The sun., 1919-08-20
MAYORS ATTITUDE
AROUSES FTREMEN
800 Hold Stormy Meeting, but
Decide to Suspend Their
Official Paper.
BRENNAN RUNS TO HYLAN
Fight Promised Before Board
Of Estimate When Wage
Demand Is Made.

Declaring that Mayor Hylan was seek
ing to deprive them of their constitu-
tional rights and impede the progress
of their union, 500 members of the Fire
Department representing Local No. "a of
the Uniformed Firemen's Association,
held a stormy session several hours yes
terday afternoon in the assembly room
of the Pulitzer Building. The firemen
had come in response to a call for
special meeting of the union to consider
a decree which the Mayor issued through
Fire Commissioner brennan a few days
ago directing the suspension OF the Fire
man, official organ of the association.
The paper. which appeared after the
men formed the association, had been
under the management of a civilian edi-
torial council until a few weeks ago. 1t
was then that the Mayor directed David
Hrschfeld. Commissioner of Accounts.
| to investigate the management. After
examination of the publication and fail
ure to suppress its activities. which
have been centred on a fight for more
wages and an extension OF the two pla-
| toon system. a transfer was made put
| ting the eight officers of the union in
charge. These men came from the uni
formed ranks. They issued the last
number, but the publication will sus-
pend this week.
When the Mayor cpund that the fire.
men were in the publication business he
| dug out a section of the charter-739-
| and sent II TO Commissioner brennan.
This section states that no pember Of
| the uniformed force may agitate, pub
| lish or appeal to Legislatures or public
| officials for relief. unless the matter Is
| submitted to the Fire Commissioner.
The trouble then became n matter in
volving the rules and regulations Of the
| department, and the Commissioner, act
ing. so he told the men, under orders
| from the Mayor. said he would present
| charges against the eight officers of the
local association IL they did not stop pub
| lication of the paper. 1t was upon the
question whether the men should face the
| charges which publicly meant dismissal
from the department. or suspend the ia
| per that the firemen debated. Finally
| the trouble reached the point where
| wholesale resignation from the Fire De-
partment threatened and officers Of the
union called on John p. Holland, presi-
dent of the State Federation Of Labor. to
take a hand. He persuaded the men to
vote in favor OF suspending the paper.
Mr.. Holland said that II the eight
men were dismissed 1t would result in a
strike by the firemen, leaving the city
| to face a peril never before known in
its history Besides the men. the en-
gineers and lieutenants also are men,
bers of the union, and they would be
| called out in the event of a strike. An
other matter the firemen discussed was
/ the refusal of the Commissioner to allow
delegates from the union in this city
to attend an international convention to
be held in Portland, Ore, September 8
The men had arranged to take the time
off with their seven day vacation period
and without pay.
While the firemen were celebrating
Commissioner brennan made hurried
trip to Mayor Hylan at the City Hall
The Mayor refused to talk about the
attitude OF the firemen, saying he was
too busy attending to business which
had been neglected while he was settling
all the strikes in Brooklyn and New
York"
The Board OF Estimate will be th'
scene of a fight next month when th'
flremen start their campaign for an in
crease of $3.50 year for first, second
third and fourth grade men. The unioI
represents nearly sS per cent. Of th'
| uniformed force in the greater city.