Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-22
LITTLE MOTHER
FIREMEN'S ALLY
Daughter Of Flame Fighter
Speaks at Presentation
of Double Petition
~LITTLE FELLOWS FIRST"
Chairman Gaffney Agrees With
Mayor as to Order in City
Salary Increases

Salary increases
A little mother of the Bureau Of Fire
today added her personal appeal on hehall
Of her wldower father and the motherless
household who. so seldom see each other
In presenting to Joseph p. Gaffney chair
man of Councils Committee on Finance,
petition signed by more than three thou-
sand wives children and other female de-
pendents Of the fremen Of Philadelphia to-
day. little 1rrna Rodebaugh appended
brief but touching spontaneous plea III her
own behalf
The presentation Of the petition took
place this morning in Room 592 city HaIl
ahe meeting place Of the Committee on
Police and Fire Present, In addition to
Mr. Ciaffney and the little spokesman or the
petitioners, were Common Councilman J.
Walter Thompson. Forty-siNth Ward, who
introduced the pending ordinance Tor sal
ary increase and additional time of for the
men in the bureau: william c. Lynch
chairman Of the Citizens Committee IN
sympathy with the firemen and the Fire
mems Campaign Committee, consisting OF
Battalion Chief Meskill. chairman; Captain
Eneu Lieutenant Wills Engineer Wiegner
and Ladderman Sinister. Irwin W. Rode
baugh ladderman on Truck 10, accom-
panied his daughter
After the youthful representative Of the
thousands Of hremen's dependents had
handed to Mr.. Gaffney the bulky document
the Finance Committee chairman; 81 am
q hremans daughter There are three OF us
and have no mother our father has to
be father and mother to us, and we don't see
him often. Wont you please do what you
can to make it possible for him to have more
time at home with us? We see him only
once week now
GAFFNEY PROMISES AID
Mr.. Gafney. in replying promised that
he would do all in his power to relieve the
conditions now existing in the Bureau OF
Fire.
II am in hearty sympathy with the cause
of your father and the other fremen of the
city and the Mayor has told me that he Is
in accord with any movement to bring about
n fair standard of salary for the employees
of the various municipal departments. But
we must go about the task In logical
manner. when get the report Of the
Bureau of Municipal Research on the
Standardization OF salaries we will so over
IL and begin with the bottom and take care
of the little fellows and those who are most
deserving first. j viii cons der your petit
tion and see that the hremen are taken care
OF when the time comes"
In addition TO the petition on the part
OF the female dependents, a similar plea,
signed by the representatives OF the various
fire insurance companies and firms doing
business in Philadelphia, was submitted TO
Chairman Gaffney.
Through the significant fact that no meet
ing OF Councils Finance Committee will be
held this week it was learned today that
the admin stration does not favor. in their
entirety, any Of the score or more salary
raising bills now before the committee.
Chairman Gaffncy, Mayor Smiths most
trusted financial adviser is authority for
tie statement that many Of the measures
viii have to be amended before receiving
official recognition or sanct on.
TO CONFER WITH MAYOR
Pending a meeting of the Finance Com
mittee next week Chairman Gaffney will
hold number of conferences with Mayor
Smith and will outline to that official the
fact that his mo salary raise" order OF
six months ago merely served TO postpone
the issue without altering to any appreciable
extent the demands of department work
ers for more money. The Mayor and Chair
man Gafrney are of one mind in that they
agree that the little fellow" is to get his
increase first, and that consideration Of any
boosts for the higher-paid men will have
TO come later
The bills now resting in the Finance
Committee provide salary raises and new
places that would cost the city approxi-
mately S15OO,OOO The balance that Coun-
ellis has on hand 10 appropriate during 1917.
for any purposes is. in round figures. $780,
900, or about one-half enough I, 60 round
In the unlikely event Of raid on the sur
plus left from 1916. Other methods by
which money could he raised would be to
abandon the 'pay-as-you gu plan" and in
clude salary item in the loan bills which
Il is planned to have the people authorize
this spring for municipal improvements or
TO advance salaries and have Councils near
the close OF the year, authorize "A temporary
loan OF Sl,2O0OOO 20 make up salary
deficits caused by the increases All these
three plans will be discussed by the Mayor
and his advisers.
Before going into conference with Mayor
Smith, Chairman Gaffney sad: 81 don't be-
lieve in the hgher-paid men tagging after
the little fellow The little fellow will be
the first taken care Of in every instance. In
saying this / speak for the Mayor as we'll
myself, as / am fully conversant with
his thought on this matter. Many of these
bills now in the Finance Committee pro-
vide not only for needed increases for the
lower-paid men. but carry along the men in
better-paid classes. ! can see no use in
holding up the dignity of the better-paid
men by giving them a raise just because
the little fellow really Is entitled 10 one
The better-paid men win have to wait until
We caL ind more money than we have on
hand at this time, ! don't see how we
could grant the most Of the demands now
made upon US without raiding the surplus
and that would not want 10 see done our
whole thought now Is 20 provide for the
i0w-salaried men and this we mean 10 do
after securing recommendation from the
Civil Service Commission which is at work
on the revision plans"
another thing about some OF the bills
Is that they provide for increases in GER
tain bureaus. These increases cannot be
MADE at this time and viii have to be
considered separately. OF course. we all
agree that many OF the salary increase
demands are warranted and just. but that
does not alter the situation that we are
fseIng I would be willing 20 be generous
II some one would only md the money
The question OF salary raises will be set
tied IN time, but il will take time and
those asking more pay must be patient 1
cannot say how far We will be able 10 20
IN granting the demands made upon u.s."