Chapter 54. To amend an Act entitled “An Act to classify the officers and members of the fire department of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes,” approved June 20, 1906, and for other purposes
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CHAP. 54.— An Act To amend an Act entitled “An Act to classify the officers and members of the fire department of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes,” approved June 20, 1906, and for other purposes. January 24, 1920. [[H. R. 10137](/us/bill/66/hr/10137).] [[Public, No. 124](/us/pl/66/124).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, * District of Columbia.Fire Department. That sections 2, 3, and 4 of an Act entitled “An Act to classify the officers and members of the fire department of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes,” approved June 20, 1906, is hereby amended to read as follows:
" “Sec. 2. Commissioners to have exclusive jurisdiction.Vol. 34, p. 314, amended. That the Commissioners of the District of Columbia shall appoint, assign to such duty or duties as they may prescribe, promote, reduce, fine, suspend, with or without pay, and remove all officers and members of the fire department of the District of Columbia, according to such rules and regulations as said commissioners, in their exclusive jurisdiction and judgment (except as herein otherwise *Provisos*.Existing rules ratified.provided), may from time to time make, alter, or amend: *Provided*, That the rules and regulations of the fire department heretofore promulgated are hereby ratified (except as herein otherwise provided) and shall remain in force until changed by said commissioners:
Appointments hereafter under civil service laws.Vol. 22, p. 403.*Provided further*, That all officers, members, and civilian employees of such department, except the chief engineer and deputy chief engineers, shall hereafter be appointed and promoted in accordance with the provisions of the Act entitled ‘An Act to regulate and improve the civil service of the United States,’ approved January 16, 1883, as amended, and the rules and regulations made in pursuance thereof, in the same manner as members of the classified civil 397service of the United States, except as herein otherwise provided: *Provided further*, That the chief engineer of the fire department shallChief engineer. hereafter be selected from among the deputy chief engineers, the battalion chief engineers, the fire marshal and the superintendent ofDeputy chief engineers. machinery; the deputy chief engineers shall hereafter be selected from among the battalion chief engineers, the fire marshal, and the superintendent of machinery: *Provided further*, That all original appointmentsOriginal appointments and promotions. of privates shall be made to class one; privates who have served one year in class one shall, if found efficient, be transferred to class two, and privates who have served two years in class two shall, if found efficient, be transferred to class three.
Such transfers shall not be subject to the provisions of such Act of January 16, 1883. as amended, and the rules and regulations made in pursuance thereof.Additional privates. Whenever vacancies occur in classes two or three which can not be filled by such transfers, the commissioners may appoint additional privates in class one equal in number to the positions vacant in classes two or three; and any moneys appropriated for the payment of the salaries for such vacant positions shall be available to pay to such additional privates of class one the salaries of their grade.
” “Sec. 3. That the fire department of the District of Columbia shallClassification of officers, etc.Vol.34,p.314, amended. consist of one chief engineer, two deputy chief engineers, all of whom shall have had at least five years of experience in some regularly organized municipal fire department; such number of battalion chief engineers as said commissioners may deem necessary from time to time within the appropriations made by Congress; one fire marshal; such number of deputy fire marshals, inspectors, and clerks as said commissioners may deem necessary from time to time within the appropriations made by Congress; such number of captains, lieutenants, and sergeants as said commissioners may deem necessary from time to time within the appropriations made by Congress; one superintendent of machinery; and such number of assistant superintendents of machinery, pilots, marine engineers, assistant marine engineers, marine firemen, privates of class three, privates of class two, privates of class one, hostlers, and laborers as said commissioners may deem necessary from time to time within the appropriations made by Congress: *Provided*,*Provisos*.Veterinary service.
That the chief engineer of the fire department of the District of Columbia shall have the right to call for and obtain the services of any veterinary surgeon employed by the District who at the time shall not be engaged in a more emergent veterinary service for the District: *Provided further*, That the police surgeons of said District are requiredMedical service by police surgeons. to attend, without charge, the members of the fire department of said District, and examine all applicants for appointment to, promotion in, and retirement from said fire department: *Provided further*, ThatTransfers to new grades. the engineers and assistant engineers in the fire department shall be transferred to the position of privates of class one, two, or three, respectively, depending on whether their length of service on August 1, 1919, was one, two, or three or more years; but such transfers shallVol. 22, p. 403. not be subject to the Act entitled ‘An Act to regulate and improve the civil service of the United States,’ approved January 16, 1883, as amended, and the rules and regulations made in pursuance thereof, and the authorized number of privates in the various classes is herebyAdditional privates authorized. increased to provide for such transfers, and for additional privates equal in number to the vacancies existing in the positions of engineer and assistant engineer at the time this amending Act becomes effective.
” “Sec. 4. That the annual basic salaries of the officers and membersSalaries increased.Vol. 34, p.315, amended. of said department shall be as follows: Chief engineer, $4,000;deputy chief engineers, $3,000 each; battalion chief engineers, $2,400 each; fire marshal, $2,400; deputy fire marshal, $2,000; inspectors, $1,660 each; chief clerk, $2,400; clerk (who shall be a stenographer and 398typist), $1,660; captains, $1,900 each; lieutenants, $1,760 each; sergeants, $1,700 each; superintendent of machinery, $2,500; assistant superintendent of machinery, $2,000; pilots, $1,700 each; marine engineers, $1,700 each; assistant marine engineers, $1,660 each; marine firemen, $1,460 each; privates of class three, $1,660 each; privates of class two, $1,560 each; privates of class one, $l,,460 each; hostlers, Increase to date from August 1, 1919.$1,080 each; laborers, $1,000 each.
Every officer and member of the fire department of the District of Columbia at the time this amending Act becomes effective shall, in addition to the salary received by him for his period of service between August 1, 1919, and the time this Act becomes law, receive for such period the difference between such salary and the salary payable to him under the provisions of this Act for a period of equal duration.” " Sec. 2. Service restrictions.Vol. 34, p. 315, amended.Membership in organizations advocating strikes, forbidden.
Section 5 of such Act of June 20, 1906, is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following: " “No member of the fire department of the District of Columbia shall be or become a member of any organization, or of an organization affiliated with another organization, which itself or any subordinate, component, or affiliated organization of which holds, claims, Discharge for violation.or uses the strike to enforce its demands. Upon sufficient proof to the Commissioners of the District of Columbia that any member of the fire department of the District of Columbia has violated the provisions of this section, it shall be the duty of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to immediately discharge such member from the service.
Conspiring to obstruct operation of department, unlawful.“Any member of the fire department of the District of Columbia who enters into a conspiracy, combination, or agreement with the purpose of substantially interfering with or obstructing the efficient conduct or operation of the fire department of the District of Columbia by a strike or other disturbance shall be guilty of a misdemeanor Punishment for.and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not more than $300 or by imprisonment of not more than six months, or by both.
” " Sec. 3. Appropriation for increased pay, etc. For the payment of the increased salaries authorized in this Act for the positions provided for in the Act entitled “An Act *Ante*, p. 88.making appropriations to provide for the expenses of the government of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1920, and for other purposes,” approved July 11, 1919, and for the payment of the salaries designated herein to the additional number of Half from District revenues.*Post*, p. 837.men in the various classes of privates authorized in this Act, one-half of the amount necessary is hereby appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and the other one-half out of the revenues of the District of Columbia, to supplement the amounts appropriated for the salaries of the officers and. members of such fire department in such Act of July 11, 1919.
Sec. 4. Age limits for original police or firemen appointments. The Commissioners of the District of Columbia are hereby authorized to determine and fix the minimum and maximum limits of age within which original appointments to the Metropolitan Police and Fire Departments may be made. Approved, January 24, 1920.