The Washington times., 1911-10-16
REMEDY.SOUGHT. TO
MEET SHORTAGE IN
FIRE PENSION FUND
Commissioners Unable to
!, Pay Full Benefits to
iIt,s Stricken Families.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

Z. (COntlnueu HSt uBS'f
{ for the fire and police pension fund
10 the fines collected at Police Court.
! Time and time again they have been
proved insufficient. The double de-
rAand made now by the death toll OF
the fire, only repeats what has been
i known before. AS the case stands to-
+ day. only a wave Of petty crime. with
I, its attendant fines. can replenish the
i depleted fund.
Fire Chief In Tears.
'.rhis thing has made me sick.' said
Fire Chief Frank J. Wagner, with tears
\ ir his eyes. this morning. Il can't help
but think every minute Of the families
Z of these two unfortunate men. And'
then. TO think that they will only get
= rart of the pension money that Is due
Sthem. / don't see how we can ask or
expect men to Join the department and
:. risk their lives when they have nc as
surance that their families will be prop
eriy looked after in case Of death. The
SALARIES are too small to expect them
to save anything"
children. He also was the sole support
of his aged father and mother, and now
that he is dead, they have no one TO de-
rsnd upon; ev The largest IS ,e peri alowcd Is
, S35 Of which she will only receive part
J. next month. 49,,
Chief Wagner will recommend that at
the two men to defray funeral ex-
penses. but II there is no money in
the treasury this can not be paid.
About two years ago Downs drop
ped out of the firemen's relief asso-
citation, an organization among the
+ members of the department which
pays. $1,000 in case a,,s OF ofsssrs death;
~ xrfa tn
back in. the association several times,
| but he said his other expenses Were
I such every month that he could not
Captain Brown leaves a wife and
association and 500 already has been
turned over to Mrs. Brown for imme-
diate use. The remainder will be Civ,
en- her after the funeral. This fund
is entirely separate from the pen
sion fund.
Need of Pension Fund.
"T hope this will impress upon Con-
gress the urgent necessity for passing
the relief and retirement fund meas
ure at the coming session." said Com
missioner Rudolph this morning
Such a condition is deplorable, and
Congress- should be brought to a reali.
( xation Of the situation"
nfteen. Chief Wagner will recon.
mend to the pension board when II
meets the latter part Of this week
that she be allowed the maximum
pension Of $50 for herself and $2S fol
the children. AS each child reaches
the age Of sixteen 81. will be cut from
the total amount.
The nrst offer of aid to, the stricken
Il, families from a source outside tn,
Wre Department was made today
when A. c. Mayer, manager of tn
" Lyceum Theater, called on the Com
missioners, and offered the use o
his theater for benefit performance
on as many Sunday nights as woul,
be necessary to make up the de
hciency in the pension fund.
II don't think the business men O
Washington should wait for Congress
to convene" said Mr.. Mayer. ."It |
the firemen who protect our interest
and property and in a case of thi
Kind where immediate aid is needr
+. think 1t is up to the people to com
to the front. I offer my theater 10
as long as thew want it,"
Among the letters received by Chic
wagner from prominent business me-
was the following frcm Isaac Cans
manager of Saks & Co.:
. II could not help Noticing how> neces
sary II Is that the firemen and police
mems pension fund should be given tn
most careful consideration by the Wash
ington public. and assure you that
snail use nv best endeavors to see tina
the pension fund is given considerable
by putting same before the Cha mber o
Commerce and also the committee O