The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-19
CITIZENS OFFER TO
PAY RIREMEN RAISE



a stenographer for the Curtiss airplsns
company. and had to let him 60
Think of it-st0 q week for an
eighteen year old boy, and the city OF
New York trying to hire nremen at
$1,000 q year. which after their uni
forms are paid for and other manda-
tory expenses are met amounts to
about $500 year. or considerably less
than So q day.
Tho fireman 10 not a boy. he IL q
man. and such a man! His physique
must be superb, his mentality fne. The
finest physical specimens In New York
are the nremen there IL no such body
OF men anywhere else. And they have
to spend twenty hours day in the
firehouse. In prison. that's what II In
and the most they can ever get except
the few who can become ofYicers. 10
1900 . year.
Now I do not think Il would do
to raise the money privately and make
Il part Of the fremen's salaries as
such. Too many mon would retire as
soon as their twenty years service en-
titled them to q pension. Tho pension
amounts to half OF what the salary
has been, you know.
What we want to do Is reward the
men who stick TO tho department and
give them an incentive TO stick. There
fore the plan that I have suggested Ia
to pay o 10 per cent. bonus to each
man In active service in all four grades
OF the force below officer rank. II a
man reached pension age and retired
the bonus would stop II he stuck to
the department the bonus would 20 on.
II would be paid every six months.
hao - hA AnnA n
make II worth while for splendid young
mon to Join the New York Fire Depart
ment and for those who are already
there and who are not drafted to stay.
l hope the city government will be able
to do II. II not, ] know some men who
will be only too glad to help"
A week ago to-day when represen-
tative Of the patrolmen and firemen in
| championins their plea for a 10 per
| cent. advance tried TO address the Board
Of Estimate Mayor Hylan told him to
wait. as he would be heard by the
finance committee, to which the requests
OF Commissioners brennan and Enright
supporting the petition OF the men were
| then referred.
Tho finance committee. which usually
, meets on Monday. held no meeting this
week until yesterday afternoon. after
the calendar for to-day's session of the
| Board Of Estimate was printed. The
| committee. Of which Comptroller Craig
Is chairman. did not hear the patrolmen
and firemen or notify them that 1t was
| to meet.
Craig Keeps 1t Secret.
After tho meeting other members OF
| the committee said that they had been
bound not to speak OF anything that had
taken place. and that II anybody talked
| 1t must be the chairman. Mr. Craig
| would not say whether or not the salary
| question had been discussed.
Nothing can be said about any meet
| ing that takes place here until report is
! made to the Board Of Estimate" he said
to a representative OF THE Sun. The
membership Of the finance committee
and of the Board OF Estimate is identi-
| cal.
Mr.. Craig said he did not know
whether the salary matter would be
to-day. or whether or not this would be
the last meeting Of the board before the
summer rscess.
| On the printed calendar police and
hre salaries are not mentioned. 1t Is
interesting to note. however. that a re-
/ port OF the committee of salaries and
i grades committee recommending that
Borough President Bowling he allowed
to increase the rate for bricklayers from
Sc day to the prevailing rate Of
| $3.50" is marked for approval"
| The reason why the bricklayers must
get $3.50 a day Is that they belong to
! a labor union. As soon as the Inter-
| rational Association Of Fire Fighters
| grants them the charter for which they
have applied the New York fremen viii
also belong to labor union.
Hoey Urges Raise be Granted.
Asking that favorable consideration
| be given to the plea of the patrolmen
aud firemen. James J. Hoey, second vice
president OF the Continental Insurance
Company and influential member Of the
Board OF Fire Underwriters. wrote 10
| Mayor Hylan and other members OF the
| Board OF Estimate yesterday:
Some years ago. when | was In the
| Legislature introduced bills providing
| for substantial increases in salary for
members of the Police and Fire depart
ments. Because Of the fact that the in =
| creases were mandatory the bills we're
| opposed by the city administration and,
| therefore, failed to become law.
| The salaries paid policemen and fire
men are entirely inadequate in proper
| ton to the compensation paid In other
occupations and the cost or hNihg al the
present time. Our policemen and IRE
men are the finest body of men In the
world: tho responsibility resting on
| them is tremendous.
! The protection OF life and property
in this great city is OF interest 10 every
! citizen. and no one would begrudge a
living wage TO those who day in and day
out risk their lives in the performance
OF their duty as do the members OF the
| Police and Fire departments"