Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-03
FIREMEN OPENING
HEAVIER ATTACK
Committee Calls in Person
Upon Chairman Gaffney
to Solicit Support
SEEK INSURANCE AID

More forceful measures for the conduct
NJ their Camraign were employed today by
the committee of 1remcu having in charge
the prosecution Of the movement to secure
from City Councils moro adequate reCog-
milton of the Bureau of Fire.
Encouraged by the evidences of popular
supuort and convinced that public sentiment
has been aroused to n sufficient degree In
their favor, the committee headed by Bat
TALON Chief John J. McsSill, is setting out
upon what it's members believe Is the home
stretch of a winning contest
Reports received up TO today at the COM
nli,tees headquarters from all parts of the
city wers decidedly optimistic in tenor. The
various petitions circulated in behalf of the
1rcmen have encountered no opposition. but
have found signers among business men and
property holders everywhere.
The single impediment to an open avowal
OH the part Of hestatng Councilmen. tho
committee believes is due to a disposition
on the part of these legislators to include
the police in any measure providing Tor
salary increase. At this time the outlook
does not forecast a sum remaining above
the 1917 budget sufficient to care for the
men of both bureaus.
In the event that this condition Is re-
veaIed when the City Controllers books arc
opened for the current year, the tiremens
committee is determined TO place on rec
ord the Councllmen, especially the MEM
views in such n contingency.
A large number of Councilmen stand
pledged to support the firemen, regardless
of the case of the policemen. Others. taking
the recent utterances of state Senator Ed
win H. Ware as their guide, have said they
favor salary increases in both pollce ana
fire bureaus.
Determined that there shall no mistake
IN their forward movement the campaign
draws near It's end, the fremen's commit
tee today visited the office of Josehp p.
Gaffney, chairman of Councils Committee
on Finance Later personal appeals were
made by the committee to other leading
members of both chambers Of Councils in
movement to have those individuals declare
themselves on the side of the flremen, re-
gardless of the fate of the police campaign.
The nremen are not interested in the ef
forts of the police to obtain more money.
They declare that tho buecoats themselves
have manifested little energy in their own
behalf and that the public response has been
absolute silence.
The police, working under an eight-hour,
three platoon system, with a substitute list
to supply vacancies. have no just ground for
asking public or councilmanic favor at this
time, the firemen declare.
Neither in duration nor in hazard does
their labor compare with that of the fire
man, they assert, while the character of
the duty performed by the police shows
to their disadvantage DeSlue lIHI TenueTeu
w the shorthanded, and overworlled fire
bureau
Public opinion recognizes this disparity |
in conditions, the firemen say, to an extent !
that should justify any Councilman at this |
time in voting to increase the payroll and |
readjust the hours in the Bureau of Fire |
regardless of the action taken to benefit the |
police.
Chief Mesliill and his associates on the |
campaign committee this week will take
M the task of canvassing the fire insurance |
district with a view to securing the united |
support of that line of business. Conditions !
existing in the bureau. revealed through |
their campaign of publicity, the committee |
feels assured, will bring to their aid the |
cooperation of every insurance concern |
doing business in this city There are mat |
ters that we could explain to the insurance |
men that we would not dare discuss through |
the papers" said a member of the COM
mittee. THESE conditions, If urged by the |
underwriters and their friends, we are GER |
tain would impress upon Councils. as a |
matter of protection as well as of justice, |
the necessity of immediate remedy Such |
relief, of course, would include the two |
objects Of our campaign We have refrained |
from using our heavy artillery thus far, be-
cause we have hoped all along that Coun-
ellis would act without calling upon us
to lay bare to the public all that lies
back of our movement. The entrance of |
the insurance men into the fight, however,
will undoubtedly open the eyes of the clt-
Hens of Philadelphia to the many needs of
the bureau-needs that the public little
dreams of, and which are but slightly short
of criminal in their very existence
I'VE have based our plea thus far on
the argument of justice and fair play,
as well as the dignity and safeguarding of
the city, but we have kept the latter two
issues in the background. If they are
placed in the forefront, we are convinced
the only possible outcome will be an ex-
n a fn,.
betterment so emphatic that no Councilman,
no matter how callous or Indifferent he
pay be. can afford TO disregard them"