Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-28
LAW LOOSELY DRAWN WILL |NDORSE BRYAN
View Of Commissioner West South Carolina Democrats In
Regarding Local System. different About Candidates.
POLICE AND FlREMEN FUND HOPELESS OF SUCCESS
Estimated Expenditure Fitted
suing Year of $1l5,000 Defeat.
MEASURE SHOULD BE AMENDED FIGHT FOR LATIMERS SEAT
ment-Information Sought May
Readily Obtained.
POLICE AND FIREMEN FUND
Estimated Expenditure for the En-
suing Year of $4,000.
MEASURE SHOULD BE AMENDED
Comment on Senator Burkett's State
ment-Information Sought May
Be Readily Obtained.

| That the law regulating the penSlOnlnS
of fremen and policemen in the District
of Columbia is loosely worded and should
be more definite is recognized by Com
missioner West who has supervision OF
the police department. Possibly mem
Der of the board of Commissioners has
given more study to the question of police
and fire pensions than has Mr.. West, and
he said today that some remedial legsla-
! ton should be had.
! More than two years ago Commissioner
| West discovered that the pension roll was
increasing at startling rate. and he
called for the appointment of a special
| commission to investigate the question
and to recommend changes for it's better
ment. This commission was composed of
Inspector Swindells of the police depart
ment, Alonzo Tweedale. District auditor,
and Marshal Nicholson of the fire depart
ment. This time last year Mr.. West esti-
mated that at least $1U5,OW would be ex-
pended in the year ended last June. He
declared then that the time will soon be
reached when the entire amount realized
from the Police Court fines and dog taxes.
the two principal sources of revenue. will
be inadequate to meet the constant drain
upon the pension funds"
Because of this condition of affairs, Mr..
West recommended the appointment of
i
commission made a complete examina-
ton of the pension roll, and in It's report
showed the conditions under which the
pensions were granted.
Estimate of Pension Payments.
1t is estimated that the pension roll for
the next year will amount to nearly $115.-
eco. and if the fines in the Police Court
and the revenue from the dog tags do
not correspondingly increase there is like
ly to be deficiency in the funds unless
the pension boards of the police and the
fire departments are more strict in deal
ing out pensions Mr.. West is bitterly
opposed to the pensioning of f1remen O..
policemen who have been in the District
employ two or three years unless the
seriousness of their physical disa Utilities
warrant it.
Regarding Senator Burkett's statement
IN the senate yesterday about pensions in
the District Mr.. West said today:
with the exception of the data relat-
ing to police and fire pensions in other
Cities. said Commissioner West today.
all the information sought by Senator
Burketts resolution could be furnished
within twenty-four or forty-eight hours.
The pension fund has been a subject to
which l have given very close attention
for some time past. One year ago, upon
my motion, a commission was appointed
condition of every pensoner the amount
awarded and the facts upon which such
allowance was made
Result of Investigation.
LAS a result of this investigation some
improvements in the method of granting
pensions were adopted, notably the appli-
cation to the fire department of the
methods which had been followed in the
~ vii for
pension examined by board of surgeons.
called the attention of the Commits
sioners two years ago to the fact that
there was a constantly increasing drain
upon the pension fund, and that it could
not be met unless new legislation was
enacted. I am heartily in accord with
Senator Burkett's suggestion that the
present makeshift legislation regarding
police and fire pensions be codified into
complete and thorough statute. but l am
not. of course. in favor of aboiishing
these pensions believing that the men in
the police and fire departments whose
duty is constantly hazardous should be
given a pension at the expiration OF
term of faithful service.
Under the present law this term Of
service IL fifteen years. Believing that
the city was entitled to the services of
the policemen for every day of this pc
Rod l secured the adoption of an order
whereby each applicant who underwent
a medical examination for the police
force should fulfill all the physical re-
ouirements of life insurance test. and
no person rejected by the board of police
surgeons has ever secured an appoint
ment.
Serves as Safeguard.
'In this way we have safeguarded the
District against the appointment of per-
sons who might break down in health be-
fore the fifteen years had expired.
THE record shows that many cases
reported favorably upon by the pension
board have been returned by me for fur
Their examination and that every effort
has been made to grant pensions only in
cases where no doubt existed to the
deserving character of the claim for an
allowance. 1t Is possible in the large
number of cases which have been under
consideration that there are one or two
exceptions to this rule, but upon the
whole the administration of the pension
ia, t.