Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-03-06

| continuous. If we lind that i'm certain
| departments the standard of service
requires q special physical or mental
| Sirain. then this fact should be>recog-
ni>ed through the advancement Of the
| retiring gc. Ii n man. say, a fireman
IS injured his pension should begin NJ
once. His work should be- done under
| especially Favorable circumstances
| such as setting forward his term of re-
| tircmcnt Mon should not be obliged
| tn GiNe anything from their salaries in
order to meet the risk of accident.
AS in the case of industry. society
| should bear the whole burden .! acci
| dent i'll its service New York City
! through It's taxes should foot this bill.
Would you apply that principle Ia
| the Old age pensions or would you ex-
| pect the hencticiaricS Ia contribute. -
| asked the caller.
I'm the case Of tho odd age pension
we rccomGeni that the heHctciarica
| pay something Themselves, as is now
done by mon in the Police Department.
| for Instance"
Il na,r The present system 0f pen
SONS in the Police and Fire depart
mentS are there not men on the pen
sion rolls who APE still efficient. suiiici-
| entity so at any rate. t. take other po-
siJinns upon leaving the active service
of the city"
The voluntary retiring age in the
Poiicc Department is tifty-tivc years.
provided the man has had twent,'
years of service, while man may be
eompulsorily retired without proof o.
ha t,fx In, Il,
commercial world the age of retire
meAt is usua'ly sixty-tive years. The
difference, perhaps. is due in part to
recognition 70 the hazard involved i'll
the performance of duty In the Fir9
Department Il man may retire after
twenty wears of service there being no
age Limit. 1t Would be possible. there
fore for = man who became It fireman
at the age Of tWenty-enn to retire at
the age of forty-one. in the prime of
life. and when, perhaps, hest fitted for
the performance of his duties
at the present time remarked the
Tribune man. the retirement pension
is based on the salary 1T the date of
retirement, and according to the stat
ute it may not be less than ohe-half,
which might be interpreted to mean
the whole
THAT is true. In industrial enter
prises pensions are not based on the
salary or wages at the age of retire
ment. but en- the average OF earnings
for five or ten years previous. It is
better to go upon the average than to
take an income extending over pc
riod of six months, say, and ii some
times happens that man is promoted
lust before retirement with the ihten-
ton of giving him a higher pension.
1t does not work Il hardship To take
the average. for a man receiving a
given income over a period OF years
establishes a standard OF living that
will not change quickly. We aim at
fairness to the public and TO the ser
want of tho public as we'll. and would
eliminate The possibility of abuse of
the rights of either.
What is the practice in Europe:
"Ia Germany the city is elassed as
anv other employer The same obti-
cations rest upon the city in relation
10 its employees as rest upon the IN
dustrv of the country. Employer and
emnloye and the national government
contribute u lilt9 lhiiis Nv ''A''f
auira insurance against old age. The
plan apparently, is doing tremendous
good in developing the economic re-
sources Of the country. / thlhk 'er-
many is solving the poverty propiein'
France is not as far advanced as tier
many. l think French legislation VIII
follow as closely as possible German
legislation. Last spring, if remember
corrf CITY. France adopted an old age
neusIOn system by which persons We're
to be paid to all having the income pc
low 5000 a year. This was 10 ne Pal"
partly by the employers, partly by the
wage earners, and the government was
+, contribute So francs Il YEAR TO c1cli
beneficiary. Tha maximum amount OF
any pension is $50 francs. The p"lleF
oc England is the reverse. under
stoald that in England the government
contributes the whole amount. 1t IS
NOT large and it applies only to people
having an income below a certain
amount. It is usually. I think. to re-
place the poorhouse system, ana IL u
relieved will ultimately cost no moro
than the expense of maintaining poor
houses. Every one | saw in Ehglah"
smoke very favorably OF the economic
value of the pension system. 1t may
pe possible however. that / talked
only with members of the poiltica'
party favoring it. -
I'm our study of the situation Ne"
York Citys specific problem has heeh
our point Of view. We think the "loie
pension system in this city shonio pe
under the control of one department
IN be known as the pension or rctirihs
board. or having some such name
This would mean an economical ao-
n,inistration. There should pe
change in the method of securing tnc
funds. At present they are on'aiiie"
from many sources, such as eNeiSe'
fines. etc, which are hidden from 'he
nub,ic. All such revenues ought 10 De
turned directly into the city treasury
and n sum set aside in the budget TOT
the pensions.
Andrew Carnegie said:
THE policy of granting pensions ior
those who have given long years OF
faithful service has been fully vihdi-
Gated. There can be no question nut
that II results in improved relations