New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-15
PENSIONS FOR POLICEMEN.
THE FUND BEING RAPIDLY USED UP.
ALARGE DEFICIENCY REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN
DISCOVERED.

1HE CONlt DElNO nal IDSh WIZ 49,
LARGE DEFICIENCY REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN
DISCOVERED.
There was a good deal of talk in police circles
YESTERDAY over a report that large deficiency mao
been discovered IN the Police Pension Fund Ike
weli-known fact that the fund is being rapidly de-
pleted has caused good deal OF anxiety among
members of the police force, and when the report
got abroad that there was deficiency II caused
considerable STIR A TRIBUNE reporter called on
Commissioner of Accounts Hill TO make inquiries In
cannot m tell Mr. Hill said. anything about
the fund since | closed my examination IN May
last went ta back three te,T that Prior me to
time it was known believe. as the Police Life In
surance Fund. Whether any Of 1t disappeared be-
fore January |, 1879, is more than can tell" q,
"DO you believe it has been honestly managed
We'll. | examined it very closely and verified
statements on the books, and / found nothing wrong
except IN the Office of the property clerk In that
office a good deal might have been stolen, as the
manner of doing business was so loose ana Irregular
that 1t was impossible to tell anything much ABOUT
il. The plain and practical requirementsof the law
were ignored in keeping the accounts Oh that
bureau"
"In all particulars. Noauction sales of books were
found for the period from 1867 to 1879 inclusive,
and no information could be obtained IN relation 10
them The books, from 1880 to February IL, 1888,
were examined but the results were unsatisfactory
and inconclusive except as showing that the 10,
spective sums of money noted therein as received
from auction sales had been paid over TO tue treas
urer Whether the books embraced all the properly
actually sold or all the money actually received
could not be determined, owing to the incomplete
registry Of the articles In the original entry BOOKS
before mentioned. No cash book was found, except
petty cash ; whether any was kept by the property
clerk could not be ascertaInedx The absence OIL
ca sh book where the transactions aggregated snch
a large amount OF money cannot but be regarded as
a remark able If not suspicious circumstance. 1here
were considerable sums OF money standing on tne
registry books of dates prior TO 1850 OF wnicn the
disposition is not shown on tho books An attempt
to verify these amounts by the treasurers books
failed for the reason that. in many instances, pis
books do not specify the items, but simply state az
gregate amounts which, In tho absence or casn
books and sales books. cannot be separated ana
definitely accounted for. Many other irregularities
were found" ,,.,
nowW
II understand that the Police Commissioners have
made q complete change in accordance with our
recommendations Another examination OF the
Police Department will be made soon.i
Inquiry of the cashier of the Police Department.
who keeps the books of the Police Pension Fund,
showed that the fund IL being rapidly used up owing
TO the decision of the courts that moneys on
account of sickness must be refunded. The Depart
ment has ceased 10 pay claims OF that kind. About
5000 of the principal of the Pension Fund has
been used I'D IN that way. whie tho income has
been greatly reduced The rumor that there had
been any loss TO the fund because OF defacation or
bad management was pronounced without foupda-
ton by the police officials. The Pension una now
amounts to about $40 500.