The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-10
DRENNAN-ENRIGHT
REQUEST PAY RAISE
Fire and Police Commissioners
Make Formal Pleas to.
Estimate Board.
MAY LOWER STANDARDS
Scarcity of Applicants Leads
Civil Service Body to Sug-
gcst Easier Tests.
MAY LOWER STANDARDS

Fire Commissioner brennan sent a
letter to Mayor Hylan and the Board Of
Estimate yesterday formally requesting
that the firemen's pay be raised 10 per
cent. Police Commissioner Enright
made the same request for the patrol.
men.
Thus oficially tie Board OF Estimate
has got what It asked for on June 2s--
the opinion of the two department heads
as to whether they supported the salary
applications that rad been made by the
patrolmen's and fremen's organizations.
The board was able to put of the uni
formed petitioners on the ground that
the application in their behalf should
come from their Commissioners. Now
that tire Commissioners have kept faith
with the men by saying formally what
they have repeatedly said informally,
namely that the increases should be
granted in the interest Of both tire indi-
yiduals and the departments. decision by
the Board of Estimate must be forth
coming.
The communications from Messrs. En-
ClRnt ana 80 OH CdicHuhI VI
next Fridays meeting OF the board. AS
no matter relating to salary increases
can be considered until It has been on
the calendar a week. except by unani-
nous consent. 1t Is unlikely that any
action will be taken on Friday except
reference Of the communications to a
committee. which normally would be the
committee on salaries and grades, of
which Alfred e. Smith. President Of the
Board of Aldermen. Is chairman.
May BE Decided This Month.
Tho committee could make its report
in time for a vote In the Board OF Esti-
mate on the following Friday, July 10.
1t has been hoped that the board would
have its affairs in shape to make II e
meeting OF July 10 the last before the
vacation recess. 1t seems probable now
however, that there will have to be still
another session. on July rs. Certainly
at this meeting, II not earlier, the salary
question ought to be disposed Of
Fire Commissioner brennan asked
for a 10 per cent. raise, dating from
July 1, for the first. second. third and
fourth grade f,remen. whose present
pay ranges from $1,000 to $1,000 q
year. In his letter he reminded the
Board Of Estimate Of the jump in the
cost of living in the past two years
also of the astonishing advance IN the
cost of uniforms. rubber boots and other
things that the fireman is compelled te
buy.
He figured that the sum needed &c
meet the salary increase for six months
would be s272.0o0. assuming that The
1E vacancies now existing are f1llet
and substitutes are not appointed fol
the $50 firemen who are In military
service but on the city payroll for the
difference between their city and Gov
eminent wages.
He estimated that the salary accru.
ais in the Fire Department. meaning
the money saved out of the salary ap'
preparation would be s250.000 by the
end Of the year. 1t has been requested
that S100.s01 of accruals be transferred
for the purchase OF supplies. Even Il
this transfer is made. said the Com
missioner, nearly $4,000 will b.
available in the department which could
be used to meet the salary increases.
In other words. moro than half o.
: the money required to give the firemer
their 10 per cent. raise can be found
right in their own department. The
Commissioner also Informed the Mayor
that he expected to effect further
economies.
Meanwhile the city of New York 4:
50 hard up for firemen that 1t Is on the
point OF lowering the physical stand
ards for appointment. For many year,
the required height was fleet ~
inches. Two years ago this was re-
duced to feet inches. Now the
Municipal Civil Service Commission
purposes to take of another inch ant
also to reduce the minimum Of weight
from lao to 1874 pounds.
The commission has been driven t.
this proposal by the scarcity OF mel
who are willing to become fremen un
der present wage and hour conditions
Formerly, when an examination was an
nounced, 1000 or 5000 men applied fol
admission to the eligible list. Filing o
applications for a new examination wa
10 have closed two weeks ago. but 81
few were received that the time wa
extended to July 10. This extension ha'
Welded little or nothing. Up to thi
week only 31s applicants had filed thei
names, AS only about one man in eigh
Is ft to be a fireman the list is absurd!
snort.
Even the Legislatures action in rails
ing the age limit to SIS years has no
produced results. Instead of tumblinl
over one another to get a fremans jol
as they used to do men are avoiding |
service that keeps one away from hi
home so much for so little money.