New Britain herald., 1916-02-24
COUNCIL UNRAVELS
 THE SALARY TANGLE
Police Get Increase With No
 Change in Grade System

! Change in Grade System Scarcely a dissenting voice marred i the special meeting of the common 1 council last night. Mayor Quiglcy | presided and sixteen members were present and the action was all pre- i meditated. Councilman Curtis direct 1 cd the fire and nobody offered the i slightest protest, not even His Honor, ] It was all designed to modify the ac- 1 ton of the council last week on the 1 salaries of the police and fire depart l ments and the mayor opened th9 i ball with a brief explanation. He said at the last meeting the po1ce salaIA 1 increases were passed and the Ordln- l ance committee instructed to draft an ordinance providing for reducing i the grades and giving the pollce an i increase of ten per cent Since then a committee of the police had called upon him and explained that while they wanted the ten per cent increase | they did not wish the grades changed Under the new rules of the council,
 said the mayor, reconsldeaIloh coutG
 not be taken, the proper actlon belnS
 to rescind, thus clearing the decks
 and preparing to start anew. Coun-
 cilman Curtis followed the mayor statement with a motion to resclnd action on the police salaries as far as it related to the provision for change in the grading system. Mayor Ouigley thought it would be better to rescind the whole action and MT. Curtis readily agreed. The councilman from the Third then made his moton to rescind all action in the matter and the vote was passed.
 The Bremen.
 MT. Curtis then moved that the ac- ton taken last week in regard to firemen's salaries be readopted. Cou1l" cilman May wanted to know If the first year fremen would get an IT, crease in pay and Safety Commission CT Magnell explained the situation. He said there were two men m the first two grades. One would advance from $2.20 to $40 end the other from $40 to $2.60 and a new grade has been esta ablished at $2.85 to which other permanent men will advance. Al, permanent men. will thus get an increase said MT. Magnell. With this made, the council passed Mr. Curtis motion.
 The Police Department.
 He then moved readoption of pre- vious action relating to the chief, captain and sergeants of the police and it was taken Mir. Curtis followed this action with q motion that the pay of the police iii grades one and two be advanced ten per cent. and the time in each grade be fixed at two years the same as before. Mayor Quigley said he un- derstood there were three grades and Commissioner Magnell confirmed his opinion with a statement. lie i'a1d under the proposed action first grade officers would advance to $2.Io; sec ond grades to $3.25 and third grades to the maximum of $3.3O. MT ourtlS moved this action be taken and Alder man Kerwin amended the motloh that a ten per cent. increase De grant, ed, the grades to remain the same. As this amendment did not affect the action there was no debate and the motion as amended passed. Then t.; cement the business, MT. Curtis moved that the matter he adopted as a whole and thlS was done. This completed the chief pus- mess Of the evening ana MdNOi HSuiS- ley surrendered the chair to Alder man Kerwin and departed for the transcontine telephone demonstra- ton.
 Other Business.
 A petition for a light at Trumbull
 and Hamilton streets was received
 from Councilman Curtis and for a wa ter main in Hunter Road, OsgoOd avenue and Neanda street from the Neanda Land company. They were referred to the board of public works The board of public works reported on a petition of the United Electric
 Light and Water company for permis- sion to maintain three poles on Elm street and two erect two more there. A letter from City Engineer Hall ex- plaining just why the poles were need ed was read by the clerk. 1t was originally intended hy the lighting company to erect a substation on rail- road land between BlgeloW and Church streets and a subway eXten- l sion was put in BigelOW street for ] that purpose. For some reason the | railroad company had declined to is | S,1a inc 1oaGe and now the 1gntln 2