The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-30
FIREMEN AND
COPS IN BODY
TO BOLT SMITH
Resolutions Assert He DOu-
BILE Crossed Them on
Platoon Bill.
TO VOTE FOR MILLER
Action Also Rebuke to Hy-
Ian for Blocking Pay
Increase.
CONTROL 10000 VOTES
Upstate Bodies Expected to
Support Uniformed Men
of Greater City.
TO VOTE FOR MILLER
CONTROL 10000 VOTES

have bolted AL Smith and will vote for
decision informally yesterday at a
meeting in M@nnerchor Hall. The
firemen accuse Gov. Smith of breaking
q promise to give them platoon
system. The patrolmen, because OF
the close alliance between the Uni
formed Firemen's Association and the
Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.
are standing with them.
There are $4,000 men in these two
bodies-11,0 900 patrolmen and 1000 Are
men. Almost to man they helped
TO make Smith Governor two years
ago. They figure they control 10000
votes in New York city, including their
own and an average If three VOTES per
man from wives. sisters and other
relatives.
They also count on the flremen of up
State cities, who would have benefited
by platoon bill. cooperating with them
in making Gov Smiths defeat certain.
There are 5000 OF these, including 500
in Buffalo. II the calculations Of these
organised men in uniform are correcr
they will swing about 10000 votes in
the city and 10000 upstate. or $4,000
In all, to say nothing of voters outside
the family circle who may be Influenced
by the missionary work OF the cops and
firemen.
Demand smiths Defeat.
Thirty-fve hundred men-aIl that
Maennerchor Hall. in East Fifty-sixth
street. would hold-attended yesterday 8
meeting. A printed but unsigned cir
cular calling for the beating Of Smith
was distributed. 1t charges Smith with
having double crossed the fremen by
violating a campaign pledge In respect
of the platoon bill and charges Mayor
Hylan with having pursued "a long con-
t!nued policy of insult and oppression
toward the city employees. particularly
the firemen. patrolmen. street cleaners
and teachers" 1t demands the defeat
OF Gov. Smith not only because of the
platoon matter but as rebuke to the
Hylan administration.
In short the decision of the firemen
and police to throw their undoubted
strength from Smith to Miller is a sign
Of a mighty Instruction. for this cam
pajgn at least against Tammany Hal
Most of the police and hremen nor
nrally vote the organization Democrat:
ticket. The police would have done S -
this year II the Hylan Board Of Esti-
mate had gwen them and the fircmcu
the salary Increases to a maximum of
S2.500 n year. which were requested for
next years budget. Members of the two
organizations hoped against hope that
this increase would be granted.
1t was after joint salary committee
OF the two organizations reported at the
Maennerchor Hall meeting that the last
plea for the salary advances had been
turned down at City Hall that the meet
inC loudly acclaimed the idea of defeat.
ing Smith. Apparently the police and
lremen feel that the increases would
have gone into the budget II Gov. Smith
and Tammany had exerted the neces-
sary pressure on the Mayor.
Mayors Strategy Vain.
Mayor Hylan''s action yesterday IN
Acting through n resolution eliminating
an CITY SALARY increases for 1921 and
rutting everybody hack to tine status Of
August 20, 1920. is interpreted as an
eleventh hour attempt to save the vote
OF the fire and police departments for
Smith. The Mayor apparently reasoned
that 4 nobody had his pay raised the
men in the blue uniforms could not feel
that they had been Disseminated
OF the MaennerchoT Hall meeting and
tho printed circular which was distrib-
i.ted the Mayors strategy has operated
toe late.
Two committees made reports TO the
meeting. in which every fire house and
police station IN the city was repre-
sented The first report said all ef-
forts to persuade the Board OF Esti-
mate TO boost the fire and police pay
had failed. The second told OF Gov
Smiths vetoing Of platoon bills in 1915
and 1870
The reports were received no,
adopted No political action was rec
ommended by the committees or voted
by the meeting. the police and fire.
men were careful 10 observe the letter
of the law forbidding them % engage
IN politics. Just the same every man
OF them knows what he ~ expected e
DO. Persons familiar with the solldar.
ity Of the Uniformed Firemen's Asso-
citation and the Patrolmen's Benevo-
lent Association believe that fully 90
per cent. of the $1,000 men will vote
against Smith for Miller
smith vetoed BfII.
In 1918 when Smith was running FOL
Governor the men sent to all candi-
dates for state office n return post
men believe that platoon system
should be established for the firemen
DO your" Al Smith sent back the
card with the word Yes" over his sig.
nature. This was construed as o pledge
that he would sign n platoon bill. In
1918 n bill providing for referendum
on n three platoon system was passed
smith vetoed Il because Of the refer
endum feature. This year n bill com
polling all cities In the state OF GER
tain grade to install a two platoon sys-
tenn was passed. Gov. Smith vetoed H.
saying that some of the smaller cities
could not bear the expense Of such n
system.
Yesterdays printed circular Is headed
IA Broken Promise and Double
Cross" After setting forth tho prom.
ise" and the two vetoes. the circular
continues;
Text OF Resolution.
'seidom has there been SO Migrant 4
case OF n broken political promise %
loyal friends and supporters than the
written approval OF platoon system
for nren1en by Alfred Il. Smith and his
two consecutive vetoes Of their meas
uros. The man who for years called
himself the friend and admircr OF the
1fo Gghters. whose success in political
battles for ascendancy, from Assembly