New-York tribune., 1919-09-23
City Employees Fix
Increase Wanted
At $50 to $42O
Straight 25 Per Cent Ad.
vance Rejected by Dele
gates to Association Meet
ing Held Despite Rebuffs

The municipal and county employees
in special meeting in the Municipal
Building last night unanimously
adopted a resolution "humbly to petit
tion the Board of Estimate" to increase
the salaries of all civil service en-
ploycs.
The scale adopted for. presentation
in the petition was as follows: All
employees receiving less than $500 a
year to get an increase of $3.50. Ali
employees receiving over $500 to be
given an increase Of S420.
The temporary president Of the
meeting declared that under no cir
cumstances would the association aft H.
ate with the American Federation of
Labor or any other organized labor or
gaiization. Neither will we 90 out on
strike he added
The meeting was held under difficult
ties owing to the Mayors letter threat
enlng dismissal to "agitators within
the city departments" At the outset
the delegates found themselves with
out the services of their president,
George Stansfeld, and Secretary Sam
uel Prayer, for this reason But
twenty-eight women delegates and
twenty-five men delegates were present
in the lobby of the Municipal Building
at the time called for the meeting.
Meet With Another Rebuff
Here agais they met with a rebuff.
The janitor Of the building refused to
allow them to occupy the room which
they declared Borough President Dow
ling had ordered for them. 1t was at
this iuncture that Alexander Cooper, of
the Department of Public Works, a
member Of the association, suggested
the meeting be held in his office.
There Hugoo V. Wittenberg, of the
Department of Finance, was elected
temperory president and Thomas w. A.
Grove, Of the Legal Department, was
appointed temporary secretary.
In asking for the election of Nh
Wittenberg, Alexander Cooper said.
"Thcre isn't mayor or any other po-
tentate in New York or out of it who
will get him to quit. He is made OF the
right stuff
Immediately after election Mr.. Wit
tcnberg reviewed the activities OF the
association. He said that because of
the fear that their heads might be de
capitated Mr. Stansfield and Mr.. Prayer
would be inactive for a short WHILE
He declared the association represented
q membership Of $4,000 city employees
At this point Mr. Grove said the
committee which had been in session to
determine the necessary increase in
pay had adopted schedule of 25 per
cent increase for all This was objected
to by Abraham Bailey, of the FL
nance Department on the ground that
it increased the salaries of the higher
paid employees out Of proportion to the
lower grades.
Schedules Are AdOntcd
After further discussion commit
tee of Ave, composed of Mr.. Grove, Mr
Bailey, Albert Owens, of Plant anc
Structures; Cornelius Murphy. Of Street
Cleaning, and Miss Catherine Reilly, OF
the Borough Presidents Office, was ap-
pointed to discuss the matter.
Fifteen minutes later they returned
with the schedules which were finally
adopted
President Wittenberg then declared
the loyalty of the association. He sale
it would be willing to cooperate Will
any other organization not affiliated
with labor organizations, but under n(
circumstances would its members &c
out on strike.
The next meeting is called fol-
Thursday evening in the lobby Of the
Municipal Building.
George ". Morton, il, leader of thu
Union of Technical Men Of Queens, wht
was suspended from duty by Borough
President Connolly on Saturday OF
charges Of insubordination. latenes
and failure to punch a time clock, yes
terday appeared to answer the accusa
tions before Commissioner of Publ
Works Sullivan.
Morton asked that the case be ad
iourned until Thursday, so that h
might obtain counsel. He also re
Quested that the case be heard bcfor
Commissioner Sullivan, saying that h
, would call President Connolly as
witness to prove his case. Both re
quests were granted.