Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-07
OPPOSE KAHN BILL
Commissioners Object to Pen
sioning Old Firemen.
THINK 1T BAD PRECEDENT
Other Reasons Also Given in Report
to Chairman Johnson Of Dis
trict Committee.


| no financial obligation upon the District.
| the Commissioners, in a report today to
| Chairman johnson of the House District
| committee, recommend adverse action on
the bill Of Representative julius Kahn of
| California providing for the pensioning
| Of certain members of the fire department
| who served under the administration OF
| Mayor Sayles ]. Bowen during the years
1858 to 1870. inclusive.
| The bill provides that the proposed
pensioners, OF whom there are ten, snail
be paid each at the rate Of $50 month
during the remainder Of their IVES
money for that purpose to be appropriat-
ed out Of funds in the United states
| Treasury. In their report the Commits
sioners say that there 10 nothing IN the
| bill to guarantee that the proposed pen
| sioners will not, at some time. become
charge upon tho dremen's pension funo.
Furthermore" states the report N
| the Commissioners were 70 recolne1 ~
the precedent which the bill proposes TO
set. they could not consistently. with sucn
recommendation, refuse to act lavoraniy
upon proposals to extend pension reneI
| to any honorably discharged members Oh
the fire department. no matter now re-
mote their period Of service. NOR are
they certain whether the persons men
toned in the bill are the only surviving
members Of the old fire departments Oh
| the city Of Washington or of Georgetown
Call Provision Incompatible.
1.-THE Commissioners note that the bill
under consideration proposes to pay the
claimants out Of any unappropirated
money in the Treasury Of the United
States This is so incompatible with the
provision for the payment Of existing
pensions, which arc essentially a charge
upon the revenues of the District OF Co
lumbia, that they feel 1t their duty to
call your especial attention to 1t.
among the sources Of the present pen
sion fund is deduction of 81 every
month from the salary Of each policeman
and fireman. AS the proposed bene-
lciaries Of this bill have not contributed
anything to this fund. 1t Is obvious that
pensions payable wholly or partly out or
it. This fund is inadequate to meet the
demands already current upon It,.
Referring to the principle governing
pension payments. the commissioners
say:
The principle upon which the policy
| of allowing pensions to f1remen is based
is that the beneticiaries become eligible 10
such gratuity by reason OF injury or IN
trinity incurred in the line Of duty as
such, which subjects them to DISCHARGE
| for disability and, in case Of their death,
| to the extension of such reilef to tnelI
widows. minor children and dependent
| widowed mothers. There Is nothing OF
record before the Commissioners to show
that the proposed beneticiaries OF this
bill were disabled in the line OF duty as
members of the fire department.
ION the contrary, 1t seems to the Com
missioners that ii the services Of these
beneficiaries entitled them to a pension,
as claimed, it was the duty of the for
| mer municipal government Of the city OF
Washington, which was cotemporaneous
It'll too n 81.
charge the public obligation to them in
| that respect
The benefciaries named in the Kahn
| bill are William D. Buckler, Gustus Dun
| bar George E. Ward and John s. Brent
| Of engine company No. 1; Julius Strobel
and Lemuel D. Weeden of engine COM
pany No. and Walter Cox and James
o. Barron Of engine company No. ).