The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-13
FIREMEN TAKEN ABAoK.
Surprised at the Opposition to tn
Pension Fund Bill.


The fremen and their friends, who are
pushing the bill to provide for the estab-
lishment of pension fund for disabled
and superannuated fremen. were surprised
and somewhat taken back by the resolu-
tion Of council passed at the special meet
ing Friday afternoon, opposing the bill.
Their surprise was the greater, because
the petition for the passage of the bill had
been signed by Mayor McDonough and
seven of the aldermen, the aldermen
who signed the petition being Messrs.
Myers, Screven, Dixon, Bohan, Mcmillan,
O'Brien and Folliard. All signed as citi-
zens, however, and not in an official ca
pacity.
The firemen were further surprised at
the statement of Alderman Myers, who
introduced the resolution that he had
signed the petition under a misapprehen-
, sion, and that he did not understand at
the time that any portion of the expense
was to be borne by the city.
The committee which has been pushing
the bill in Savannah is composed of John
E. Mcguire, r. A. Green, 81 Golinski and
F. j. TrebOny, all eX-mem Ders of the fire
department.
Mr. Mcguire, chairman of the commit
tee, stated to the MORNING News yester-
udS buS pOSIblOu Oh Ll6 uHGIDGn ana ais o
explained the bill.
Mr.. Mcguire, for Alderman Myers to
have been under any misrepresentation as
TO the purposes of the bill or the means
by which the revenue is to be derived.
The petition signed by him and the
other aldermen expressly stated that the
fund was to be created by the cities. The
heading of the petition was as follows:
To provide for the creation, maintenance
and management of fund for the pension
ing OF crippled, disabled and superannuated
tremen, and for the relief of the widows and
minor children Of deceased fremen
by such cities, villages or incorporated towns
as may have an organized fire department,
and to authorize the retirement from service
and the pensioning Of members of the fire
department.
The bill expressly states" continued
Mr.. Mcguire, that the fund is to be con-
trOlled and regulated by the cities, and
the pension fund of each city is main
tanned separately and for the firemen of
that city alone. The fund is to be raised
IN the following manner: l per cent.
per month from the salaries of all the en-
plOyes of the fire department; per cent
from the revenues received by the cities
from all licenses issued, and the fines
levied in the recorders court against fire.
men for violations of the regulations
vides that the city shall appropriate
to the fund only such portion of the
amount Of l per cent. of revenues from
licenses as may be required to meet the
requirement of the pension fund and if it
is found that a less amount than per
cent will suffice to meet the requirements,
only such amount as may be necessary
for this purpose need be set aside. The
cost to the city would not be over $500 a
in addition n tho twill +ol
by the firemen themselves.
The bill provides that fremen are to
be pensiOned on half pay at the end Of
twenty-five years service, provided they
are shown by d medical examina-
ton to be unfit for further service
Crippled and disabled tremen are TO be
pensioned on half pay, provided they are
unfit for further service. Widows Of fire.
men killed in the service, are to receive
a pension Of $50 per month.
u wish you would particularly stress
the fact said MIR. Mcguire, that the
cities have the control and regulation of
the fund entirely in their own hands.
Mr.. Myers made the point that if the
tremen were pensiOned the police would
also demand pensions.
AS an alderman I should think
Mr.. Myers would have known
that the. police are already pen
stoned by ordinance. Policemen
who have served thirty years and are I'M
fit for further service are placed on half
pay, and those who have served twenty
years and upwards, one-third paw. The
city also pays the expense of a police
mans funeral and extends his salary to
his family for three months after his
death, provided he died natural death
and in case Of his being killed while in
the performance of his duty, his salary is
continued to his family for six months
after his death. The poor fireman who is
killed in the performance of his duty.
does not even have his funeral expenses
paid and his family is left to starve. if
they have no kind friends to help them.
The salaries received by the firemen are
so small that very few of them are able to
save anything, and it is a matter of sim
pie justice that the city should make
some provision in their behalf after thev
become too old for service, or for their
families when they are killed in the ser
vice.
There are forty cities and towns in the
state having organized fire departments.
and efforts are being made in each Of
them in behalf of the bill.