Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-06
Firemen Also See Objections
to Pending Pension Bill.
GIVES THEM NO GUARANTEE
Annuity Likely to Be Reduced OF
Taken Away at Any Time.
AT MERCY OF COMMISSIONERS
Retired Men Also Subject to Call fog
Service in Emergency,
Without Pay.

Strenuous objections are being made By
members Of the police department agains,
the pension bill which was recently re-
ported to the House Of Representatives
by the District committee. The bill doe,
not seem to meet the approval of many
members Of the force. and. IL is stated
many members OF the fire department are
also opposed to il.
1T Is worse than any bill that would
be passed in Russia" was the comment
OF a member of the police department
today The provisions of the bill are
such that a man receiving a pension
would always be at the mercy of the
commissioners. His pension might bt
reduced or taken from him at any time
and although retired for disability he
could be forced to perform duty without
compensation
Inc bill. as reported, states that the
proposed fund shall be known as the POI
lice and firemen's relief fund 1t is Il
consist of all fines imposed by the Com,
missioners upon members of the police
and fire departments by way of disci
pine; all rewards. proceeds Of gifts anG
emoluments that may be received for ex.
traordinary services Except such as the
commissioners may allow to be retained
money received from the sale of unclaim
ed and abandoned property. deduction
of ~ per centum Of the salaries of mem
bers OF the two departments and fine.
and forfeitures collected at the Police
Court.
Provisions for Deficit.
1t is also provided that should there be
an insufficient sum to defray the expenses
under the provisions of the bill at any
time the collector Of taxes is to deposit
in the Treasury of the United States, to
the credit Of the pension fund out Of the
receipts from licenses. other than liquo,
licenses. sufficient amount to meet The
deficiency. The bill contains the usua
provision for the payment of S75 for
funeral expenses OF members of the de-
partments and makes an extra provision
for the payment Of expenses of members
who suffer injury or contract disease IL
the line Of duty. The amounts Of pen
sions range from $50 a month for the
chief engineer OF the fire department and
superintendent Of police. to $50 a month
for privates in the departments. Widows
and children under sixteen years Of age
are also provided for.
Any member OF either department
who has served the District twenty,
five years and has reached the age o.
sixty years Is entitled to retirement
under the provisions Of the measure
Objection is offered by some police.
men who have served more thar
twenty-five years. but who are moi
within several years Of the sixty-yeaI
age limit.
Unfair to Younger Men.
cit simply means that a man whe
was thirty-five years old when he en-.
tered the service Of the department
is to get what the younger men will
not get" said one of the older mem.
bers OF the department today. 1.-THE
law should not contemplate making
such a difference. A man who gives
up the best years of his life should be
accorded as good treatment as those
who make start later in life"
Section . of the proposed law specifies
how the retiring board shall be constitut-
ed and gives the Commissioners power to
approve. disapprove or modify the find
ings of the boaro. The decision Of the
Commissioners is to be final.
What is the use Of having a retiring
board If the Commissioners have the
power to overturn the findings?" asked
one Of the policemen who is opposed to
the measure. "It means that the Com
missioners may reduce a pension from
500 to 81 II they Sd desire, and such pow
er, in my opinion, would cause a feeling
of unrest among the members and make
mal.y OF the better policemen feel that
they would like to quit their jobs IL
policemen feel they have no security the
best work Is hardly to tie expected Of
them
Policemen seriously object to the pro.
visions of section Z of the proposed act.
Under this section the pensioners mas
have to undergo an examination every
two years to enable the Commissioner.
to determine II their pensions should be
increased or decreased. Failure to undergo
such examination. it is provided, may
result in a reduction of the pension OF
it's discontinuance. IL the Commission
erS are given power TO decrease the pen
sions. it is argued by those who are op.
posed TO the measure, the pensioners will
never feel secure and elderly men who
are fast nearing their graves will live il
fear of being driven to the almshouse.
Duty Without Pay.
Pensioners who have been convicted Of
crimes involving moral turpitude or
where the retiring board finds they are
habituaI drunkards or guilty of lewd and
lascivious conduct may have their PEN
sions taken from them. Section is also
subject to objection by those who do NOT
favor the bill. Section provides that
any such retired officer or member of the
police or fire department in time Of flood.
riot. great fires, during extraordinary as.
semblages or unusual emergencies may
be called by the head Of the respective
department into the service of the Dis
trict police or fire force for such duty az
his disabilities will permit of his per-
as ascertained and certified by
the retiring board, without compensation
therefor.
Just imagine the lame. the halt and
he blind being called from their humble
homes to perform duty in case Of riot
food. fire. extraordinary assemblages or
emergencies the policeman
suggested.
When a man is placed on the retired
ist," he added, The has gained the re-
-irement He has paid for it, and in
many instances dearly so. and why
should he be called upon for gratuity?
It is the wish of most of the competent
Nolicemen that the HI do not pa s. II
nay be all right for those higher Ut, but
Tot for those who belong to the rank and
lie OF the department"
Woman Fined as Smuggler.
TRENTON. n. j.. June Ga fine Of
$1,000 was imposed today by Judge
i'm the United States court or
uyifa 30