The times., 1901-06-19

! n
Force Shattered in HenIth-A Tax
Remission Case - Detail Of Fore
nInn Bos As Acting Chief Engineer
The Commissioners yesterday approved
the application of Capt. NJ. \. Austin, OF
the police force. for retirement under the
provisions of the act of Congress approv-
ed February Is, 1901. Captain Austin's re-
tirement Will take effect on July !. and
| he will receive pension of $50 a month.
! Captain Austin in his application for re-
tirement said:
Il nave the honor to make application
I for retirement under the provisions oi me
! act of Congress approved Fepluary -;
! 1871. to take effect the 1St proXlmo, ana
request that | be allowed leave of absence
| from the 18th instant As you are aware,
| l have been connected with the depart
ment for over thirty five years, and have
/ served in every grade from private TO
! acting superintendent.
AS my nervous system is shattered and
| health impaired and the police surge on
| who has been attending me having IN
! formed me that my life might be pro
| longed if ] am relieved of the anMetleS
| incident to position, deem II best 10
make this application, and hope you VIII
recommend that be granted the maxi
mum pension under the law.
! "My relations with the department ana
! those with whom have been associated
/
| take this action. but do so because l de-
| sire to spend few quiet years IN lhe
! country.
! employees of tho department, and hoping
I that your efforts to increase the ioTce
and promote it's efficiency may hr as sue
| cessful in the future as they have hteh
in the past, l remain. very resr%Su Wy,
Major Richard Sylvester, in forwarding
| Captain Austin's application TO the Com
misscners. took occasion to say:
For number OF years the police ana
! firemen of the District OF Columbia were
eligible to removal on retired pay under
the operation of clause attached TO the
appropriation act approved Feb@lary 20,
/ ISS5 Certain proVisos made IL possible
to maintain a policemen's fund. inade-
quate. however, in amount or accTuemeht
to meet conditions. and, as result no
certainty existed that man injured or
diseased in either service, or t2e family
of such, would receive an allowance un-
der such operation.
ITO better secure the employees referred
tc your Sunerintendent recommended GER
tain measures whereby the fund mention
ed would have statutory endorsement. be
placed on sound financial basis and
whereby the allowances might be in keep
ing with those of New York, Milwaukee
Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore, and other
leading cities. where the maximum pay
ment is 80 per cent of the pay received
bv such persons at the time of retire
ment which is at the end of a certain
period of labor, or where injury or dis
ease has deprived an officer OF fireman OF
further usefulness. AS result OF my ef-
forts the fund will be on substantial
basis this year, and had not such ac-
ton been taken the fund would have been
exhausted.
1T was found impossible to secure the
enactment of a law with a so per cent
clause for members of the two depart
ments, but by changing the law as pro-
posed, a slight advance over 50 per cent
was secured for all interested, who are
now better provided for in proportion to
salaries paid than are those OF other
cities, excepting the Superintendent of
Police. whose status is far below that
of the same official, in this respect, in
other jurisdictions.
The maintenance and continuance of
the fund will depend upon a careful lu-
dicious equitable guardianship ana IN IT'S
application without discrimination. NO
officer or member of either department
would want TO be retired and feel that
the fund would be insecure, which would
result from general maximum payment.
Such was not the intention Of those who
made the law.
I'm order that officers may be placed on
a footing equal to that OF subordlnates'
and no dissensions be caused, In my opln-
ion the average percentage paid privates
Of classes ! and 2 and sergeants IN the
Police Department Of their pay at time
of retirement should be allowed in cases
where officers are retired-that IS. where
maximum allowances are made. rms
would amount to IS per cent, except as to
the Superintendent of Police, where IL
could not under any circumstances, eN-
ceed 36 per cent
Capt NJ A. Austin was appointed a
member of the force May 3, 1866; promoted
to sergeant January g. 1861; promoted to
lieutenant November q, 1868; promoted TO
captain and inspector July l6, 1856 desig-
mated acting major and s. erintendent
November 25 1856; relieved from duty as
acting major and superintendent Decem-
Der S 1886: appointed captain and assist
ant superintendent May TO- l9Jl.
The bill as prepared and reasons SUD
mitted by your Superintendent at the time
of its consideration are herewith respect
fully submitted. ,,.
LAS the law stands II reads IN the us
cretion' of the Commissioners.
The retirement is recommended 70 take
effect June 80 1901. In view OF captain
Austin's length of service ! am OF the
opinion that he should be granted not less
than $50 per month on retirement.
" Mosbv Williams of the Columbian