The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-16
POLICE PAY ISSUE Is
BEFORE GRAND JURY
Judge Wadhams Directs In
quiry, Saying Morale of
Force Is Threatened.
MANY OTHERS ASK RAISE
Board of Estimate Hears Pleas
Of City Workers in Almost
Every Department.


While Spokesman for the Police and
Fire departments and other city groups
were clamoring for more pay at a hear
ind before the Board of Estimate in City
Hall yesterday Judge William II. wad-
hams in General Sessions was directing
the October Grand Jury to find out how
much the patrolmen and fircmen ought
to be paid.
This is a function never exercised
before by the Grand Jury 1t was said at
City Hall. Mayor Hylan in statement
on the budget said that the matter of
salaries was not a proper one to put
before the Grand Jury. Judge Wadhams
in his charge called II "a matter OF
vital Importance to the city and county
OF New York" He complimented the
police on their no strike attitude. and
continued:
"A policeman's overcoat costs him s72.
his blouse S32. his trousers S14, These
expenses come out of his salary. There
70 now a petition before the Board OF
Estimate for an increase to $4,000 a
year of the maximum pay of firemen and
policemen. / have made inquiry, and
am informed that the shortage in appli-
cations for enlistments in this service Is
serious and may shortly prove to, be
menace In 1919 there were 6,o9S APP
plications for positions on the force In
1915 4,140; in 1917 the number had
shrunk to 1857, and this yeai the appli-
cations number only $50. 1t has been
said by the secretary of the Civil Service
Commission that the applications will
rot provide a sufficient number OF quail
fed candidates.
Morale Is Threatened.
THE police should be so paid as to
induce the kind of young men we ought
to have in the department TO enter 1t.
Unless these men are adequately paid 1t
necessarily means that the morale OF the
police force will be undermined. ask you
diligently to inquire into this matter,
summon such witnesses as may be neces-
'sary to assist you and make present.
ment in order that the community may
have the benefit of your investigation OF
the proper compensation of the police
and fire Departmental
The Board of Estimate has put a $3.50
increase for each patrolman and fireman
into the tentative budget. raising the
maximum salary from $3.50 to $500
year The men of the two services
are united in demanding an additional
800. Joseph p. Moran. president of
the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association,
said at yesterdays hearing that the tax
payers generally favored the full adj
vance to $4,000, and that the patrolmen
felt they had proved themselves en-
titled to It.. Comptroller Craig remarked
that he hadn't heard of any taxpayers
coming forward since the size of the city
budget became known.
But there have been none against; II
they are not against 1t they must be for
It," Moran replied. Albert f. Guinness.
president of the Uniformed Flremen's
Association. made similar plea. 1t was
pointed out after the hearing that the
meetings of the two associations, at
which the leaders will report the result
of the salary fight, is to be held on No
vember /, three days before the city
election. 1t was unofficially suggested
that these meetings might be Of politi-
cal significance
Henry Wants a Raise.
Inspector Dominick Henry. at the
hearing wanted to have the salary OF
inspectors raised to 5000, instead of
$4,000, the figure in the tentative budget
and the salary of captains raised to
$4,000, instead of $500. Inspectors
now get $4,000 and captains $500
Sergeant Courtney requested that the
sergeants. who now receive $3.50. be
boosted to $4,000. instead of s2.25o, the
budget figure.
A delegation of street cleaners asked
for a fiat $500 advance. Their spokes-
man said pushing a broom was worth
from $50 to S35 a week.
Thomas F. Delahunty, appearing for
the marine engineers in cihe citys en-
ploy, urged that they be raised from
1880 to S2,160, which, he said. was
the prevailing rate in private operation
He said that the marine workers were
A. AtA.
had not brought their wages up to the
prevailing rate" prescribed by law. In
one respect Delahunty supplied the
Board of Estimate with the only cheer
full news Of the day. He said that labor
unions were rapidly becoming more con-
servative. that the innumerable strikes
for higher wages would cease in q short
time and that relations between en-
ployers and union employees would be-
come stable. Because of this prospect.
he said he hoped the city would adopt
a constructive and permanent policy.
Many Of the appeals heard by the
board were for equalization OF salaries.
Many employees contended that others
doing the same sort of work were get
ting more money for 1t. Comptroller
Craig said that further equalization
would be impossible this year. but next
year the city would try to adjust every
thing to the principle Equal pay for
equal work."
All Cannot He Heard.
A. everybody who appeared could not
be heard, the Comptroller advised all ap-
plicants for higher wages TO submit their
claims in writing before october 20.
after which day the budget cannot be
Increased.
Frank ]. Prial, Deputy Comptroller.
appearing as president OF the Civil Ser
vice Forum. to which most Of the city
workers belong, asked the Mayor TO In
vestlgate the meagreness Of salary tfais-
ing In the Commissioner OF Accounts
Office He said that Commissioner
Hirshfield had not only failed TO recon-
mend the restoration OF salaries which
had been cut when John Purroy Mitchell
was Mayor but in many cases had paid
no attention to theN resolution of the
Beard Of Estimate providing for liberal
Increases in the new budget II approved
by the department heads
Police Seek Missing Wife.