Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-08
BOSSES Will C0NfERI TO PAY PENSION DEBT
Democratic Leaders in Mary District to Distribute $4,000
land to Solve Problem. OF Police Fund.
FRAMING OF THE PLATFORM DUE FOR MANY YEARS
State Enough Cash Meet Obligation
tmore Wednesday. When Due.
WAKEFIELD CONTRACTED FROM 1894 TO 1895
Age
Former Gov Brown-Judical Anou to
amed. Them
District to Distribute SIS, 900
of Police Fund.
DUE FOR MANY YEARS
Not Enough Cash to Meet Obligation
When Due.
FROM 1894 TO 1895
Children, Now Of Age, to Receive
Amounts Allotted to
Them.

About 5000 now In the pension fund
OF the police department is soon to be
distributed to about seventy-fve pension
ers of the department., under act passed
by the last Congress and approved
March 4.
Following an opinion Of the controller
OF the Treasury, recently submitted to the
Commissioners, regarding the beneficiaries
under the act, District Auditor Tweedale
yesterday completed a list Of those to
whom the money is due 1t yesterday re-
ceived the approval OF Commissioner
West.
When the recommendation has been
concurred in by the other Commissioners
the money will be distributed as soon as
each beneficiary proves his claim.
This money has been owing to the pen
siOners since 1896. For about two years
prior to that time the balance In the pen
sion fund was exceedingly low-so low. In
fact, that all the claims against the fund
could not be met.
After that condition had existed for
some time Congress provided that the
fines of the Police Court and the receipts
from the sale of dog tags should go into
the pension fund. That enabled the Conn.,
the fund. But the monthly payments
which became due during the two years
that the fund was low remained unpaid.
Provision by Congress.
The last Congress passed an act which
provided:
THAT the amount withheld from PEN
sioners Of the police fund on account
OF deficiencies in said fund during the
period from June !. 1894. to May 81, 1893.
Is authorized to be paid, and the Com
missioners Of the District Of Columbia
are hereby authorized and directed to
adjust and settle all claims for said de-
fciencies in the payment of allowances
made by them to pensioners OF said po-
lice fund.
I'm case of death Of any beneficiary
under the provisions Of this bill the
amount due such beneficiary shall be paid
to the legal representative thereof"
Auditor Tweedale raised the question
as to whom these deferred payments
been granted for children Of deceased
policemen and the children had since at
tanned their majority there was q nice
question as to whether the deferred pay
ments should be paid to the widow, as
guardian, as would have been done had
the payments been made at the time they
were due. or to the children now In their
majority.
Children to Get Money.
Controller Tracewell decided in favor
of the children, declaring they should
get the money if they have attained
their majority.
The auditor says this act has been
construed to authorize the settlement and
payment of these pension claims from
any revenues remaining to the credit OF
the police pension fund after payment
Of the current PENSIONS says Controller
Tracewell. II assume that you have al
your command an amount in said fund
adequate to make payment of all arrears
OF such pensions between the dates men,
toned In said act.
This act does not provide for the
payment of q gratuity, but of legal de-
mands against said fund, and l doubt
very much the necessity for said act.
Such act Is congressional recognition
and provides where q beneficiary under
1t has died that the amount due him
shall be paid to his legal representatives.
The auditor sets out a sample order
of how these pensions were granted,
which reads:
That Mary E. Blaisdell. widow Of j.
w. Blaisdell, late private Of the metro
politan police force. is hereby granted q
pension of $50 a month during such wild
owhood, and 81, S.. 81, IS, Sc and $40
per month, respectively, to the children.
James L.. Samuel F., Ernestine NJ. John
Wesley. Edna A. and Chesley w. Bais-
dell, until they are sixteen years Of age.
All to take effect January 10. 1894
"All the children mentioned in said or
der. except one. have arrived at the age
Of twenty-one years. The question you
submit is to whom Should the deferred
payments of the pension granted to these
children be paid.
"A specific pension was granted to the
children. and also a specified pension
granted to the widow. 1t might have been
granted to the widow for her support
and the support of her minor children,
but it was not so granted.
while it Is true that the widow in this
case may have supported these children
during their minority and without the
aid of this pension. yet If she did. this
was a moral duty, and can give her no
legal right to a pension granted to them
co nomfne. If 1t had been paid monthly
it would have been paid to her. not as the
widow under this order, but as guardian.
and to be accounted for by her to the
court in which such guardianship was
pending.
1T would seem to be legally certain
that you are only authorized to pay these
deferred payments of pensions to the per-
sons to whom granted, if now of legal
age and If not to their guardians"