The evening world., 1922-10-19
HYLAN STARTED
SALARY GRAB IN
ESTIMATE BOARD
Moved to Boost Pay of Thir-
teen Commissioners, Then
Fun Began.
RAISE EVERYBODY CRY
Craig Spoke for Deputies,
and Borough Presidents
for Their Aids.

1t was Mayor Hylan himself who
first suggested that the salaries of
his thirteen $7,5O0.a-year Commits
sioners be increased to $40, 900 a year.
Following the Mayors suggestion,
Comptroller Craig moved that his
three deputies be increased also 10
$4,000. Then began grand scram-
BILE by every member Of the Board of
Estimate to obtain increases in pay
for his highest salaried subordinates.
Tfie latter included the Commission
ers OF Public Works. bureau heads and
seotetatest in all boroughs already
highly paid.
The slogan Of the meeting, as one
official Jocularly put 1t, was increase
everybody from the top down"
BY that he meant that IL there was
anything left over after the highest
salaried officials had been increased.
the remainder would be distributed
among the lower salaried employees.
There were no written resolutions
providing for these increases, ac-
cording to several persons present at
the meeting. But the members
pledged their votes by an "aye" or
nod Of the head, as at informal
sessions.
Another proposed increase was for
the Civil Service Commissioners, who
were to have been raised from $4,000
year to $4,000.
The disclosure Of the Mayors in
itiative in the salary Increases, was
made to-day by members of the Es-
innate Board who claimed they had
been wrongfully accused of starting
the so-called "salary grab"
One member of the board said:
Mayor Hylan was the first mcm-
Der Of the board to suggest salary
increases at the executive session. He
asked these increases for members OF
his cabint who, he said, were under
paid. He called attention to the fact
that Commissioners of the Mayors
cabinet had not had salary increases
in many years and on that account
advocted $4,000 salaries.
Taking q cue from the Mayor
other members of the board mad
s,milar pleas for their subordinates.
Indignation following the report in
The Evening World last night that
the Board Of Estimate had boosted
the salaries of the heads Of nearly
every city department from $1,000 to
$4,000 caused the board to hold an
other secret meeting to-day and re-
woke every increase provided in yes
terday's resolutions.
1t was not until to-day that It was
learned that the proposed increases
not only affected the salaries Of the
Commissioners but of scores OF the
higher salaried officials IN all the
Borough presidents offices.
Nhe secrecy of the Board in maxi
Ing the raise was extended TO the
panic stricken revocation. 1t was not
posslb' to learn who offered the reso-
luton in the Board this morning can
c:lling the boost.
The secretly agreed upon raise was
made right on the heels OF repeated
solemn announcements by Mayor
Hylan there would be no salary in
creases this year. The Mayor told
this to the firemen and no told it TO
the police. He told 1t to the $500 q
year prison matrons, who work like
slaves under the most unfavorable
conditions for twelve hours a day.
Meanwhile. the city officials whis-
pering around q table within were
Slipping 1t over" TO use the YER
nacular. That they were pledged to
silence is evident. for Immediately
after the close Of the session Tuesday
Comptroller Craig was approached by
tContinued on Twelfth PaEo)