The Washington herald., 1912-05-24
SENATE ACTION
Is PLEASING TO
CITY OFFICIALS
Continued from PAGE .oa..

nations, fines imposed on. policemen and
firemen, and money 9 obtained from this
sale OF abandoned property during that
year amounted to sS5,e0I.H, The dog taxes
amounted to 50, i15.1f A 2 per cent de-,
ductlOn from 5aIaries would amount to
s2S0os.Ss. based on the 1sil rolls The in
stirance hcenses for the year amounted
to $4,000 Frsm these figures. the total
estimated annual revenue that would be
made available 20 discharge the pension
obligations would be 223.72o.H. The
amount OF the pay rolls is approximately
NS5.500. This would leave an excess OF
about $500 over the pension liabilities
TO meet deficiencies.
Big Surplus Improbable.
It is certain that there win seldom be
such a surplus as the one indicated
above. The various sources OF income
iIuctuate greatly from year 70 year from
month TO month, and even from week TO
week. Liberal allowance for these fiuc-
tuatlons has 10 be made II deficiency
proof pension fund Is desired. 1t is be-
heved by, officials OF the Auditors Of
fee that the allowance for fluctuations
is an equitable one,
The pension fund deficiency for the
present fiscal year. which ends June 50,
aEE
a deficiency Of almost $1,000 for last
year which stiIi remains unpaid! the
bfli, II passed, viii obliterate the total
deficiency.
II Is believed by oficials Of the Police
and Fire Departments that the increase
In deductions from salaries of members
of the departments win not work great
hardship upon the policemen and fire.
men At present they. are assessed u
Der month. The bin provides for a de-
duction OF per cent from all salaries
The policemen and dremen generally are
perfectly willing to pay this increased
amount II they viii be insured equitable
pensions in return.
AsseSament Not Excessive.
The per cent assessment is by no
means excessive. That rate of deduc-
ton from salaries as a source Of revenue
for pension funds is prevalent In many
large cities throughout the country,
among which are Duluth, MINI; Phila-
delphia, Pa; New York City, Baltimore,
Nd, and Rochester. n. Y. In Milwaukee,
Wis. the rate is "a per cent.
Mai. Richard Sylvester. Superintendent
of Police. was much gratiied over the
passage OF the bill by the Senate.
.'The bill as passed by the Senate
will work a great Improvement in con-
ullAOuHs EalQ MAJ SNANtEAtAs anu 4
am much gratiied that the reconsidera-
tion by the Senate has resulted so favor
ably. I have worked for years to OBJ
tain adequate and equitable pensions, and
naturally was greatly discouraged when
the clause In the first Senate bill provid-
ing for the deficiency was striken out.
To-day's action in the Senate puts an.
other face on the situation"
Fire Chief Frank ]. Wagner said yes
terday afternoon that he does not think
the firemen will object to the increased
deductions in salaries IL they are in
sured OF just pensions in return. The
Chief is of the opinion. however. that
the Fire Department has been discrim-
mated against in the provisions OF the
measure. He says that much higher PEN
sions are named for members OF the po-
lice force than for firemen-
Changes in Scale.
Besides increasing the assessments on
members OF the Fire and Police Depart
ments from ! 1-2 to per cent OF their
salaries, and adding the health officer
OF the District TO the retiring board. the
Senate bill makes a number Of changes
in the scale OF benefits for the higher
officers of both departments. The fol-
lowing changes in the monthly benefits
are made in the Fire Department scale:
Chief engineer. from sIJJ to 500; deputy
chief engineer. from SIS TO S95: battalion
chief, fire marshal. and superintendent
of machinery, from 800 to SO; deputy
fire marshals and captains. from 80 to
S6S: Ileutenants from $40 TO $50: assistant
superintendent Of machinery. from $50 10
$50: assistant engineers and assistant
drivers. from $3.50 to $50.
In the Police Department scale the fol-
lowing changes are made:
$100; inspector and assistant superinten-
dent, from SIS TO S10O: captain. from
$50 TO 500; lieutenant. from S75 to 500:
sergeant, from $50 to so. All the figures
given are maximum figures. A retiring
board, whose findings are to be passed
upon by the Commissioners, may allow
maximum benefits or may reduce the
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