Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-12-19
6USSE,S POLICE PENSION BILL

among members Of the police depart.
ment over State Representative Buses
proposed police pension bill. The bill
which Mr.. Busse will present at the
meeting Of the Legislative Assembly
Ia to limit the pensions Of police officers,
irrespective Of rank. to $40 a month.
While the rank and file OF the de-
partmcnt would welcome such
change. there Is no doubt that the rank.
ing officers are strongly opposed to II.
Already there II talk Of preventing the
passage Of the measure.
"Thc BILL" said police officer,
"wOuld be the best thing for every
man on the force. II would do away
with the captains ana inspectors who
are hanging on. though they are eligible
to retirement. II they knew they would
get only $50 month, they would quit
at once and give some Of the younger
and more active men a chance. II
these pensions keep MP the pension
fund will be leglslated out of existence
In ten years. The big fellows who
draw $500 and $3.50 year, eat II
| nearly all up now. In few years
| there Will be 80 many men on the roll
that there won't he money left to pay
all Of them.
II believe there could he made some
great improvement In the rules" he
continued. "FOr instance. no man
ought to be allowed In the department
who has served his twenty years.
That's long enough for anybody. Now,
look at some who are eligible for pen
siOns. There Is Captain Elliott Of the
central station. He was retired on a
pension and came back again. That
ought not to be allowed. Inspectors
Setback and Shea are eligible to pen
siOns. If they knew that new law
would be passed by which their pen
they would resign In minute. There
Is eX-Chief Of Police EbersOld. He IL
a rich man. He draws $500 a year
for doing nothing. Why should he get
two and a half times as much as the
patrOlman who does active duty! Why
should he get more than the man who
walks around with his club and en-
poses his life to danger every hour!
There are many things In the pen
sion law which are wrong" said Ser
geant Krieger of the West Chicago
avenue station. Every man on thu
force pays / per cent. of his salary to
| the pension fund. The patrOlmen
pay 50 cents, the sergeants 81 and cap
tains $3.50 month. When n man IL
retired he gets the pension as long rs
he lives and II he dies the pension dies
with him. His widow and family get
nothing. 1t would be great deal bet
ter to make the pension uniform and
give the money to the widows or tn,
orphans. In case of DEATH"
IF Mr.. Busse can win that fight,
said another officer, he will have done
more for the policemen than any of his
predecessors. There Is no reason IL
the present law. Why should any maj
ask more than $500 year for doing
nothing. There Is not policeman II
the city who likes the law as 1t now
stands. We are all afraid by the time
we are old enough to draw pensions
there won't be anything left for us. II
the new law be passed there would bt
chance for promotion. There arr
Captains Gibbons, Koch, Larson ant
Elliott, all Of them on over twenty
years. II they were forced to retir'
younger men would take their places
! know 1t will be a hard fight for Mr.
Bussc. Those who now fatten on thu
pension roll and those who expect L
do so will put every possible obstacle