The Washington herald., 1911-11-13
PENSION REMEDY
FOUN D I'm. BILL
TO BE SUBMITTED
Would Guard Against Fur
ther Deficiency.

Providing for the payment of fire and
police pensions from an appropriation
to be included in the District estimates
in addition to the money raised an
pually by levy of Ia per cent of the
salaries of members of the two depart
ments, a tentative bill has been pre-
pared by William F. Guide, chairman of
the Chamber of Commerce special COM
mittee, and Walter A Brown, chairman
of the Board of Trade committee on
public order. The bill, which was pre-
pared following two-hour conference
between the chairmen, will be presented
to the Commissioners. 1t is hoped the
Commissioners will accept it as sub
stitute for the measure they submitted
to Congress last spring.
WOULD MEET OBJECTIONS.
The new bill was designed by Messrs.
GUIDE and, Brown, with q view to over
coming the objections registered both
! against the present law and the bill pre-
scented by the Commissioners. Against
the present law the principal objection
is the failure to provide for adequate
pensions for the two departments, in that
no provision is made for the caring for
! the deficiency when the sources Of reve-
nue. prove inadequate. A second objec-
ton is found against utilizing OF Police
Court fines to swell the pension funds.
The Commissioners bill makes no
change In the means OF raising the reve-
nue. beyond increasing the contributions
| from salaries OF members from a nat
rate of Sl2 year 10 q pro rata basis of
| H per cent. 1t provides further that
| any deficiency may be made up out Of
moneys raised from all licenses except
| liquor licenses. The passage Of this bill
would mean that the District would be
| called upon to bear the entire expense
from the police aud firemen's pensions.
BY providing that the policemen and
| f1remen's pension fund shall be paid out
Of the annual appropriation. half from
the revenues Of the District and half
from moneys In the United States Treas
ury not otherwise expended, the new
bill overcomes all the objections offered
against the present law and the measure
prepared by the Commissioners.
Trade Bodies to Act.
II is probable the new bill will go tn
the Commissioners with the Endorsement
CT the Board of Trade and Chamber Of
Commerce. The Chamber meets tonight
and the Board tomorrow night. Neither
Mr.. Brown nor Mr.. GUIDE will 5eopardize
/ the promised unity of action on the part
of civic and commercial leadersNin behalf
! of the policemen and f1remen. II oppo-
sition develops in the Board Of Com
missioners against the haK-in-half fea-
| ture Of payment, II is believed the au-
thors Of the proposed bill viii withdraw
their measure in favor Of that prepared
| by the Commissioners.
Mr.. GUIDE has taken this stand en-
phatically, saying that he wanted pen
sions for the police and flremen, and
If he couldn't get> them one way he
would be willing to take them another.
Mr.. Brown has indicated that this, too,
would be his attitude.
William NICK. Clayton. president Of the
Federation OF Citizens Associations,
says his organization will not oppose
the full payment of pensions by the Dis
| trict or the use Of Police Court fines for
that purpose, II pensions are to be OBJ
| tanned under no other condition, though
Mr.. Clayton says his organization is
strongly in favor OF the plan provided
in the Gude-Brown bill.
Chief WaEner's Views.
Fire Chief Wagner believes that the
government is under as great an obi
cation to bear a share of the police and
fremen's pension fund as It is to pay
half Of the salary roll for the two de-
partments.
THE government occupies a large num-
! Der of structures in the District that
were built by private enterprise and rent
ed to the dhcerent departments or bu-
reaus," he said last night. Many OF
these structures not only are not fire.
| proof, but are not even fre-resistinR.
Many are veritable fire-traps, excellent
examples of the kind Of building in which
a fire is most dangerous to fight. There
is one building In F street, occupied by
a branch of one Of the departments. IN
l which no less than five fires have oc-
! CURED in as many years.
Il Il knew the bill prepared by the COM
missioners did not contain the half-fn-
half feature. don't know why they
failed to make this provision, unless II
was because they feared fatal opposition
! to bill drawn otherwise The aIl-im-
| portant thing is to get adequate pen
sions for the police and firemen. AS to
| the method; well, let the end justify the
: means"