Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-14
DETECTIVES ASK
INCREASE IN PAY
Campaign for More Money
in Police Bureau Be-
coming General
DEMAND $4,000 A YEAR

City detectives today demanded a 5000
increase in salary, thus adding a fourth
group Of city employees TO the already
large army Of dlscontented Servants OF
the people" who are on the warpath for
more money.
A committee Of detectives shortly be-
fore noon presented Director of Public
Safety Wilson with formal request for
n lump In salary from $500 to $4,000 a
year asking that he include this In his
recommendation to Councils that the pay
OF policemen be increased TO 81 day.
Charging that they we're ignored In his
proposal, detectives based their claim
for more money on the higher cost OF
living and the fact that they are forced
70 nav their own expenses In running
oil, clues The committee consisted Of
Lieutenant James Scanlin and Detectives
OConnor. Townsend, Stuckert and Gold.
Director Wilson expressed himself as
being thoroughly In sympathy with the
request and did not hesitate to say tina;
In view of the constantly increasing cost
OF living the men are underpald, lie
alse, promised to present the matter 70
,bc Finance Committee Of Councils and
IN do all Ir his power TO secure the III
crease asked for by the committee.
CITY empIoyes now cunning for more
money and threatening to quit, together
with the increase they demand. are:
Pol,cemen--50 cents n day.
Firemen-s200 n year.
Water Bureau enployes-7O cents to
81 a day
pe.ect,yee-s200 n year.
A crisis Is approaching rapidly. with
meeting Of Councils Finance Commit
tee scheduled for next Monday.
Announcement that the Firemen's Pro-
,ectiye Association, whose constitution
forbids an organized strike. would press
It's drive for higher salaries was m lde
TODAY by James NJ. Sinister, president
OF the organization.
William G. Hancock. former president
Of the United Business Mems Associa-
ton of Philadelphia. was asked today to
champion the fremen's cause on the
floor of Councils. Edward Keenan,. pres
,dent OF the Central Labor Union. and
Joseph Richie. organizer for the Amer
ican Federation Of Labor, Will aid In
presenting the fremen's Claims.
Wholesale desertions from the fire
less salaries are increased and more men
added to the force by January l. He
described feelings among the firemen
over their working conditions as very
strong
"It is terrible" Sinister said. THE
best men in the department are ready
to quit They will not strike. 1t would
be fair enough for them. but not fair to
the public to have an organized quitting.
But, unless the city does something
for us by the first OF the year. ] would
anticipate that the fremen would auto
radically drop from the service. Every
man must look out for himself In this day
and time. II a fireman can better him
self elsewhere and he takes the oppor-
tunity no one can blame him.
FIREMEN LOOK TO PUBLIC
The associations constitution. which
forbids a strike, was a voluntary meas
ure adopted by the firemen themselves
to assure a safeguard for public life and
property and for discipline in the service.
Sinister said. For that reason" he
added, "the public should help the fire.
men
I'VE dare not strike" he said. 1T
would endanger the protection Of the
public. The public should show us con-
ton we show the public"
The firemen, who have refrained from
public demonstrations such as the spec
tacular march of the "rebel' police on
Councils, feel very keenly the public
apparent neglect Of them, Sinister de-
clared. With the "flre epidemic" season
and cold weather upon them, he said.
the fire-fghters have come to the con-
clusion that hope for Improvement lies
elsewhere.
/ Added TO the absence of financial in
ducement In the fire service, the firemen's
! leader said, there ia such q scarcity OF
men that some fire companies are no,
! half manned, especially in West Phila.
! delphis. The plan to add 400 firemen &c
the service January 1 should go through
! by all means, he asserted. SubtractlnG
! from the $50 men In the department cor
paper" the men at the front and in de-
tail work. Sinister estimated the number
as actually fighting fires at 720. Pitts,
. burgh. he said had 91S men. who would
/ be granted an increase of $3.50. or 1886
n year, after January l. Philadelphia
| firemen. with larger territory to cover
! MAINTAIN that they should be paid al
/ least as much ms the Pittsburgh firemcn
o. J the Philadelphia policemen. The
/ present salaries of iaddermen and hose
men are $1,000 a year and of tillermer
and engineers $1,000 a year
| The grievance of the Water Bureau
employees is that the 1918 budget pro
vides for AN increase q from o5 to 4(
| cents a day for certain classes of work
! They demand 20 cents TO 81 n day, talk.
! ing In all branches.