Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-08-27
SEEK SYSTEM OF RETIREMENT
FOR MEMBERS OF THE
SERVICE.
WILL ASK CONGRESS
TO PENSION VETERANS
Legislation Already Enacted, In In.
creasins Pay and Ration Allowance
Has 6ettered the service-Members
Of Crews Poorly Paid-vast Amount
Of Property Saved Annually by Men.
Especial Correspondence,

Especial Correspondence
Washington, Aug. 27-Next winter is
expected to see a revival of the effort
in congress to get further legislation
for the benefit of the United States
life-saving service. For years, the Of
ficials of the life-saving service have
been working to get congress to au-
thorize a system of retirement, such
as the army and the navy now has the
aid of.
Despite the fact they have put for
ward many sound arguments for re-
tirement system, congress has been
loath to act in the matter and has al
ways turned a deaf ear to the pleas
made in behalf of the gallant surf
men and keepers who man the life
saving stations all along the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts andthe shores of the
Great Lakes and annually save many
lives and prevent the loss of many mil
lions OF dollars of property.
Congress Raises the Pay.
Over a year ago, congress passed an
act which has done some benefit to the
life-saving service. 1t advanced the
pay of keepers from 5000 to $1,000
year; gave the number one surfman,
next in rank to the keeper, $40 per
month instead of $65; and allowed to
all, keepers and surfmen, one ration
day, or, in the discretion of the sec
rotary of the treasury, communication
thereof at the rate of 80 cents per
ration. This allowance Of a ration
means about $40 per month more to the
surfmen.
Effect of Legislation Good.
The effects of this meager legislation
for the service have been good, accord
ing to General Superintendent S. 1.
Kimball. He says the contentment of
the crews has been promoted and 1t
has attracted recruits, enabling the
service to make a better selection OF
surfmen. In past seasons, there has been
a great deal of difficulty in keeping the
crews full. This season, 1t is found to
be much easier and the crews of the
different stations are more nearly fill
ed than has been the case in seasons
before the increase of pay was allowed
Grows Poorly Paid.
AS a matter Of fact, however, the
surfmen and keepers are still made
auately paid considering the nature Of
the services required of them and con-
sidering the value Of the duties they
perform 1t is the belief OF those most
familiar with the subject and with the
exacting life of the men in the sta
lions of the life-saving service that no
other men in the government service
are so poorly recompensed as they.
They receive low wages in the first
place and have to pay for their CLOTH
ing and two out Of three rations day
in the second place. Until the recent
legislation, they had to pay for all
their own rations.
Veterans Fare Badly.
The recruits under the existing leg
islation do not fare as badly as the
veteran life-savers. The number Of the
old-timers is quite large. They drop
rapidly from the ranks, being unable.
as age comes on, to stand up to the
rack and take the hard knocks re-
quired of the surfman in a time OF
trial. At best, as the situation stands,
they can receive but two years dis
ability pay, at the end Of which time,
according to an official report Of Cap
tain Kimball on the subject, many OF
them inevitably become dependent on
| public or private charity.
Good Times Depletes Force.
One thing that has served to help
keep the crews of the life-saving serv
| ice filled has been the depressed
times. With many men out Of work,
| it has not been very difficult to get
enough to man most of the crews. 1t
has been the same way in the army.
But now that good times are wax
ing, 1t is likely that many Of the men
will drop out as soon as their terms of
enlistment end. AS rule, the men in
the life saving crews are of the class
that can earn good wages in other
lines Of effort. They have to be in
good physical condition and also So
Der and intelligent, and of good habits
generally.
Service Widely Extended.
The extent of the life-saving serv-
ice is not generally realized. 1t has a
are on the Atlantic and gulf coasts;
sixty-one are on the coasts of the
great lakes; and eighteen on the Pa
| CHIC COAST. Ine SuTMneu anu keepers
number about 1000.
Save Millions in Property.
But the extent Of the service done
by the life saving service is out of
proportion to the number Of men en-
ployed. In the year 1908, the value OF
the property saved by the service was
ISL, 900, $50. Five hundred and sixty
two persons were saved. The number
of vessels involved in wrecks in the
field Of life-saving operations was L.
094. OF these but fifty-six were totally
lost. These vessels involved in wrecks
had on board 5,713 persons. Twenty
two only were lost.
To understand the magnitude and
Importance of the operations Of the
life-saving service, however, one should
turn to the general summary Of oper-
ations since the introduction Of the
present life-saving system, from 1871
to 1908, that no less than SILL ,124, 03:
in property has been saved by the
valiant crews of the life-saving serv.
ice.