Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-05
COMMITTEE TAKES ACTION
Chamber of Commerce Representa-
tives for Active Campaign.
AGAINST PRIVATE DONATIONS
Believe Latter Scheme Would Afford
Only Temporary Change in
the Situation.

sion fund by private subscription. the
special committee OF the Chamber of
Commerce. having the matter under con-
sideration yesterday. decided to recon-
mend that the chamber inaugurate q
comprehensive campaign to secure the
enactment OF the pension bill prepared
by the Commissioners of the District at
the coming session of Congress.
Convinced that the private sui scription
plan would afford only temporary relief
and probably establish a bad precedent,
the committee decided that legislation Is
the only cure for the situation 1t &C
cordingly will recommend that the cham
Der endeavor to organize the various
forces in the District that have interested
themselves in the pension fund matter
TO the end of bringing all possible pres
sure to bear upon Congress in support of
the Commissioners bill
Wish of Commissioners.
The action of the committee was in
fiuenced by the wishes of the Commits
sioners. who have expressed their dis
approval of the private subscription plan
Chairman William +. Guide of the COM
mittee and Commissioner Rudolph held
q i10dy stitciuOOil, WITCH tie
position of the District heads was fully
explained. The Commissioners made 1T
plain That they favored the legislative
course in preference to all others.
1t Is the plan OF the committee to
ask TOR hearings before the Senate and
House committees during the first week
Of the coming session of Congress- in
an effort to impress on members OF
Congress the necessity for immediate
action to relieve the distriss brought
about hN the present deficit In the
sion fund.
The bill which the committee had
before it yesterday afternoon is the
commissioners bill introduced in the
Senate and House at the last session OF
Congress. and also in the previous Con-
gress. The measure is entitled:
"A bill for the creation of the police
and fremen's relief fund, to provide
for the retirement of members of the
police and fire departments. and to
establish method of procedure for
such retirement
Proposed Sources Of Fund.
The fund is to be derived from the
following sources: All fines imposed by
the District Commissioners upon men,
bers Of the police and fire departments
by way Of discipline: all rewards, pro-
ceeds of gifts and emoluments that
may be received by any member of
said departments for extraordinary
services, except such as may be allowed
TO be retained by members on the ap-
prevail of the Commissioners; all net
receipts and moneys arising from the
sale of unclaimed property in the GUS
tody of the property clerk of the police
department. deduction OF l Y per cent
of the monthly salary of each member
of the police and fire departments, all
fines and forfeitures paid into the Police
Court of the District, except those au-
thoriZed by law to be paid to the Wash
ington Humane Society. ~
1t is also provided that should the po-
lice and firemen's relief fund at any
time be insufficient to defray the pen
sions provided for by law, the Commits
the collector of taxes of the District
to pay into the Treasury of the United
States to the credit of the relief fund.
out of receipts from all licenses other
than the liquor licenses. a sufficient
amount to meet any deficiency in the
fund.
As the provisions for raising the
fund are pretty much the same as un-
der the present law. 1t is almost fore
gone conclusion, it was pointed out last
night that a deficit would occur, as at
present This means that large part
of the pension fund is to be paid out
of the revenues of the District of CO.
lumbia-the taxes paid by citizens Of
the fund will be paid by the federal
government. although the property of
the government Is guarded by both
the police and fire departments of the
District.
Provision for Disability.
A section OF the bill provides that
whenever any officer or member of the
police or FIRE department shall be-
come disabled by injury received. or
disease contracted. in the line of duty
he shall, In addition to his regular
salary. receive his necessary expenses
during the time Of such disability.
Another section provides that should
any officer or member OF these depart
ments become so permanently disabled
through injury or disease contracted In
the line of duty. or. having served for
not less than fifteen years. shall for any
cause become, SO permanently disabled as
to be discharged from the service there
for. he shall be entitled to relief from the
relief fund. in the case of an oncer or
member of the fire department. as ioi-
lows: Chief engineer. sum not to ex-
coed $50 q month: deputy chief engineer
a sum not to exceed $12b month; pat
TALON chief, fire marshal and superin-
tendent of machinery, 500 a month: dep
uty fire marshals and captains $SO
month; neutenants. SIS a month; assistant
Superintendent of machinery, SUD
month: engineers and drivers, 800
month assistant engineers and assistant
drivers $3.50 month: inspectors ana
priyates, $50 a month, and in the case or
an officer or member of the police de-
partment as follows: Major and superin-
tendent a sum not to exceed Slau
month: inspector and assistant super1n-
tendent, 1925 mouth: inspector. 500
month; captain. $50 month. lieutenant,
S75 a month: sergeant. 80 month; pri-
vate, $50 a month
In Case of Death.
In the case OF the death OF any officer
or member Of the police and fire depart
ments In the line of duty, 1t is provided,
his widow. child under sixteen years of
age or dependent parents are to receive
pension, the amount of which is to be
determined by the retiring board provid
cd for In the bill. but in no case Is this
pension to exceed SO a month"; and in
case the widow remarries the pension is to
cease, and when the children attain the
age of sixteen the pension is to cease.
Any officer or member of the police or
fire department who has served for
twenty-five years is to be entitled to re-
tirement on q pension. Also sum not
to exceed SIS Is to be allowed by the
Commissioners 10 pay the funeral ex
penses OF any member of the departments
who may die while in service.
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