Evening journal., 1918-05-23
Police board ASKS
S30,95O Increase
New Budget Provides for
H.6 P. c. Salary Raise
for Department Men
PROPOSED SCALE FROM
$500 TO $4,000 YEAR

The Board Of Police Commissioners
sent TO City Council last night a bud
get showing department expenses Of
s3O,95O over those Of last year. The
budget fixes si97,95O as the depart
ments expenses during the new year.
The figures include a i46 per cent. sal
ary increase for the patrolmen. Other
items In the proposed budget were
not mentioned, the commissioners re-
fusing 30 make the budget public.
James W. Robertson. chairman Of the
finance committee Of Council. also re-
fused TO make public the figures. say
ms the budget had not been acted upon
v Council
When the budgets Of the Street and
.wer Department. the Board OF Water
commissioners, the Park Commission
ers and ether city departments were
presented 10 City Council within the
past few weeks. the newspapers were
furnished with copies Of their budgets
and the same action was taken By
Council on them as that on the police
budget, all being referred 20 the finance
committee OF Council.
The proposed wage increase for the
patrolmen was freely discussed. Coun-
Gilman Abberger OF the Third ward.
made II plain that ne believsi in the
increase for the officers. saying that he
thought 81 400 was little enough money
to pay the men. Councilman Mearns
also brought up the much moOted
question as TO why the commissioners
had not appointed a street sergeant TO
take the place Of Sergeant Joseph A.
Davis VINO is in the army.
William B. Megear. one Of the com
missioners, stated that it was only
lately that word had been received that
Sergeant Davis would not return to the
department and the reason the vacancy
had not been filled was because the
commissioners were so busy with
other matters. II was intimated that
the position would be filled soon
The only portion Of the budget read
aloud at the conference was that deal |
ing with the wage question. which |
showed the following proposed scale: |
first year patrolmen. $3.50: new scale. /
si.201. Second year officers. 5000; new |
scale, $3.50. Third year officers. si.0sO; !
new scale. 81 300. Fourth year officers. !
si.i40: new scale. $3.50. Fifth year /
officers, 1920: new scale, si.iOO Ser |
gsants, $500; new scale. si.7O0, with |
the exception Of sergeant Of detectives, |
VINO shall receive the same pay as the /
two captains. which shall be 5000, an |
increase Of 500 for these officers.
Detectives. first year, si,30O; new
scale. $500. Second year, st,i0O; new
scale. $500.
Chief Of police. $500; new scale.
5000.
Matrons, janitors and police sur
geons are allowed an increase Of s50l
each. and the lineman Of the fire and |
police reporting system. who now re-
ceives $1,000 a year, is raised TO the rate
Of si,4OO
superintendent Of this department,
who now receives 81, 500 a year. will re-
oeive the same pay as the street and
house sergeants. sl.7O0.
General !. p. Wickersham. who acted |
as spokesman for the commissioners.
informed the Councilmen that al the
present time there were 81 vacancies
in the department and a ike number
OF men were eligible for retirement. He
also stated that yesterday two officers
had left the Observation-Disclosures
Abele. a five year man. having accepted
a better paying position and Patrolman
Hunter enlistlng in the army.
That the situation here has become
serious was the opinion Of 8. X. Smith.
another member Of the commission,
who stated that while his concern.
meaning the Harlan plant OF the Beth
lehem Shipbuilding Corporation, was
partly responsible for the unsettled
wage question. he explained that the
company had not set the wage scale
paid in such plants. This matter had
been settled by the Wage Adjustment
Board at Washington. Mr. Smith said
that his company was turning away
from 800 TO 400 men a day and that
II the company were to operate a full
night shift. they could employ an ad-
ditional thousand men.
Commissioner Megear said the police
department was asking for about S22,-
300 TO allow for the wage Increases. and |
Tie department was able TO turn back
10 the city $1,000. plus the $1,000 al
lowed them last year. after the bud
get had been made up. This remark
caused Council Robertson to state that |
It was not right. as It created a false