The morning times., 1896-05-03
FIRE lADD|tS' PENSIONS
Reasons Why the Law Regulating
Them Is Not Equitable.
CANOES ARE SUGGESTED
Com missiOners Submit an Amend
nent Which Provides That Service
Shall Be Requisite-Dis,ibili or
Death Must BE Incurred in Line of
Duty-7Excist. Boards Work.

The amendment proposed yesterday by
the COMMISSIONERS 10 the law relating to the
fremen's relief fund, a copy of which was
forwarded TO Congress, is understood to
have been adopted after a careful canvass
as To the equities, and provides that the
money, contributed by the members of the
force shall be paid out only to those who,
by long service or actual disability incurred
III line or duty, shah have earned Il share
In the benefits the fund affords.
Line of duty. SO far as the receipt of
injuries or death from accident is concerned,
Is defined 10 he the going to or returning
from fire, or while at the scene of a
fire, and other changes introduced are
equally specific, aud intended TO prevent
participation in the distribution OF those
who serve but a fe months and are etired
or die from diseases contracted prior to
their entry into the service.
Chief Paris said yesterday that in his
judgment the proposed amendment was u
just one. The money To pay these pensions
and distribute the benefits comes from the
pay of the men, at the rate OF 81 per month
per man.
A member who serves n few months, say
ten, and pays in SO, may be retired from
the force for disability that could not
propt rly be attributable to the service, and
yet III the absence of proof OF prior phi ysical
unsoundness, the ex-fireman or bis widow
gets the same consideration that the mem
Der does whose term Of service extends over
period of twenty years.
A CASE IN POINT
The chief cited case In point where the
widow and children of a fireman who
had served five months became benefiCiar-
les of the fund, and while he does not Oh
Ject to the Denerolence of the law on
general principles. he says nevertheless that
III this case the death could not have been
caused by the vicSsitudeS of actual service.
and the injustice was against the men
who have denied themselves to maintain
the rund through many years.
Every widow, he says, gets about $400
from another fund, in addition 10 the regu-
lar general benefit of SIS. The sum first
named comes from an organiZa ton founded
upon the mutual insurance plan. Upon the
death OF q member each fireman on the
rolls pays into the common fund the sum
of So so, the aggregate going 10 the
family left by the deceased. That is never
Withheld.
This the chief believes to be sufficient
return for the service Of member whose
death did not result from disease or other
disability contracted In line OF duty. He
Is not opposed to pensioning a man per-
manently disabled by accident at n fire or
elsewhere when he is on duty. nor does
he object to the bestowal OF the benefits
upon the widow and children Of such. If
the fund were supplied by Congress he would
interposc no object ion 10 most liberal
pension policy. Under the circumstances,
however, he believes there should be more
equitable system established.
EXCISE BOARDS WORK.
1t was the intention Of the excise board
yesterday to decide a number Of the cases
penliDC in which aDDiCJtiOn for license
have been contested. but for various rea sons.
chiefly for want OF time, they were all
postponed until Monday
Among those which. IL Is understood.
were to be disposed OF are the James d
Donnelly case the West Washingto on Hotel.
Otto Rupert, and some four or five
others all OF them having been the sub
jects OF protracted discussions in and
out of board sessions.
There are probably thirty applications
on file which have been held over from
November and included in the list are fiji
teen saloons in the Division.
The board may not take up the Division
cases until near the close of the license
wear, although there is n probability that
action Will be secured much sooner. All
of the saloons in that quarter are on the
same basis. and as one fares, so, doubt
less will all.
The other held up cases are from diff
ferent sections of the city. and have had
protests 10 meet from residents who OBJ
ject TO the presence OF the saloon.