New-York tribune., 1920-02-21
City Will Pay
$50 a Day to
Snow Fighters
Improved conditions for
Regular Street Cleaners
Is Promised to Swell
Ranks of Shovel Force
Hylan Hears Complaints
Curran's Offer of Over.
time Wage Ends Clash
of Mayor With Workers

Increased pay for emergency snow
fighters and promise of improved
conditions for the regularly employed
street cleaners yesterday were cx-
pected to swell the ranks of shovelers
and make possible the final clearing of
New York's streets.
Under the new schedule of nav. as
announced by Street Commissioner
Arnold 3. MacStay, the emergency work
ers Will receive 80 cents an hour. Work
ing at the rate many men have been
working during the present emergency
any one who swings pick or Yields
shovel can earn more than $40 a
day.
Automobile trucks will earn $40 a
day for their owners, while horse
drawn vehicles will be hired at SIS
day. An active campaign to obtain
all available labor at these prices will
be started by the city at once. Adver-
tisements will appear in the newspapers
ana agencies will be combed for every
man who can come up to specifications,
fetal
Complaints of members of the regu-
lar street cleaning department wero
the subject Of a heated discussion be-
tore the Board of Estimate during the
AFTERNOON, when delegation of the
men appeared before that body to push
their claims
Demands for Employees
Thomas Fitzgerald, who was en-
ployed IN the department until, accord
ng to his own forceful stvle 80 of ad- d-
dfesslng the board. che would have
been in the river opaup on the hi]l if
he had continued" aeted as spokesman
TOR the men. Pay for overtime and a
change IN the present plan under which
men are suspended for three DAYS for
refusing to work on SUNDAYS without
pay were demanded by the representa-
tive of the delegation
This has been hanging fire for more
than a year and the men want action" :"
SAID he.
Mayor Hylan suddenly frightened up.
:, We're you the man who instgated
the trouble at Greenpoint last Sun
oay?" demanded the Mayor
no. but L heard about it," was The
reply. 81 think there'll be more trouble
if something isn't done Shortly
President Henry Curran of Manhat
tan drew the fire of the Mayor when
he moved that the men be paid for
ove rhine.
"The President of the Borough of
Manhattan is only making trouble for
the board by making such a sugpes-
ton said the Mayor
This political play by the President
OF this borough is going to be brought
to book" said Comptroller Craig. "Thc
Manhattan President is playing poll
tics and he probably has received his
orders"
Hylan Attacks Curran
believe You have had a part in
making trouble in the Street Cleaning
department" said Mayor Hylan, re-
ferrlng to the general discomfort
among the men,
The Borough President said that he
had done everything in his power to
aia the department in the present
crisis.
The entire question was turned over
to David Hirshield, Commissioner Of
Accounts, by orders of Mayor Hylan..
The Mayor intimated that their side
O the situation would receive favorable
attention at once
The snow removal board, Of which
Fire Chief John Kenlon is head, held
another meeting during the day for
the purpose of getting more action"
out or the men now in the service of
the city Incidentally. Celestino Da
marco and Joseph Marone, contractors
handling the city's snow removal
work were summoned before the COM
mlttee and asked to explain their
failure to accomplish more since the
of February d.
Commlssioner MacStay said that he
thought twenty days would be re-
CURED to get the streets back to nor
NAL.