The sun., 1919-08-01
ABOUT $40 A WEEK
IS CITY PAY AVERAGE
Reasons for Wage Increases
for 10000 Employees
Told by Prial.
SHOW WAY TO GET CASH
Assess Rent Profiteer Land
lords on Own Valuation,
He Says.
SHOW WAY TO GET CAS-

Forum, which will try to persuade the
Board of Estimate to increase the sal
aries of $4,000 city employees was
asked by THE SUN yesterday to state
the reasons for the campaign and tell
how, in his opinion, the city could pro-
vide the money for the increases. This
Il Mr.. Prial's answers
"In the first place. let me point out
that a city job Is not what It was ten
years ago, Then It was much sought
after; now II Is not The reason In of
course that wages in an lines OF work
outside the city service have risen until
$40 or $50 week is not an unusual
wage in ordinary occupations, while city
salaries have hardly changed at all. 1
wonder II the people of New York know
that the average pay of the men and
women employed by the city Is between
$40 and S25 a week? Everybody knows
o. the increases granted by commercial
houses in the past few years and that
come Of them have paid handsome bon
uses BESIDES just as everybody knows
Of the living conditions that brought
this about
"City employees DO not believe In
striking. They realize that they are not
working for their temporary masters. the
Board OF Estimate and the heads of
departments but for all the people. But
they do believe that they are entitled
to an opportunity to present their case
to the Board of Estimate and that the
public will sustain them when It knows
the facts.
Hopes for Hearing.
IT believe the Board of Estimate viii
accord them a hearing. The platform on
which the present administration was
elected expressly said that the right of
q hearing would never be denied. The
employees are well disposed toward the
Board Of Estimate. They are thankful
for what increase of salaries they got
last year, but is was not enough They
believe that IL the Board of Estimate
will appoint q subcommittee to make
a thorough inquiry and let us present
oW arguments an advance will be
granted to every city employee.
"Ous OF tie reasons fer this CONF
dence is that the Governor and the Leg
stature after careful inquiry added. be-
ginning July 1, 10 per cent to the sala-
ries of all State employees who were
getting less than $1,000 a year and
800 to the salaries of those getting
between $1,000 and $4,000. I believe
this is called a war bonus, as was an
increase granted last year, but it is
more money, 20 matter what IL is
called. The Governor and the Legis-
iature have also raised the salaries of
teachers. compelling the city to pay
one-third Of the increase each year un-
I'll the advance is completed. Finally
the city employees are confident Of sue
cess because they realize that they are
entitled to It ,vi ~
without desiring to be disputatious
we contend. despite statements to the
contrary by members of the Board of
Estimate. that there is no such thing
as a poor taxpayer this year Second,
we contend that the phrase more pay
for deserving employees as used by
members of the Board of Estimate
means nothing, because the city should
not employ any one who Is not deserv-
ing and who does not earn every cent
he gets. Deserving employees should
mean all employees and we have no
doubt 1t will be so construed.
Tax on Landlords Urged.
The poor taxpayer might have been
listened to three years ago, but owners
Of real estate have never received a
greater return than they do at present.
We contend that IL the city administra-
ton through the Department Of Taxes
and Assessments simply takes the value
OF buildings as placed upon them by the
landlords who have raised rents millions
OF dollars will be raised in excess of
the money required for increasing city
salaries.
Moreover. one half of the money de-
rived in this city from the State income
tax will go to the city. The total tax
will amount to $50,000.000. Eighty per
cent. of this. or S4O.0o0.0oo. will come
from this city. So the city treasury's
share Of this money will be at least
S20.000.000 This means the city will
have more money than ever to spend.
even though there is a great falling of
in the excise tax.
Another thing: Even II the city's
budget for next year be increased
100000 or 100000 thereby, 1t is
necessary to grant higher wages TO en-
poyees. When this increase is divided
among the many thousands of taxpayers
the amount of each individuals con-
tribution will be insignificant. We will
have figures later to prove this. and we
believe they will remove any objection
on the part of the taxpayers And even
II real estate owners continued to OBJ
tect millions of tenants would not be-
cause they believe the landlords should
be compelled to disgorge part OF the
money they have got through proflteer-
ing in rents.
The city f1remen are not wildly pleased
by the intimation that came from City
Hall on Thursday that while the street
cleaners. whose loyalty in emergencies
Mayor Hylan marked for special praise,
are likely to receive a salary boost, the
tremen are not
Albert E. Guinness, president OF the
Uniformed Firemens Association, said
Yesterday: THE street cleaners deserve
all the Mayor said about them and we
certainly hope better pay is assured
them. But the firemen also hope that his
Honor is not forgetting that the firemen,
curing the war, did their own work and
also that OF 500 members of the force
VINO we're absent. The firemen also gave
up the four periods of twelve hours off
each month to which they were entitled
because the department was short
handed. 1t is true that the installation
OF the two platoon system, which is now
In force In about half the fire houses,
enables the men to go home every day
ana live a more nearly normal life, but
II mas not made paying the grocery bills