Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-09
Police and Firemen Pay.

The Commissioners report on the po-
lice and firemens pay bill concludes
the formalities necessary before this
legislation can be started on its trip
through Congress. a journey that fair
ness demands should be taken without
fail during the present session. The
Commissioners report is a formality
only in the sense that it reflects a pub
lie opinion highly in favor of this legis-
lation Aside from that, the Commits
sioners' report, with the report from the
District Auditor is more than formal
ity. 1t raises the question Of compara-
tive rates of pay for the important Of
fcials at the District Building, shedding
light on the need for Establishments in
salaries of officials outside the Police
and Fire Departments.
Recommending q cut, for instance,
from $500 to $4,000 in the proposed
new salaries of the Chief Of Polics and
the Chief OF the Fire Department, it is
shown that the salary Of $4,000 would
be higher than the salary Of the Peo-
ples Counsel and the Public Utilities
Commissioners. the judges Of the Mu-
nicipal Court and Juvenile Court and
fifteen hundred dollars higher than the
Health Ohicer. The new salaries would
equal the pay Of the Municipal Archi-
tect and the Judges Of the Police Court.
They would be exceeded only by the
salaries Of the Commissioners. the Cor
poration Counsel and the Auditor.
The comparisons cited above should
not be used as any argument against
the new rates of pay proposed for the
Police and Fire Department heads. But
they should lead TO a readjustment up
ward of other salaries for responsible
officials and heads Of departments in
the District Government. Eight thou
sand dollars is no exorbitant pay for q
man who occupies the hazardous as well
as responsible position Of major and
superintendent of police, nor for the
chief of the Fire Department. If it
equalizes their pay with the salaries OF
other ofncials heretofore rated as de-
manding relatively higher remuneration,
It means that the pay of these other
officials is too low-not that the new
rate of pay proposed for the fire and
police heads is too high.
The new rates for privates and the
lower ranking officers of the Police and
Fire Departments are demanded by the
comparable rates Of pay for these men
in other cities, II for no other reason.
The last adjustment Of salaries for
police and firemen was made in July.
1924. At that time Congress conducted
Q wide investigation Of rates in other
cities. which showed that pay Of police
and frSmen in Washington ranked
twenty-fourth on a list of comparable
cities. The readjustment of salaries at
that time brought Washington to third
place on the list.
But In the five and @ half years
since that time Washington's rate Of
pay has dropped from third to sixty
NTH place on a list of cities of $4,000
and over In population. Several glaring
inequalities have become apparent.
Some Of the cities now paying their
privates more than Washington pays
officers below the rank Of captain And
IN 20 cities the maximum rate of pay
is $4,000 for privates, rate comparable
TO the pay of police and fire captains
here. The pay Of neutenants in WASH
1ngton-S2 ,350-is exceeded by the
maximum pay for priyates in 81 cities.
AS regards the Fire Department, an
other inequality becomes apparent in
the fact that many other cities pay
higher salaries to engineers and drivers.
But In Washington privates are as
signed to these jobs with no pay In
crease, although the same skill and
efficiency are demanded of them that
are required in other cities. The 12-
hour shift for hremen, with night. and
day work alternating weekly, constitutes
another argument for higher pay for
these men.
Congress might well make this salary
bill the vehicle for general reorgan-
ization of the two departments designed
to increase not only ths salaries, but
the personnel and to augment civil
service requirements by the establish
ment of adequate training schools fol
policemen, with higher standards re-
quired for men who hope TO survive
the probation period and wear the
uniform.
-SANS-
lobbyist who insists on becoming q