Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-22
GUST THE NONESSENT1AL
JOBHOLDERS
Then Use the Money Saved to Pay Living
Wage TO the Policemen Who
Have I.cag Deserved 1t

Wage TO the Policemen Who
Have I.cag Deserved Ii
THE way to increase the pay of the
policemen is to increase it. But the
responsible authorities seem to be devot-
ing their energies to finding reasons why
the pay cannot be increased.
And Councils adjourned for the sum-
msr without taking action.
The Mayor shifted the responsibility
to Councils in statement expressing his
sympathy with the demands of the
policemen and promising to champion
their cause when The budg for next
year is rrera-ed All he could do now
for the policemen, he said, is "to inform
Councils of the visit of the - and thei-
request for increased pay"
Chairman Gaffney, of the Finance
Committee, says that there is no money
available now and he cannot tell how
much will be available until the heads of
the various departments report, after
the summer vacation, what surpluses
may be left in their appropriations.
But this sort CT talk does not buy meat
for the families Of the policemen. Nor
does it clotho their children. 1t leaves
them for several more mt nths Just where
they have been ever since the cost Of
living began to so Up because of the
war.
There seems to y no prospect for
relief until Councils resume their ses-
sions on September 49,
Relief will not come then, however,
unless there is change in the mental
attitude of the responsible authorities.
Instead of saying at can't he DONE"
there must be determination to do it.
Councilman Lamberton pointed out one
of the ways by which some of the money
could be found when he urged the dis
charge Of superfuous employees. He
said he could name fifty of them within
five minutes.
1t is notorious that the City Hall is
filled with men holding down useless
jobs. They are part of the political ma
chine. 1t is notorious also that many of
the public employees do not do what is
regarded in any efficiently managed pri-
vate business as a fair days work.
In other acords, they arc industrial
sldchcrs.
The superfiuous men are engaged in
what the Government now calls nom
essential industries. The provost mar
shal general has ordered that certain
classes of men engaged in nonessential
industries seek other employment not
later than July /. This order covers
men of the draft age. When the age
limit is raised the first thing he should
do is to order the nonessential political
jobholders to find work to do that will
help win the war He might do it at
once and relieve the labor shortage, while
he also releases public funds to be de-
votedto useful purposes.
There is no doubt whatever of the non
essential nature of the employment Of
hundreds Of men on the city payrolls.
There is no doubt, either, of the abso-
lutely essential nature of the work of
both the policemen and the fremen.
1t cannot be that the political machine
intends to protect its men on the city
payroll at the expense of the men who
earn more than they are getting. Such
a course would be politically foolish, as
well a. extremely unfortunate, for it
would force the policemen into politics
for the protection Of their own salaries.
The way to keen the police out of
politics is to give them a living wage
which will make them independent and
self-respecting. They are now showing
a splendid loyalty to the city by agree
ing to remain in it's service when better
pay is offered in war industries. The
expectation which they entertain of fair
treatment in the autumn must not be
disappointed There is time enough in
the next three months for the financial
officers of the city, in conjunction with
the heads of departments and the Mayor
to find the money needed to give the
policemen S5 day beginning on Octo-
Der /.
Let them get busy at once and stop
putting the men off with fair words.