Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-17
CITY Employees PAY

By adopting a resolution referring the question of an in
crease in pay for the patrolmen to the voters at the coming
election the Board of Aldermen have acted wisely. Although
there is reason to believe that prices have reached their highest
point and that from now on the general tendency will be more
downward than upward, the present situation is uppermost
in the minds Of nearly everybody.
When public employees have a grievance the right place to
settle it is at the ballot box and not by such defiance OF civil
authority as was displayed in Boston a few days ago. Once the
people have spoken through the ballot box that should end the
matter. The people are supreme in this government and we
must abide by the will of the majority whether we like it or
not. What applies to the police department applies with equal
force to every other department of the city government.
OF course, the matter of wages generally can be left in the
Aands of the officials in charge of the various departments who
have been chosen by the people. That is what they were
elected for. If the people could not depend upon these off,
Gals to act for them in practically all the questions that arise
there would be no use in elecHng them.
In considering this matter of wages for the police depart
ment, however, it must be remembered that once the scale is
adopted it cannot be reduced. This is a feature that has an i'm
bortant bearing on the situation. In ordinary industrial en-
ployment the wages rise or fall in accordance with the condi-
tons of the times. Wages are high today because everything
is high. When normal conditions are restored and prices come
down, wages are bound to be reduced also. We do not expect
to see them go back to where they were before the war, neither
do we expect to see prices go back to the figure they were
formerly, but there is bound to be a general REIMBURSEMENT
downward all along the line.
In the case of municipal employees, however, wages once
fixed cannot be reduced. This means that should the increase
be granted the policemen and other city employees who are
petitioning for a raise, would continue to receive the wages es-
tablished under present standards. In other words, 1t is not
a Temporary matter that the people are asked to consider,
merely covering an emergency, but a permanent proposition.
But it is the present that the petitioners are thinking
about and, as far as the outlook goes, there is no sight of re-
auctions for some time to come. However, the fact that the
raise asked for is to be permanent is reason enough for re-
ferring the whole matter to the people.
In considering this matter it must be remembered that
the public employees have no other source to look for help.
They are serving, the public and their services must be recog-
nized. There must be discipline among them; there are GER
tain responsibilities placed upon them and they are exposed to
criticisms that the ordinary employee is moi.
Perth Amboy is disposed to treat her employees fairly and
when everybody is feeling the pinch of the high cost of living
they cannot help but appreciate the position of the patrol
men and other city employees and understand the motive be-
hind their appeal for more wages at this time.