The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-05-15
LIFE SAVERS MAY
GET RECOGNITION
Secretary MacVeagh Plans
Complete Reorganization
of the Service.
BILL HAS BEEN DRAFTED
TWO PROPOSITIONS REGARDED
AS OF IMPORTANCE.
BILL HAS BEEN DRAFTED
Especial to The Herald-Republican.)

Especial TO Inc Herd1O-fSepu
Washington, May 14--With the re-
organization Of the various branches
of the treasury department, announce
ment is to be made shortly OF a COM
plete reorganization OF the NE say
ing service Not only does Secretary
MacVeagh Of the treasury consider That
this service Is a most important one,
but he has taken steps Tor It's I'M
be introduced in Congress which II
passed will place the service on pen
sion basis. The bill contemplates two
propositions; first TO create q retlTeu
list for superintendents OF life saving
districts keepers of live saving sta
lions and members OF life saving crews
constituting the field force OF the ser
vice; and second, to provide a gradu-
ated scale of increase in salaries for
the same officers and men. oaseo Oh
length of service.
Worth Consideration.
In speaking of the subject Mr. Mac
Veagh said: 1T think some such proVl-
sion is indispensable TO a thoroughly
| efficient service because Of the reluc-
/ tance of superior officers 10 deprive OIL
their means TO support worthy SupoI.
years of their lives in the faithful ser
vice OF the government. Justice poth
| TO the employees and to the puolc ser
| vice demands IT. Our nation. notwlth,
| Branding its reputed great wealth and
| liberality in expenditures, Is the oniE
one of the leading nations or the worId
| that has not made some provision %
| This kind for employees who have be-
| come fncapa citated in its service Inc
trend OF public sentiment In this olrec-
ton in our country is unmistakabie, as
| shown by the action Of our great. uni
! versitfes our principal municipalities
and many Of our large corporations. SC
| generally Is this course being adoptec
by large corporations. SO generahy y
this course being adopted by our oes'
managed railroads and other progress.
sive and powerful corporations, tha'
the conclusion seems irresistible ina
IL has not been dictated by consloerd'
fione OF humanity alone, but is re
rarded as a sound economic and bust
ness policy"
A record OF events has shown ina
similar measures have been introduced
in Congress during the last 50 years
In 1883 a bill granting pensions 70 Ger.
tain officers and enlisted men OF INT
live saving service was UNANIMOUSLY
renorted from the Committee on pen
sions OF the House. as was one seVera
years later, but neither measure
reached a vote. A contention ntln Sl..
advanced by some members OF Con
gress in opposition to such a measure
is that the granting OF retirement pen
i gions to the life saving service Woui'
operate as an entering weoge IA IN
fit OF the civil employees OF the gov
| ernment generally, and their oppositlol
to the admission of this principle lin
| massage of a bill increasing the com
pensation OF the field force OF tn
According to a carefully computes
table. Secretary MacVeagh shows tina
| the Increased cost of maintaining tn
service by the enactment OF retire
ment bill. based on the present actGa
force OF the service, would be. Tor IN
retirement feature alone, s11S,0OV. an
for the longevity increase or pay sz4S,
700 per annum.
Non-Parfisan Service.
Under the provision of 8 congress
sional act OF May 4, 1882, Secretar
/. was made strictly a non-partisan serv
! Ice BY reason OF this fact 1t Is DER
pite1y removed from the field OF Pc
!. liticaI patronage, and the dutieN OF IL
employees, being of an unusually arou
2 Gus and dangerous nature. the seIVi !:
self to the public mind as deservin
4 OF a pension for its disabled ana super
ANIMATED members
Data op file ct the treasury depart
? meat shows that the dangerous na
: ture of the service, risk OF death, II
! Jury and disease incurred by the lii
+ saver, is not less than that of the Uni
: ed States soldier or sailor. While IN
life saver is IN much less danger !
:. time Of actual war, he is more so
time of peace. Extra hazard is IL
i Cured by the soldier and sailor ON
perils of the life saver run throug
' | the entire period of peace as well 9
war. Every enlistment OF the III
: saver is entered with the certainty
! exposure to extraordinary DANCE
: while the vast majority of those VII
enlist In the army or navy do so VIII
!. scarcely a prospect of mourning tn
toa