The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-21
FIREMEN AND POLICE
IN FINAL PAY PLEA
Board of Estimate Committee
Will Be Told Immediate Re-
lief Is Necessary.
BUDGET TO CLOSE TO-DAY
Clergymen Join In Appeal to
Increase Salaries of First
Grade Men.

Although the Hylan Board Of Esti-
mate apparently Is determined not to
heed the petition OF the first grade fire.
men and patrolmen for an advance in
salary to $500 a year, and Is equally
opposed to having the matter discussed
in a public meeting Of the board. the
officers Of the Patroimen's Benevolent
Association and the Uniformed Fire
mems Association will make one more
attempt to get an open decision from
the city administration.
To-day is the last day on which the
Board of Estimate can make any add
tons to the provisional city budget for
1919. Until tonight, then. 1t Is theo-
retically possible for the board TO In
corporate in the budget an appropria-
ton giving each first grade fireman and
patrolman the increase desired
On Friday the petition OF the two or
ganizations wa1 referred by the board
to Its committee on salaries and grades.
The chairman of this committee Is Al
fred r. Smith, President of the Board
Of Aldermen and Democratic candidate
for Governor. The other members are
Borough President Bowling Of Manhat-
tan, Borough President Riegelmann OF
Brooklyn and the Mayor. ex-officio.
The only hope for the petitioners lies
in getting the committee TO report favor
ably on their request and to get vote
to-day from the Board of Estimate.
budget into Anal shape.
smith Away, Appeal to Moran.
The Spokesman for the firemen, and
patrolmen will visit the committee MEM
bers this morning and try to convince
them that their case Is so urgent as to
demand immediate relief. Mr.. Smith Is
busy with his campaign, but in his alb
sepce Robert Moran, vice-chairman OF
the Aldermen. is acting as chairman OF
the salaries and grades committees. A
strong appeal will be made to him.
Neither Albert Z. Guinness. president
OF the Uniformed Firemen's Association,
nor Joseph p. Moran. president of the
Patroimen's Benevolent Association,
would concede defeat last night.
I'VE are going to keep UP the fight
until the budget Is positively closed"
Patrolman Moran said I'VE cannot be-
lieve that the Board OF Estimate intends
to let the matter drop without at least
an explanation. We have abundantly
proved the justice OF our case and have
offered the testimony of many clergymen
and other men Of public Importance to
support our double contention that the
first grade men cannot live on less than
$500 and that the taxpayers. knowing
this is true. would not object to the
increase"
1t should be explained that the first
grade men are those who have been in
the city service more than five years, in
the case Of the Police Department, and
more than four years in the case of'the
Fire Department. They are, therefore.
the older men OF the two forces. the
great majority of whom have families
and settled responsibilities. They ap-
preciated the action OF the Board OF Es-
innate in adding $3.50 to their wages on
September 1. but argue that the advance
souid have been at least 5000 to keep
them even with their growing expenses
ClerSymen Urge Increase.
Without using any pressure except a
plain statement OF the situation, the tw
associations recently caused many OF
the city's best known ,clergymen to write
letters to the Board of Estimate asking
that the increase be granted. The Rev.
John Haynes Holmes. pastor OF the
Church Of the Messiah. wrote Mr.. Mo-
ran:
IT seems to me that your petition Is
wholly Just. 1 marvel that so low a rc-
ure as $500 should be regarded as AIDE
auate in these times"
The Rev. Henry r. Cobb. pastor OF the
West End Collegiate Church. said to the
Board OF Estimate: TT will be difficult
10 recruit this splendid force of men I'M
der the high cost of living and the pre-
Vailing high rate of wages granted else
where unless the increase Is granted. 7