New-York tribune., 1919-05-17
Firemen Accuse Him of Bad
Faith,' as They Say He Was
Consulted and Saw Meas
ure Before Introduction
Insist Hylan "Sidesteps''
Mayor Said to Favor System
Without More Men, and
That Is Called Impossible

hope Tor the immediate institution
Of three platoon system for New
York fremen died yesterday when Gov
ernor Smith vetoed the bill providing
for this long sought change.
But advocates of an eight hour day
for firemen were far from ready to
abandon their advocacy of the measure,
which they insist both Governor Smith
and Mayor Hylan i.oorsed in pre-elec-
ton promises. Officials of the Uni
formed Firemen's Association yester-
day exhibited a pledge signed by the
Governor before his election, in which
he announced that he was in favor of
the platoon system-whether two or
q three shift work day was not stipu-
lated
The first step of the fremen will be
to call upon the Board of Aldermen to
pass an ordinance providing for the
eight hour work day. They are con-
vinced that the aldermanic body will
support their demands, since it already
has twice placed itself on record as
favoring the three-pIatoon system and
once as favoring the two-platoon
system.
The Governors Reasons
The Governors action IN vetoing the
Blakely three-platoon bill was accom-
panied by memorandum explaining
his reasons for opposing the measure.
II must withhold my signature from
this bill for the reason that it creates
policy of local government with
which l am not in accord" said the
Governor. 'In other words the bill
provides machinery for overruling the
decision of the duly elected officers on
purely administrative matter by
popular vote. The power to give re-
lief lies in the elected officials and so
far as the City of New York is con-
cerned l am Informed by the repre-
sentatives OF the city at Albany that
the Board of Estimate and Apportion-
ment is now considering and working
out g two platoon system"
The twop platoon plan to which the
Governor refers is said by the firemen
to be that of Mayor Hylan, who said
that ne would bring about q two-pla-
toon system in his own time and in
his own way. No specific means of
bringing it into being at present is be-
ing considered by the city admnistra-
ton, so far as could be learned last
night
Mayor Declines to Talk
Mayor Hylan declined to discuss the
question, and none of his advisers could
be found who knew what was in the
Mayors mind.
After conference of officials of the
hremens organization, held in the asso-
cations Offices in the World" Build
ing. Thomas G. Spellacy, president of
the International Association of Fire
Fighters, accused the Governor of bad
faith" and Mayor Hylan of "sidestep-
ping"
I'VE had every reason to believe the
Governor would sign the bill, because
he pledged himself to the platoon sys-
tenn before his election" said Mr.. Spell
lacy. The Governor was thoroughly
familiar with all provisions of the bill
before 1t was introduced. He went so
far as to say Republican Legislature
would not pass it. We succeeded in
having it passed, and now he chooses
the excuse that it delegates too much
power to the people"
Mayor Favors the Impossible
Firemen who took part in the con-
ference in City Hall a month ago said
the Mayor was in favor of a two
platoon system that would not re-
quire the addition of single man to
the city's force. But they say this is
impossible.
Another menace the men speak Of in
their arguments for the bill is that
working conditions now are so bad
that new men will not apply for en-
pioyment in the department, even when
there is large number Of unem-
ployed men mere. The department is
400 men below the normal REQUIRE
rlents at present, with but 12o men on
the civil service eligible list.
The reason of this, say veteran fire.
men. Is that nothing but radical
change in the system of hiring fire
men VIII lure men into the department.
Ige elght-hour work day was unknown
when the present plan Of housing a