The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-19
OFFERS TOPAY:
FIREMEN RAISE
Group of New Yorkers Ready
to Supply Funds If the
City Can't.
HEADED BY ELI JOSEPH
Unsalaried Official Already
Paying for Equipment for
Citizen Volunteers.
HEADED BY ELI JOSEPH

II the city OF New York Is too near
the eoors OF the poorhouse to pay its
fremen enough wages to keep them In
the Fire Department ard preserve the
department from disintegrating. a group
Of we'll to do New Yorkers stand ready
to give the money out of their own
pockets.
This extraordinary and patriotic Of
fer has been seriously made and will be
carried out II the city administration
does not object to having the rest OF tho
United States know that dts fire fighters
are At subjects for private charity.
Tho offer has been made to Fire
Commissioner brennan by his special
Deputy Commissioner, Ell Joseph. on be-
half Of Mr.. Joseph and friends whom he
has sounded. Mr.. Joseph is an iron and
steel manufacturer. who took An unpaid
Job In the rire Department few months
ago.
He organised the force Of volunteers
who are trying to give the shorthanded
regular fremen enough help to enable
them to spend a day with their families
six times a month instead Of three times
a month, as they do row.
Supplies volunteera' Equipment.
He is paying personally for all the
volunteers, equipment, and now he Ia
anxious to do more TO relieve condi-
ton which he knows Is per!lous foS the
city as we'll as extremely hard on the
nremen. who recentiv Joined the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor in the hope Of
| bettering their lot.
| Mr.. Joseph. who lives in the Plaza,
, was found last night dining with his
iamily on the Ritz-Carlton roof. he
spoke of his proposal reluctantly and
| only after he found that THE Sun al
ready had the essential facts. He said
he had laid the plan in writing before
Commissioner brennan. who has 1t un-
der advisement.
! THE situation" he said, ''is simply
this: The fremen are the worst paid
men IN New York The Board OF Es-
innate wants to give them more pay
and, / believe, Is acting in good faith,
but is having trouble in finding the
! money under present financial condl-
lions. I think 1t ought to vote the in
creases Immediately, but if 1t cannot do
, so here IS my plan:
Let the money be got by private sub
scrlption and paid to the nremen in the
form OF bonuses amounting TO 10 per
cent. Of their present salaries. l would
go to some Of the biggest men In New
York and I know that more than $780,
600 could be obtained very quickly
| some Already Have Agreed.
Mr.. Joseph was asked II he had al
ready spoken to any Of the men he had
in mind. He said he had. and that they
had enthusia stically agreed to contrib
u,e. but he was not at liberty to men
tion any names. Elsewhere THE Sun
heard that George W. Loft Is one OF
the men.
| Reyertink to the inability OF the nre-
| men to live on their present wages and
resigna tions caused by outside induce
ments. Mr.. Joseph said:
Let me tell you little story
get to my office In the Woolworth Build
ing pretty early In the morning. One
day, about four years ago, found that
a how was there ahead of me- He was
| waiting for ME. He said he wanted
| tob. I liked the idea OF his getting
such an early start for what / wanted
and employed him at Sc week
That boy Is now is years old. The
other day he came in to see me. He
said: Mr.. Joseph. ! am grateful for
ali you have done for me. but have
an offer that could not afford to re-
fuse
he had been offered $40 a week as