Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-12
MORE THAN S3,OOOyOOO
ADDITION TO BUDGET
Finance Committee Votes Po-
lice and Firemen's Sala-
ries Increase

An Increase Of more than $4,000. 900
over the amount required last year was
approved for the maintenance OF seven
teen county departments by Councils
Finance Committee At = meeting this
afternoon. The appropriations recon-
niended for these departments total APP
proxin,ateiy Sie.S00, 900. For the same
departments last year Sis.+74.s1sss
was appropriated. Tho amount ap-
proved by the committee is nearly one
million dollars less than the DEPART
ments sought.
Included IN the three million.dollar
appropriation are numerous salary In
creasco and many new places.
The county budget will be reported
favorabiy 10 Councils tomorrow and
passed on December 20.
The purchase OF three new auto
mobiles for the Bureau Of Street Clean
ing Is provided for M transfer Dill.
which tho Finance Committee prepared
for passage tomorrow. The money for
these autos will be taken from fines i'm
posed on contractors at various times
Cor negligence In their work.
In the transfer bill there is also an
Item Of $500 to be used fer the prepa-
ration of plans for Independence Han.
AS reason for this, II Is pointed out that
the original plans of the hall hovo been
DESTROYED, and should the historic struc-
ture ever be demolished there would be
nothing available In the way OF plans
20 rebuild Il. The payment OF miscelia-
neous old bills duo contractors for small
jobs Is also provided for In the transfer
bill
steps 70 remove any obstacles which
may interfere with granting rise to
the po.ice a-a frs-rc yers 'rken
at a conference between Chairman Gaff-
ney. Of Councils Finance COMMITTEES,
and Mayor Smith. II the plans mapped
out 20 through without mishap the police
will receive a general increase In JAN
uary.
At the conclusion OF tho conference
Mr.. Gaffney said salary increases for
city Jobs would not be taken up by the
Finance Committee at It's meeting today,
and could therefore not be acted upon
by Councils tomorrow In time for pas.
sage on December 20. 1t was decided
to go over the county budgets this
afternoon so that they may be taken
up by Councils tomorrow and passed
on December 20.
The request for increases for tho fire.
men and police are being considered BY
the Finance Committee and will be re-
ported TO Councils on December 20, so
that they can he acted upon at n special
session before January I. 1t is general
ly believed that Councils will lay more
stress on granting an increase to the
po ice for tho reason that the frenen
reoeived an advance about a year aro
The present plan IL 20 increase the
pay OF policemen from SO to 81 day
and to add n fiat increase OF $3.50 n year
to the present salary scale OF the Bureau
of Fire. These Increases have the APP
prova1 of officials who have beer. brought
into line by the evidences OF discomfort
existing in both important branches of
the city service. Mayor Smith and Di-
rector Wilson, of the Department OF
Public Safety, low favor the police raise.
They had conclusive evidence of dis
content among the police last week. when
mounted mel. had 10 be used to drive
patrolmen from the vicinity OF City Hall.
Members of the Police Protective As
ISOLATION claim that u salary raise will
cover but small part of their demands.
and that IL they are given the raise and
arc: then compelled to make heavy ass
sessment payments to ward clubs and
political Organizations they will be little
or no better OFF than before. Officers
Of the organization claim that an in.
crease will not end their fight TO take the
police entirely out of politics.
The present plan Is to include the ir:-
creases along with others planned for the
Electrical Bureau and the Bureau OF
Surveys in the appropriation bills. These
increases. based on the augmented force
of both patrolmer and hosemen who Will
be in the service next year. will Almost
completely exhaust tho si,ooo.o00 bal.
ance that is available under the new
tax rate after providing for the approx
ma,ely $46,o0O.ooO already included in
the 1918 budget.