New-York tribune., 1919-10-17
Candidate for Presidency
of Aldermen Will Help in
Fight forMore Pay, Wheth-
er He Is Elected or Not
Grand Jury Inquiry Begun
Three Witnesses Are Called
as Result of Charge Deliv-
cred by Judge Wadhams

In letter to the Patrolmen's Benev-
olent Association, Major Fiorello II.
La Guardia, candidate on the Repub
lican ticket for the Presidency of the
Board of Aldermen, has pledged his
support to the campaigns for higher
salaries for patrolmen and firemen.
Major La Guardia accepts as reason
able the salaries named in the petitions
sent to the Board Of Estimate by the
tiremen and patrolmen and promises to
support the fight being made by the
men, whether or not he is elected
Major La Guardia's statement was
issued in reply TO a communication
directed to him by the P. B. A. The
request for statement was made in
accordance with a resolution passed
by recent meeting of the associa-
ton directing the secretary of the
organization to ask candidates for of
flee for an expression of their views.
Letters were delivered to the cam
paign headquarters of Major La
Guardia and of Robert L. Moran, his
opponent. No reply as yet has been
received from Mr.. Moran's offices.
La Guardia's Statement
Major La Guardia's statement fol
lows:
81 can only repeat what I have been
stating for the past month and what
have made a part Of my PLATFORM
chat | agree in every respect with the
demands set forth by your association
heartily approvc of the salary of
$4,000 for patrolmen and firemen as
suggested in your resolution.
You can rest assured that | am
bending every effort to make the sal
aly question an issue in this cam
paign in order to create public opin-
ion to force the Board of Estimate and
AppOrtlOnment to proper action. IF
am elected you can depend upon me
20 carry on your fight on that board
Il | am not elected you can rest as
;urcd I will continue to fight for YOU"
Despite the declaration of District
Attorney Swami that such action was
outside its province, the grand jury
yesterday followed the charge Oh
Wednesday by Judge Nadhams, direct
ing it to inquire into the salaries paid
to patrolmen and tircmen, by question
ing three important witnesses, Joseph
p. Moran, president of the Patrolmcn's
Benevolent Associations Albert E.
Guinness, head of the Uniformed Fire
mems Association, and Charles A.
Stengel, secretary to the Civil Service
Comm ion.
Guinness and Moran arc acting
jointly for their organizations in the
salary fight. Mr.. Stengel recently said
to The Tribune that there was the
greatest dearth of candidates for
patromen that the city has ever
known. This statement was made in
explaining the Civil Service Commits
sion's action in extending the time
limit for applications for positions on
the police force.
What Wadhams Asked For
Judge Wadhams charged the grand
lury' to conduct an investigation "in
order that this community may have
the benefit Of your investigation upon
this important subject of the proper
compensation of the Police and Fire
departments of the City of New York;
Shortly after Judge Wadhams's action
became known District Attorney Swami
declared: "There is no warrant in law
for the grand jury to do any such
thing. 1t is no more qualified legally
to make such an inquiry than n group
Of men meeting casually at luncheon"