Norwich bulletin., 1918-05-11
NEW LONDON AND SALARY INCREASES
Boost Has Been Given the Policemen But Mayors Salary Remains the Same Teachers Want More Pay-City Appreciates Industrial Boom and Growing Naval Estab Eshments- Fire Apparatus.
Especial to The Bulletin.)

Special to The Bulletin) New London, May 10.-In the words )f Don Paddy DeBazan, of Boucicault anne, the police department of the ,ity of New London has been beaten, 1 bobbed and thumped" by Mayor Rogers and his immediate followers ever since that self appointed citizens now evidently dead by rea- son of inactivity, came into existence. After the game of bluff had been played to the limit in the Lieutenant Jeffers matter, there is evident regret of what was done and attempted on the part of the mayor, and he now seeks to make reparation. He actually favors an ordinance adopted at the last meeting of the council to raise the pay of the police officers, the very men who, as a whole he had classed as incompetents not many moons since. The ordinance provides for an increase in the pay of patrolmen of $20 month, which will be welcome by the cops in these times of very high cost of living, and yet their pay is not as much as the pay of laborers in plants engaged in government work. The police put in seven days a week and for that they will receive in the future $120 a month. The sergeants will get $125, the lieutenant $135. while the chief of police, the mayor himself receives almost S70 a month, not hardly enough to buy cigars for the guests he entertains as the head of the municipality. This is hardly fair to the mayor and he surely is er titled to an increase in proportion to the duties and importance of the high office. Under the charter the mayors salary cannot be raised while the beneficiary is in officfs. Provision. however, could have been made to have the increase in effect when the present term expires.
 Mayor Rogers is a candidate for re- nomination and unless different ma terial is selected from those thus early mentioned as mayoralty timber. the present mayor will probably receive the nomination of his party, and that is practically election, as no demo- crat has a Chinaman's chance of get ting a look in During Rogers ad- ministration there has been no inn pecuYlious action in the matter of salaries. and that ought to be satis- flying to the workingman, the kind who wear overalls and jumpers, and believe that they and they alone con stitute the working men. Those who seem to think that they are always underpaid and ever seeking increase in pay. The salary of the city clerk has been jumped from $500 to $1 000 that of the board of assessors from $500 to $1 900 and the clerk of the as- sessors from $1 800 to s1 800 and the health officer from s1 200 to $20.000 and more raises that cannot be called to mind at this writing So whatever else may be said against the mayor he cannot be charged with beins mean in using just a little of the city money in paying servants of the city wages commensurate with the presen
 cost of living.
 vaiIings the teachers in the public schools are planning to get their bi while the getting is good The schoo marms have all signed contracts tt resume teaching for the school year i but they claim it is the sort of con
 tract that does not bind. not to tn
 extent of preventing the teacher
 from demanding more pay. They hav not intimated that there will be strike if there request is denied, bu
 they are forming league for thei
 protection. Not exactly a regular To
 cal of a labor union, for there is Il
 parent body for affiliation an,
 strength in the event of a strike 0 lockout, should such a crisis come
 They have practically said to tn 1 board of school visitors:
 Gentlemen: Due to the increase cost of living we wish you would giv
 us adequate salaries, in keeping wit I1 ladies who are engaged in mercantil life. They may put in more time tha
 we do, but we must live during tn four months that we do not work an
 believe the city should pay us for tn
 enforced vacation. No teacher worth
 of the honor ought to be asked t
 teach for less than $1 900 a year, es
 pecially in these times of high price
 Surely, gentlemen, the services of
 school teacher are of as much value t
 the city as policeman or stree
 laborer.''
 Mayer Rogers is earnestly endeavor
 ing to. have the city get closer to tF
 new industries established in tn
 section and tol give the concerns evi dence that their coming is fully ar preciated, and the city is desirous
 extending every possible courtesy Tn also applies to the naval stations. has arranged for public functions , which the officials have been ir vited and the good feeling that exis : fully explained. As a result of h
 endeavor citizens were given oppol 7 tunity to meet Secretary of the Nav | Daniels and Inventor Thomas ! Edison last week. During the presel week in reciprocation of municip } courtesy, the mayor, members of u
 court of common council were invite
 to visit and inspect the big plant
 the Groton Iron works and to see u work being done in the steel shiI
 building line. This company has a
 ready contracts that will keep tl plant working to the limit for at lea . four years on government work [ is perhaps one of the best equippt shipyards in the country. concrete i permanent and will undoubtedly kept in operation for many. mar
 years, after the war is ended.
 . What is true of the industries
 also true of the naval establishment < and the indications are that after long, long period of watchfur waiti1 a New London is finally to come into i
 oWH. 1He SeACellenL ndIDpF that nj
 not been utilized in any favorable w
 since them old whaling days is no
 demonstrating it's usefulness, and
 surely does look as if New London
 due time will be the metropolis D Connecticut. It has all the essentia
 and advantages of becoming a ! city and is finally aroused from : lethargy In the past New Londt > was not really dead, only sleepin In order to give New London el
 couragement in it's natural growt
 the. old -tfne residents must loos,
 up and meet all the requirements, al
 this they seem to be doing. If a
 vantage is not taken of present col l L