The Washington herald., 1910-02-01
FUND Low
Widows of Policemen and
Firemen Will Suffer.
DEFICIENCY NEXT MONTH
Heavy slump in Receipts from Pc
lice Court Fines ReapOnsibIe-Bih
BEFORE Congress Provides for Con-
adorable Income in Fund-Commts-
siOners DisapprOve BILL

Widows and orphans Of former police
men and fremen. who have been paid
monthly pension will receive no money
next month or in the subsequent months,
unless Congress makes an appropriation.
II was announced at the District Build
ing yesterday that the fund is practically
exhausted Il was stated that while
there is sufficient money in the fund 10
meet all payments due for the present
month, there will be a large deficiency
next month.
This fund is derived from all police court
fines. dog taxes. and the assessment Of
81 a month made on every policeman and
fremen. Something like $50 q month or
g 500 a year IS contributed by the police
men. $500 monthly, or $4,000 annually by
the firemen, while dog taxes aggregate
annually S90.c00
The monthly payments from this fund
approximate Sll.oo0. paid TO 800 pensioners
widows and orphans-the annual pay
ments aggregating $4,000. There is paid
into the fund annually from policemen and
fremen and from dog taxes. $3.50 leav-
ing a balance of SET, 400 TO be derived from
police court fines.
Explaining the deficiency. It is pointed
out that there has been q heavy slump
in the receipts from police court fines,
due 10 the new vagrancy law, which pro-
vides no fine for the offense Of vagrancy.
Attention Of the Commissioners 10 the
falling off of receipts and the probable
deficiency IN the pension fund was called
yesterday by Auditor Alonzo Tweedale.
There is a bill before Congress which,
II enacted into a law. would add a con-
siderable income TO the pension fund. II
provides that the "policemen's fund, -
the "fremen's fund" and the police
court fund" shall be designated as the
police and fremen's fund into which
shall be paid all fines imposed upon po-
licemen and fremen under discipline, all
rewards received by members Of the de-
partments. all moneys derived from the
sale OF unclaimed property, all fines and
forfeitures in police court, and one dol
lar a month, to be paid by policemen and
fremen.
It further provides and authorizes the
Commissioners that at any time the pen
sion fund shall be insufficient to pay pen
sioners the Commissioners shall direct
the collector of taxes to transfer to the
pension fund from receipts Of any or all
licenses. except liquor Licenses. a sum
sufficient to make up the deficiency. The
old Board Of Commissioners approved
the bill.
Recently there came up for the Com
missiOners' consideration the pension
ing. under a special bill presented TO
Congress- at $50 a month for life, these
veteran firemen Thomas c. Elwood,
William D. Buckler. Gustas Dunbar.
| George E. Weird, John s. Brent, Of En-
CINE Company No. I; Walter Cox and
James Barron, Of No. 3, and Joseph Will
| Jams. former fire Commissioner under
Mayor Sayles J. Bowen, from 1868 to 1870,
which the Commissioners disapproved,
saying:
"As this fund is made up in part by the
deduction Of 81 from the monthly salary
of each policeman and fireman, and as
the proposed benefciaries of this bill
| have not contributed anything TO the
fund, IT is not believed the provisions
should be made to pension them out of
| II. While the Commissioners have no OBJ
| lection in particular to the granting OF
a pension to the persons named in the
bin. they feel compelled TO recommend
that If provision be made for their pen
sions it be by appropriation from some
other source than the police and fire.
mems fund.-