Evening star., 1929-12-01
CAPPER TO OFFER
FIRE ANDPOL|CEPAY
RAISE BILL SOON
Announcement Follows Con-
ference of Senator With
Group of Civic Leaders.
zIHLMAN TO PUSH
MEASURE IN HOUSE
100 a Year for Privates of Both
Departments and Increases
Proposed.

A bill to increase the salaries Of the
more than 1000 members of the Police
and Fire Departments will be introduced
In the Senate at an early date by Sen
ator Capper of Kansas, chairman Of the
District committee, he announced yes
terday, following a conference with a
group of civic leaders.
Chairman Zihlman of the House Dis
trict committee also promised the rep
resentatives of the trade and citizens
associations that he would actively push
the police and firemen's pay increase
bill and hoped to see it passed early in
the coming session.
The measure to be presented to Con.
gress would establish an entrance SAL
ary Of $1,000 year for privates Of
both departments, with provision for an
annual increase of 500 until a maxl-
mum of $2,400 a year is reached. Un-
der existing law the salary range for
privateS in the two departments Is
$1,000, 81 300 and S2,100. The bill also
carries a schedule of proposed increases
for the officers Of the two uniformed
services.
In making known his willingness To
introduce the pay bill. Senator Capper
pointed out that 10 years ago Wash
ington stood fourth on the list Of Amer
lean cities in the matter of salaries for
its guardians of life and property, but
that he understood the District Is now
In sixty-fifth place on the list.
voicing Personal Views.
In coming out In support of a salary
increase bill for the police and fire
services, Senator Capper emphasized
that he was voicing his personal view
and was not undertaking TO speak for
the committee. He said he would 40
all he could to secure enactment Of the
measure.
The following is a comparison of
present salaries of officers in the Po-
lice Department with the rates proposed
in the salary bill: Major and superin-
tendent, from $500 to $500; assistant
supermtendents, from $500 to $500:
inspectors, from $3,250 to S4,500; cap
tains, rom $4,000 to $4,000; lieutenants,
from s2,700 to $3.050; sergeants, from
So. to $2,750, and privates. a basic
salary uf $1,000, with an annual increase
or 500 for five years, making the maxi
mum s. 400; All original APPOINTMENTS
would he at 81 300 and the first year
would be probationary period.
In the Fire Department present sal
aries ard the proposed bill compare as
follows: Chief engineer, from $500 to
$o,500; deputy chiefs, from $4,000 to
$500; battalion chiefs, from $3.50 to
$4,500; fire marshal, from $3.50 to $5;-
500; deputy marshal, from $500 to $3.-
600: inspectors, from $2,160 to S2.460;
captains, from S2,500 to $4,000: lieu
tenarts, from $3.50 to S2,840; SER
geants. from $4,000 to S2,6O0; superin-
ten6ent of machinery, from $3.50 to
$4,000; assistant superintendent, $2,500
TO $4,000; pilot. $2,250 to $4,000; marine
engineer, $2,250 to $2.6o0; assistant
marine engineer, from $2,150 to 81, 2,460;
marine fireman. 81 800 to $2,1o0. For
privates the present and proposed sal
ary rates are identical with those given
for the police.
Those who conferred with Senator
Capper yesterday were Charles w. Darr,
president of the Chamber of Commerce:
Edward J. Murphy, president, Board of
Trade; Gen. Anton Stephan president
OF Merchants and Manufacturers As
sociatlon, and DR.. George G. Havenner
president, Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations. The salary bill was laid before
Senator Capper by the delegation.
Statement Of Senator.
Following the conference, Senator
Capper said:
1T Is my earnest conviction that the
police and firemen of Washington are
deplorably underpaid. We have fallen
so far behind in failing to increase the
wages of these valuable public servants
that our firemen and police would be
financially better of in city of 10O, 900
population. I mean by this that COM
munities only one-fifth or one-sixth as
large as Washington are paying their
f1remen and police more. comparatively.
than the protectors of life and property
receive in the District.
1T would be a rather vain task to
spend much time in attempting to dis
cover the cause Of this distressing con-
dition. Our duty now Is to enact legis-
lation to give these men decent wage,
sufdcient to support their families.
considerable criticism of the Police
Department has been made of late.
The police are charged with ineficiency.
rudeness and dishonesty. While I do
not doubt that there may be few un-
desirable men in the department, I be-
lieve the department. on the whole, is
served by loyal and honest citizens.
The departments should offer, however,
SUFFICIENT financial inducements to at
tract high-grade men, and pay sum-
GENTLY to enable their members to with
stand the frequent temptations Of easy
money
"I shall exert every effort to obtain
the early passage Of this just and very
necessary legislation"