The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-27
RELIEF BILL.
For Benefit Of Police and
Firemen.
Hearing Before Judiciary
Committee Today.
Members Claim That City Already
Has Enough Authority.

judiciary committee of the House OF Rep
resentatives granted public hearing to
those interested in the passage OF bill Tor
an act authorizing the City Council of the
city of Providence to make appropria-
tions for the relief of injured or disabled
firemen and policemen.
The proposed act is as follows:
Section 1. The City Council of the city
OF Providence is hereby authorized and
empowered TO appropriate annually such
amounts OF money as said City Council
may from time TO time prescribe, for the
relief of such firemen and policemen as
shall be injured or disabled while In the
actual disc barge Of duty as such iremen
or policemen.
Sec. g. This act shall take effect from
and after its passage.
City Sci citor Colwell said that he
would explain the exact state OF the pres
ent legislation on the matter.
The situation il this The City Council
was authorized o set aside $500 a year
for the relief of hremen and policemen
when they were permanently disabled.
and they had that authority for good
while. In 1898 n new provision for PEN
sion fund was allowed by tho Legislature
but not adopted by the city.
The fire commissioners desired that a
provided for and rev up an ordinance
whereby an injured tireman's pay might
continue while he is off duty. Ibis
ordinance was unanimously adopted by
the City Council, but later 1t was thought
to be contrary to the provisions OF the
charter. Ii was then referred to the com
mittee on ordinances, and that committee
recommended indefinite postponement OF
the bill whereupon the resolution was
passed authorizing the city solicitor to
apply TO the General Assembly Tor the
legislation now proposed.
The manner in which the bill is drawn
is severely criticized by Chairman Blod-
get of the judiciary committee, who said
that the act of 1889 was more desirable
The act referred TO was passed by the
Legislature March IA, 1889, and is as fol-
lows:
The City Council is authorized and en-
powered to appropriate annually sum
not exceeding $1,000, TO be applied in such
amounts and upon such condltiops as
said City Council may by ordinance pre-
scribe for the relief of firemen who may
be permanently injured while in the per-
formance OF duty as such, and for the re-
lief of dependents of fiemen and police
men who may, while in the performance
of duty, as such, he killed or die from
the effects of any injury thus received or
of any disease thus contracted.
idea was to keep an injured reman on
the pay roll out of the departments own
appropriation.
Chairman Blodgett asked IL that could
not be done without further ieigslation
and Mr.. Luther replied that there was no
provision for paying out money except
for services actually rendered.
Representative Gray expressed the opin-
ion that il fireman or policeman is in
jured in the disc harge of his duty be
should be assisted Immediately by the city
and not obliged to wait two weeks for the
Council to make an appropriation.
The city solicitor said that If the bill is
passed the Council will probably place
the matter in the hands of a committee
with authority to act Immediately. He
claimei that it would not be an unsafe
thing to give the Council the authority
asked for.
Detective Swan said tha. in 1895 every
member of the police de artment erform-
ed II days OF extra duty for which there
was no extra compensation.
Chairman Blodgett wanted to know
If there is any ordinance In the way oil
continuing mans salary and the solici-
tor said that there is no ordinance to au-
tnoriZe it,
The chairman then wanted to know
how it was that the memEers of the two
departments are allowed pay when on
their aCat1onS and 10 ms the soIciOr
said that there is no authority for that al
though he believed i'm IL.
One of the most interesting points raised
was on the question as 10 whether po-
lie man or fireman Is a day laborer or a
salaried officer. Chairman Blodgett
claimed that inasmuch as the members OF
the two departments are on
duty the year around and give their en-
tire time 10 the service they are salaried
officers and not day laboTers and therefore
entitled TO the continuance of their pay
when injured as well as when on vaca-
tion.
Commissioner Luther wanted to know
IL the provision for paying during vaca-
tions could not be inserted in the bill
under discussion. The city solicitor said
that he had no authority To ask for that
hut the members Of the judiciary com
mittee intimated that the Legislature
could do il.
Chairman Blodgett wanted to know II
the City Council did not have just as
much authority TO declare that 35s days
constitute year as TO ray that eight
hours constitute days work. He also
SAID that 10 pay an injured fireman oI
policeman is not charity but just and rea-
sonable compensation.
The unanimous opinion of the commit
tee WAS that injured firemen and police
men should be taken care of and furt her
more that the city already has enough
authority to go ahead and attend TO IL.