New-York tribune., 1922-10-19
Budget Committee Grants
$500 Increases to I3
$500 a Year Officials
Against Economy Pledge
Other Appeals for
More Pay Denied
Mayor Scored Employees
for Making Them; Esti-
mate Board Is Mum

AAonAPtCA oiiS IAyldn dQIH4nlHCrAC10n TO
| refuse increases in salaries to minor
city employees appeared in new light
! yesterday, when 1t was learned that on
Tuesday the budget committee Of the
Board oe Estimate, in secret session,
had voted to put into the tentative
| budget for 1928 increased Of $500 In
the salaries Of the thirteen commits
sioners who head city departments.
This means 3Si- per cent boost
Tor the commissioners, who are now
receivins $1,000 annually, including
such officials as Commissioner Of Ae-
counts David Hirshfield, Commissioner
Edwin J. O'Malley Of the Department
! oS Markets, Police Commissioner Rich
ard II Enrighs and Commissioner
Grover A. w IN Of the Department
ef Plant and -ures.
No official 81 sment Of the budget
committees actis vas issued either
from the Mayors stfice or by the mem
berc of the committee, and it was only
by chance i, became public. This offi-
cial attitude Of secrecy was continued
even after members Of the committee
were confronted with the facts. AL
though no denial was made, they re-
fused to discuss what had tranepirea at
the executive session.
Three Days Left to Increase Salaries
The facts are nevertheless considered
authenticaily established. Following
the public hearings ON The tentative
1923 budget, the committee began on
Tuesday to finally whip 1t into shape in
executive session. Much of the time of
this session, it was said, was devoted to
discussion Of salary increases for the
high-salaried heads Of departments
aud commissioners and an increase
Srofn $7s50G year to $4,000 q year
voted for the thirteen who held COM
aiissionerships under appointment from
the Mayor. There still remain three
days in which salary increases may be
included in next years budget by the
committee.
After October 81 the tentative budget
comes before the committee Of the
whole of the Board Of Estimate for
public hearings and final action, ut
I which time downward revision may be
made, but no additional increases.
In the face Of the Mayors oft-re-
peated refusal to allow even 5000 or
$500 increases to the lower grades of
/ city employees, on the plea that ''the
budget must be kept as low as possible
to keep within the constitutional
limit news Of the committees action
/. came as distinct surprise. Delega-
|.ticn after delegation from the rank
and file of city workers has appeared
before the Board Of Estimate with q
plea for small salary increases, only to
be turned down fatty and sometimes
abusively.
Mayor Frowns on Requests
Firemen, policemen, night school
teachers and county officials have suf-
sered the Mayors disfavor for request
ing raises. When representatives of
the firemen's association appeared be-
fore the Board Of Estimate few days
ago with such request he told them
that fremen spent too much time in
bed'' and threatened to bring about
drastic changes" i'll the department.
The night school teachers were accused
and into their classes SO as to pad the
attendance rolls. The request of the
uniformed policemen was met with q
similar outburst Previously he had
warned department heads that aapplics-
.jo-s for salary increases for the mem
under them were "impositions ON the
taxpayer"
lhe increases provided for the COM
n1issioners were made without their
request and altogether for the reason
that the budget committee felt that
there should be some recognition OF
their services, it was said. The raises
were justified on the ground that there
had been no increase In the. salaries
for these posts since the five boroughs
we're consolidated into the greater city
and since that time the work OF the
departments has doubled several times.
Furthermore, II was said, the total
amount of the increases would add
only S32,500 to the budget, whereas
an increase to the uniformed hremen
or policemen would add millions to the
taxpayers' burden. :
The commissioners who could pc
reached last night Joined in expressing
astonishnient at their good fortune.
Commissioners Hirshfeld declared tn q
budget committees action was quite q
surprise to him.
"I didn't know thing about IT," he
said, "The action of the budget COM
mittee goes to show that the Board
of Estimates a~nrec; +es the hard work
tia con, N, ssn,,ers do -