Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-29
WITH HARSH WORDS
Representative Mann Criti-
ciSes District Pension Bill.
DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE
Measure Sharply Characterized as q
Confidence Game"
TEACHERS PENSIONS SCORED
Attack on the Commissioner
islation Provides for Raising
Fund by Direct Taxation.
DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE
TEACHERS PENSIONS SCORED

After Representative Redf1eld Of New
York had asked the House to pass his
Dill for the completion of the firemen's 8
and policemen's pension fund by direct
taxation on real estate: after Representa-
tive Mann of Illinois had termed the pen
sion fund confidence game" and had
termed the teachers retirement fund a
fraud" Representative Sherley Of Ken
lucky threw the House of Representa-
tives into violent debate by Offering to
allow the District of Columbia to settle
the entire matter by recourse to a refer
endum vote.
Representative Sherley wants to allow
the District to hold an election at which
all taxpayers over twenty-one years of
age. men and women, may vote on the
question of whether or not they want to
tax themselves so as to prevent deficien-
cies in the District pension fund every
year.
Representative Redheld's bill makes the
the pension fund shall be made UP by
direct tax on property In the District
and that the United States shall pay
nothing The organic act found little or
no support on the floor Of the House dur
ing this discussion at the time The Stars
report closed.
Mr.. Sherley Advocates Amendment.
When Representative Sherley intro
duced his amendment calling for ref
erendum vote he said
THE provisions of this act call for a
tax on the people of the District. 1 be-
hot <bo
fective until all property owners should
have a chance to vote on it. 1t is a kind
OF referendum We are all famiiiar with
in the states.
This bill is for a specific purpose
which is easily understood and it could
be easily decided by such a vote
Representative Hammill Of New Jersey
asked a question:
Does the gentlemen from Kentucky
want the District of Columbia to hold an
election to find out whether it should pay
its honest debts?"
Representative Cooper. an insurgent
from Wisconsin. then asked a question.
do I understand the gentleman from
Kentucky Is In favor of the referendum?'
YES" said Mr.. Sherley; and Mr.. Cooper
having thus placed democrat In favor
Of the referendum, sat down apparently
satisfied.
Representative Oldfield gained the floor
at noon today and asked to have a dis
CuS6lOH on MS Dill.
+ Pensions for Police and Firemen.
| This BILL said Representative Red
field. 'fs one to provide suncient pen-
sions for iremen and police The pen
sons are already authorized. The bill
simply attempts to provide a way to get
money for those pensions. There is no
money to pay these pensions. One hum
dred and eleven widows on one roll and
forty-1ve widows on another are receiv-
ing 60 per cent only Of their rightful pen
sion. because no money exists.
THE fund has grown smaller and pen-
sions larger. The funds are SO small
there is deficiency Of $4,000.
THE committee has unanimously
agreed to report this bill, which provides
that the fund be raised by taxation. The
tax will be this year about S1k cents a
thousand. 1t is serious matter with the
poor people.
There is no contribution by the United
States in this BILL
Mr.. Mann Outlines Law.
Representative Mann of Illinois here in
terposed.
THE question Of civil PENSIONS" he
said, ''is SO interesting that I am going
to trace the history of the so-called PEN
sion fund. Scarcely any one knows what
the law is.
The police were established August 6,
1851. he continued
Representative Mann then read the old
law. showing that the original police
pension was patchwork affair made up
of miscellaneous receipts.
days." Mr.. Mann said, should be dis
abled in the line of duty he could draw
on the fund. In the act which estab-
lished the fund, 1t shows that all rewards
OF meritorious services should go to the
pension fund.
In 1862 an act was passed providing
that all fines on members of the police
force should be added to the police pen
sion fund.
'rhe amount Of pension to be paid was
the same as in the original These two
were carried into the organic act Of the
District Of Columbia. That remained q
law till 'S5. when 1t was arranged to
deduct 81 month, from police and fire.
fund, and 1t was arranged to retire GER
tain members after q certain length Of
service.
Under Act Of 1895.
Another act was passed in 1895 en-
larging the fund by providing to take in
Police Court fines, and it was provided
that the Commissioners should take a
dollar month from the firemen's sala-
ries for relief Of firemen This is not
an exciting subject. but it is interesting
to know how these civil pensions grow. !"
Representative Mann then traced the
gradual growth Of the police and f1re-
mems pension fund. He laid stress ON
the fact that the chief Of the fire depart
ment and the head of the police depart
ment are entitled to 500 q month PEN
sions on retirement. He also argued that
the number Of the benefciaries had In
creased, the system had taken in men,
bers Of the families Of firemen and police-
men not included In the original pension
fund ideas.
Cites an Example.
He gave an example Of what, he said.
the pension fund idea could be turned to
by reciting the example Of "a man who
served the fire department for a short
time was retired and drew $50 month
Nov comes q proposition" he said.
that provides that all the money re-
quired shall be raised by taxation without
limiting the pensions"
He referred to the list of pensioners. a
copy OF which he held in his hand. He
said several men had been retired for
slight disability.
THE law permits the policeman to re-
tire after fifteen years on any thing he
chooses to call . permanent disability,