Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-07

municipality and contributions from tne
teachers, while IL per cent are mutual
benefit associations entirely financed by
the teachers.
Members of Board of Trade
to Be Enlisted for Pensions
A recommendation strongly urging Con-
gress to enact legislation immed. ately so
as to provide an adequate police and
firemen's pension fund for the District of
/ Columbia will be made to the Board OF
| Trade by its committee on public order
| at the coming annual meeting. November
| IL. Walter A. Brown. chairman of the
public order committee. today filed the
| report and recomme ndat.ons of his COM
| mittee with the president. His action fol-
| lows directly upon the adoption of a
| resolution yesterday at a NEE ing of the
board of directors of the Board of Trade.
when the fight to obtain an adequate
pension fund was unanimously approved.
In his report Mr.. Brown says:
The failure of Congress to approve the
recommendation of this committee. which
| asked that proper measure for the estab-
lishment of an adequate police and hre-
mems pension fund be adopted. has re-
suited in an unfortunate situation in
view of the recent catastrophe caCs ng
| the death of two brave firemen. The pres
ent revenue from the several sources
which by law is set aside by the pension
fund is totally inadequate to meet the re-
quirements. At present there is def
cheney of about $14.Go3. This amount will
be increased unless smea sureS are taken
at once to provide suffi lent sum to pro-
vide for present and future needs.
A Reduction in Efficiency.
aside from the fact that, owing to the
lack of sufficient revenues. the pensions
of widows and children of policemen and
fremen have been often materially re-
duced there Is another serious effect of
the depleted condition of the pension
fund 1t appears that there are a num-
Der of partly disabled and aged men on
the police force who should be retired for
general disability. but they are not. as
the Police department is loath to retire
them SO long there is probability of
their not getting full pensions In this way
the efficiency of the force is weakened by
the inadequa of the pension fund.
1.-The committee is of the opinion that
the present method of raising the fund,
especially that portion which is derived
from the fines in the Police Court. is
wrong in principle, as the policeman max
ing arrests may be indirectly interested
in the fines obtained
The report of the committee on public
order also favors the plan advanced for
separating the excise board and the
board of assessors. 1t is made plain.
however. that there is no criticism of
the present assessors and excise board.
But the opinion is expressed that the
work of the assessors should not be COM
plicated with the excise work.
At the meeting of the board of directors
| of the Board of Trade yesterday motion
was adopted directing the president of
the board to ascertain whether the COM
mittee on public order intended making a
report on the matter to the Board of
Trade at its meeting, November 13. If
the standing committee did not intend to
report, the president was directed to ap-
point a special committee of five to take
immediate action and report to the board
at it's meeting.
Favor United Efforts.
The unanimous opinion of the members
of the board at yesterdays meeting was
that the entire body of citizens should
| unite in an effort to win adequate PEN
sions fer the retired police and firemen
| and their widows and children. The mat
| ter was called to the attention of the
! board by William F. Guide, chairman also
of the special committee of the Chamber
| of Commerce appointed to take up the
| fight for an adequate pension fund.
1 ihC oodiu uii Aot 81 Oi ACSot0 sPC.
officially as favor;ng the so-called Com
missioners bill, which has twice passed
| the Senate. That bill contemplates ra s.
| ing the fund from Police Court fines and
| other means, pretty much as does the
present law, but adds that when any de-
| ficiency arises it is to be made up by
| taking money from the tax collector of
| the District, gathered from all licenses.
| except liquor Licenses. This places the
entire burden of the pension on the citi-
L M no IjSfrtcf
eminent, which receives the benefit of
| the police and fire protection, takes no
share in the fund. This is direct viola
| ton of the half-and-half principle of APP
propriating for the National Capital, laid
down in the organic act of 1878. it was
| pointed out yesterday. The board will
consider the matter carefully before going
on record in favor of any particular
| measure but members of the organiza-
| ton are enthusiastically in favor of the
general principle involved.
Urges Immediate Action.
In VIGOROUS address to the board MIR.
GUIDE pointed out that immed ate action
was necessary. He urged that an appeal
| be made to Congress without delay and If
| possible that legislative action be obtain
| ed before Christmas.
/ Thomas c. Noyes, first vice president,
presided at the meeting yesterday in the
| absence of the president. Gen. George H.
| Harries.
Upon motion of Edward f. Droop the
board appropriated SO Otto the Rivers and
Harbors Congress which meets here De-
cember s. The president was authorized
! to appoint two delegates to represent the
board at the convention.
John Joy Edison. A. p. Pardon. Robert
! N. Harper and H. T. Newcomb were ap-
pointed to represent the board at a con.
| ference during the convention of the Ma
Ia -
| lard Hotel. January IL to 49,
! An appropriation of 500 was author
| lied by the board for additional typewrit
ing on the history of the District of Co.
lumbia, which is being prepared by w B
Bryan.
The following were elected to member.
ship upon recommendation by the mem
bership committee: George r. Ayton
George NJ. Belts, Thomas f. Edmondston
Edward T.. Elicit. George d Frazer
Pinckney j. Harmon. Harvey L. Lowe
Charles p Ravenberg, Gus A. Schuld
and Ogle r. Sing eton.
FIGHT IN PHILADELPHIA.