon a time.
The very idea Of men being COM
PEELED to buy new uniforms when they
were not really making enough to pay
the butcher and grocer. No one asked
whether these same mems wives had
summer uniforms" or not. If they
did not, well, then last summers would
do. or the summer before might still
hold together.
The fact is that the three commits
sioners could better afford TO lose sew
eral months full salaries than could
these men lose two weeks; for each of
the commissioners has some other
means Of livelihood. Show me the
man In either department that has any
other means-unless his wife takes in
boarders or does dress making. Only
for the industry and economy of these
same mems wives the families would
have really suffered. Three cheers for
the brave wives who helped their hus-
bands to pull through these drea dful
Again I hear that one of the COM
offered to give out of his
own pocket, five dollars to each man
that had to lose time. l have asked
nearly every one Of them and get the
same answer in each case-that they
appreciated the offer very mluch, but
would starVe before coming and ask |
ing for it.
How much better it would have been
to have handed the money in an en-
velope to the man beginning a two |
weeks loaf.
Some time back we had the office Of |
water inspector abolished. More econ
omy. Now another man has captured |
the resurreCted job. and believe me, if |
reports are correct, the last state of |
that salary is better than the first
Surely the men Will now be put on |
full time for the city is also rich !
enough to afford a humane officer i
Do not let the commissioners wait !
until the political bee begins to buzz |
around their expensive head coverings, !
but DO 1T NOW.
bort wait until the time Is up to |
put them on and then all three claim .
the honor OF bringing the condition /
about.
MRS. lola B. MASON
No 500 F. Romano Street.