Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-24
TIREMEN TO PLAN !.
PAY RISE SCALE
rbev Will Meet Tomorrow Eve-
ming on Suggestion Of Mayor
and Discuss Subject
1o DISCUSS ALL ANGLES

pb;Iadelphia's firemcn,, accepting the
.,s,;on Of Mayor Moore made at
% ,u oit;zens' meeting of Friday, have
~ ". a comprehensive campaign to OBJ
,.iu G a rcadjustment of salaries.
, roeeting has been called for tomor-
., evening at City Firemen's Hall,
eoe North Tenth street, at which the
.,,orv question will be discussed and
.sort made to outline basis Of pay
sn tho yarious grades of service in the
p,-eau 10, of Fire that will be satisfac-
lr pu to the men themselves as well as
t1 10Y Navor, City Council, municipal
.ua .sSa business bodies and citizens gen.
erally.
pisc,,ssion From All Viewpoints
while the meeting has been called by
vi,,iam J. Kelly, president of City
T;rs6ehters' Union No. %, and is to
!. held in the headquarters of that
W Sedr tbe subject matter will be dis
oVUScd from the viewpoint Of all in
,Crests affected and whose support is
'O'h A. the meeting in the Mayors Office
,ost week Mr.. Moore did not hesitate
20 declare the fircmen underpaid, and
otbpr sneakers. notably G. Stuart Pat
tcrson torso and Alba B. johnson, were
soually emphatic in asserting the right
Al The city to intelligent, faithful serv-
Ice, but only by payment of an ade-
ouoate rccompense. All the speakers
agreed to the insuAiciency of the pres
emf wage scale. Ideas looking to a
proper and up to date basis of remu-
peration were asked.
at is to furnish these figures that
This meeting is called" said Mr.. Kelly
today. 1--WE want the support of the
Mayor, and are glad to see that he is
in accord with our desire for proper
living wage. We have prepared data
showing what salaries are paid to fire.
men elsewhere, many of the cities be-
Ing much smaller in population and
size than Philadelphia. yet not one
pays so little to its firemen as we get.
Pay in Other Cities
"For instance, captain here re-
ccives $500, plus bonus of 20 per
| ent-S1SOO in all. Cleveland, a much
smaller city, pays its fire captains
s2OSS-and for eight hours a day. Our
hosemen for the first year receive
si1OO plus 1920 bonus. Cleveland
pays $500 for first-year men, giving
$500 in the second year. The highest
salary Philadelphia hoseman may OBJ
tain is S1300, with ten to fourteen
hours duty daily, against eight hours
In Cleveland.
Newark. \. j., pays its hosemcn
$500 on entering and $4,000 after the
first year. Seattle, Wash, pays S174C
and S19S0, while Toledo and Akron
Ohio; Butte, Mont. Des Moines. la.
even Youngstown, Ohio. pay $500
after the first year. while Chelsea
Mass. gives $1S25; Bridgeport, Conn.
$3.50, and Lowell. Mass, S16TO
These comparisons are not creditabl,
Is1o Philadelphia.
"A Chicago, which compares with thi
city in Importance, pays its captain
$500. They receive $1,000 here. Lieu
tenants are paid $1,000, as agains
Sl40; steam engineers, $213S. an,
drivers. $500, compared to S1350 an,
1880 in our department.
Chicago pays $4,000 to its chic
engineer. Chief Murphy receives $4,000
Deputy Chief Dayis's salary is $4,000
while Chicago's deputy receives $4,000
I'VE hope the Mayor, in his desir
to establish a fair basis, will conside
Philadelphia's tiremen entitled to com
pensatioD equal to, or at least approach
Ing that given for similar service il
Chicago. We include all grades from
chief engineer to hoseman.
Not to Press Undue Claims
1t is not our intention to press an,
demand or to make any undue claim
mat we are to meet tomorrow, but tha
we can discuss intelligently with tn
mayor aud other officials the rcasonabl,
units that should be placed upon ou
pay.
In addition to city officials it /
our intention to enlist the interest o
'ne Chamber of Commerce, the Unite,
and other business mems associations
me tlrc Underwriters and insllranc
companies, public welfare bodies an,
me other public spirited organization
ana individuals who so greatly aided ou
campaign which resulted in the estab
Shhleht OF the two platoon system an,
tne termination Of the slavish twenty
sOur hour continuous service rule tha
nad obtained here since the organizatio,
" Inc trc department in 1871.
Inc EVENING PUBLIC LEDGER stoo,
Unlnd us in that crusade under whicl
we nave benefited during more thar
S9 years, and we feel that it's fairnes
aua earnest support of the public wei
Iare npt VIII urge its advocacy of our prese n
movement"
SINISTER IndOrses Statement
President Kelly's statement was in
%,Stu , ny James III. Sinister. busines
agent OF Local No. -, who as n mem
Der OF the committee in charge of th
Mo platoon campaign was an actiy
worker worker for his associates in the rank
%ths city'S fire fighters.
Nro.lowlng tomorrow's meeting Mayo
%oUre and Director Cortelyou, as wei
as ast .ns commercial bodies named, will b
NEu ~ ~ TO co operate in the presentatio
'He nremcn' claims to City Council
BISHOPS nhIIEuTEp MTcDc