Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-01
SIlNECtJRES
IlOM CITY JOBS
IlGtease Valued Men by
bolishing Useless Places,
Is Suggested
CRfFFlTH OFFERS PLAN

- phtfA0eiphia municipal payroll of
s. y. liearly s1s 100000. covering nearly 1s-
4 NQ0 city and county employees. will
undergo material changes IL recommen.
eations made by Robert NJ Grifith. pres
idefs bf the Civil Service Commission.
4fS approved by the politicians contro,,-
y ing Councils. Griffith's plan is simplicity
tt&elf, It being nothing more nor less
fnen disniissing useless placeholders and
N5ng the money to increase the nav OF
I. valuable and needed employees.
Mayor Smith has been forced. through
: lack Of funds. to advocate no new places
n ~ pay increases. In the face of hopes
heid cut to many classes Of valuable
. workers that their pay would be in
ssrreased \ to make II approximate wartime
! ealaries paid by private and Government
= concerns. The Mayor has lad frequent
i tonferences with Commissioner Griff1th.
T. hut as yet no intimation has been given
- to the Administrations attitude to-
sswArd cutting out useless places to boost
those Absolutely needed for the proper
operation Of public service departments
= OF tina city government.
Political power. built on patronage,
: fears the radical suggestion made and
= rather than lose places to ward leaders.
may continue the pay roll and take
chances of losing mechanics. engineers
And skilled labor imperatively needed in
the conduct of the Bureaus of Water
!. ana Fire and other essential branches
\ os the Government. The showdown is
expected at the meeting Of Councils
/ Finance Committee on Monday after
i noon.
sss Will Provide Place for Mills
81 The one new place and salary increase
4 $hat is scheduled for approval is the ono
= stecrestine the, old position of Assistant
Suteriptendent Of Police with a salary
s1f $4,000 for Police Captain William b
Mffis. who Is now In charge of vice con-
ditlons In the city It. is planned to
make this change on the ground that the
position Is not, new, but one temporarily
.atsndoned as Unnecessary during the
Blankenburg administration
In their efforts 10 maintain all the
present places in face OF the fact that
war condftions have cut work almost
10 the disappearing point. politician ms
and some members of Councils frankly
y 4dmit that the City is almost certain to-
.lpss skilled workers whose places will
shate to be sffled by less efficient men
wiliene to take service under the city for
political activities and regardless of
claliHcations..
Mayor. Smiths determination to allow
;syiD salary increases at this time strikes
snG BLOW at the ambitions of a number of
tEareAu chiefs and other hgh-salaried
men who have been expecting big in
fkrcases along with the wholesale del
inAnd for the little fellows" 1t also
s;pufs an end to agitatio for new
tHteces. some Of them planned to carry
ss4Ioo0s and $4,000 salaries. Robert C.
3i6l<s. head of the Bureau of Street
fE16aning for whom a $500 increase has
7iyeeh asked. is but one Of a number to
4xeoe out.
I Councils. under the Smith Admlnistra-
ION. have created scores and scores Of
41{tw places, while county officials have
5e6 incress&d their forces wherever
K; ;pOebibles The same Is true of the courts,
over WIN councils have no control.
Sle< AZ constituted at present Councils
~ controlled In so far as ma jorities are
. s&4neAfned. by the Ware faction, which
,S44 reaponsibie for most of the place
\ n c1ders, who would be thrown out of
work, X the plan of Commissioner Grif-
Tact there IL little hope for a general
clean-out Of useless jobholders.
Hspe to Save PIacehoIders
The Alternative suggested by num-
bsr OF members of the Finance Com
tnittke Is to keep the present places, in
crease salaries where necessary and
male up the money by transfers to be
naid later by loan. This course is
= dlrkctly opposed to the stand taken by
s11ie Mayor atd Is being advanced quiet
Z ly asA means of saving places for ward
leaders and at the same time placating
4hs .low-paid skilled mechanics.
i Ia the. face of Mayor Smiths fat
A1elifation that no salary raises ought
q TO be created al this time. the future
action of Charles Seger, Select Council
usA6 of the Seventh Ward and the
= aN0Ned advocate of the cause of the
little fellow, will be watched with
s intArest At the recent primaries Seeer
- his followers away from the Wares
d Glkhoukh he has always gone along with
the present administration and with the
+ Ware majority in Councils. in advance
0H Mondays meeting members of the
Il Einonce Committee are marking time.