Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-09
POLICEMAN'S PAY
HELD UP, HE ASKS
REDUCTION in RANK
Unable to Meet Expenses
Incurred in Discharge of
Special Duty Because
Councils FailedAto REIN
burse Him.

A special policeman who asserts that
he can no longer afford to retain his posi-
tion because Councils failed to appropri-
ate funds to reimburse him for money
I spent in the discharge of his duty, wrote
to Director Of Public SafetytPorter today
! requesting demotion.
The letter points out that the police
man spent s47 in the last four months for
carfare and obtaining evidence against
| criminals. and that this sum, deducted
from his salary of $3.50 n week, has
! made it difficult to support his family
and has forced him to abandon all
| thoughts Of n vacation. He asserts that
without resorting to graft" he cannot
continue to live under such conditions.
These statements, coming after Direc-
tor Porter's assertion that the Depart
ment Of Public Safety has not enough
money to buy postage stamps" is consid-
cred significant by men connected with
the department, who point out that the
service is not only crippled, but faces
actual disruption.
The seriousness OF the situation was
brought to light yesterday when Director
Porter said that the department would
make no effort to enforce the recent
"jitney" legislation of Councils because
that body had not provided funds to pur-
chase badges and cards which 1t expected
the Department OF Public Safety to sup
ply TO 'Jitney'' operators. At the time
Director Porter saidsos7 n -s6ov-
"In the last two years have spent
several thousand dollars of my own
money to run the department. Councils
have refused to appropriate money even
for necessities for the bureaus under
my charge. If Councils wanted to legis-
late the jitneys out of business they
should have appropriated money with
H,,nA i
cards"
Although Director Porter declined to
give out the name of the special police
man who communicated with him today,
he submitted the letter for publication.
1t is as follows:
Hon. George d, Porter
Director Public Safety.
/ know @ you viii be surprised to receive a
letter of this kind. in which I am apply
ns IN inc dor demStST 5st1ct pr5p Hm special 9aSSr
erlng more than four months. have ad-
fso moTs than s My saary e $40
9, day or sl7 20 week; NY house rent Is
ing OF my living expenses and doctor bills.
which have been heavy Of late
Ny vacation starts or Saturday and had
] away 10 II The Country but ii" have % not ENOUGH enoush
money e, pay their carfare, much less their
all winter and we have all looked forward
TO two weeks in the country. but under the
circumstances we are doomed TO disappoint-
ment and must stay In the city.
had expected to receive what was due
me from the city about the first OF the
month. ana / cannot tell you my disap-
pOintment whom l read your statement In
yesterdays paper stating that no funds had
heen provided by Councils for this purpose
/ like my work a special but 4 Is
impossible for me to continue to advance
money out OF my own pocket tunless / graft
and the temptation II sometimes strong),
and ] therefore request II you viii be kind
enough TO do 30. 10 return 20 the
street in uniform.
Yours respectfully,