New-York tribune., 1920-02-22
New Snow Hits
City as Cleaners
Talk of. Strike
Storm Threatens Another
Tie-Up of industry; Reg
,llar Street Force Wants
Pay on Emergency Scale
No Fund to Meet Demand
Rain To-day Alone Can Pre-
vent Fresh Paralysis of
Traffic, Officials Declare

Whether the streets will be almost
free Of snow by Tuesday morning or
IN a condition worse than when tho
blizsard Of February caught the city
unawares depends untirely on the whim
Of the weather.
II the snow that was falling last
night turns to rain by morning, the
snow removal officials argued, the big
banks would soften and melt away SO
per cent during the morning. But it
the fall should increase, covering the
ice in the streetN it was admitted that
the shortage of labor and lack of facili-
ties to fight such q storm would result
IN almost complete paralysis of activi
ties. At o'clock last night. when the
last Weather Bureau measurement was
taken, more than an inch of snow had
fallen.
Congestion due to the storm on both
north and south bound platforms of
the Interborough subway station at
Times Square was so great yesterday
between S and 6 y. M. police reserves
had to be summoned to keep order.
Added to these difficulties was the
ever present problem of keeping the
men regularly employed in the Street
Cleaning Department sufficiently salts
fed with their lot to remain at work.
Yesterdays meeting of Fire Chief Ken
Ions snow removal board was given
over almost exclusively to the discus
sion OF this question.
Regulars Envy Emergency Men
Wholesale complaints came from the
$500 men used as street cleaners in
normal times when they learned that
the emergency snow removers were to
be paid 80 cents an hour during the
move to strike was reported it was
found that many of the men talked of
quitting and joining the emergency
men st the increased pay.
Emergency men now shoveling snow
for the city are paid SO for ten-hour
day. The men regularly employed in
the department work as high as twelve
hours for half of that sum and receive
nothing for overtime.
"If we don't get a big boost by to-
morrow Well walk out and leave them
in the lurch," said one man who was
handling a pick in the downtown dis
trict. "a new snow always drives the
emergency fellows away because they
out the streets will remain just as they
are until warmer weather comes"
Street Commissioner Arnold MacStay
told the kenlon committee that under
the budget system that obtains in his
department there is no money to pay
the regular men more than they are
getting, or even overtime for the hours
they are forced to work during a big
storm. Special revenue bonds We're
suggested, but representative of the
Finance Department., who was at the
meeting, said that this would be prac-
tically impossible. He advised against
any boost in the pay of the regular
street cleaners, on the grounds that the
increase to the emergency force was a
temporary one only, and that there
was no money to meet a general ad-
vance.
Contractors Redouble Efforts
City contractors, who have been re-
peatedly charged with laying down
on their jobs" by Mayor Hylan, were
reported to have speeded up their ef-
forts yesterday. Commissioner Mac
Stay said that no further trouble with
them was expected. The proposal to
abrogate contracts between the con-
tractors and the city was dropped for
the present.
Use of sewers for the removal of
snow on Manhattan Island has brought
about a serious threat of foods Of
easements, according to Borough Pres
ident Henry H. Curran, who issued a
warning to the public last night. He
pointed out that in thirty or forty
places sewers are already out of COM
mission and further stoppage would
result he fears in backup of sewage
that might bring about an epidemic.
Mr.. Curran said that old mattresses,
umbrellas, clothing, rocks and rubbish
of all sorts had been thrown into open
manholes. Snow alone. it has been
found, is not carried away by the flow
of the sewers and with this rubbish
it has been impossible to keep all open.