Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-25
Senator GaIIinger Notes In
crease in District Pensions.
POLICE AND FIREMEN'S AID
Suggests That Conditions May Cause
Abolition Of System.
BILL PASSED BY THE SENATE
Provisions Which, if Adopted by the
House, Will Meet All the Exist
ing Deficiencies.


That the Senate District committee had
purpose in not providing practically un-
limited funds for the payment of PEN
sions Of retired members Of the police
and fire departments. such as by allowing
the use of all license fees other ttiaa
liquor license fees. is indicated by
statement which Senator Gallinger. chair
man Of the committee. made today.
Pointing out that the population OF ths
city is growing at the rate OF about III
per cent a year. senator Gallinger shows
that the payments FOR police and fire.
mems pensions increase at much
greater rate. The Senate District COM
mittee believes the rate of increase OF PEN
sions should he closer to the rate OF in
crease OF population.
The statement made by the chairman ~
the Senate District committee was de-
signed to correct some inaccurate state
ments and conclusions that have been
made or deduced from the police and
iremen's pension bill. recently passed BY
the Senate.
Senator Gallinger's Statement.
THE statement that the receipts from
insurance licenses. made available for
pensions, will amount to $4,000 il not
correct" Mr.. Gallinger said. The ex-
pected revenue from this source will be
about $4,000. If taxes on insurance pre-
miums had been included I'm the bill. the
larger amount would have been reached.
but this was purposely omitted by the
committee, as II was thought 20 be tho
large a sum to devote TO this purpose
Under the present law the deduction
from salaries is 81 per month for aech
-
less OF the amount of pay received. Tn
der the proposed Senate bill the deduction
Is per cent OF the salary. This ar
rangement is the more equita BILE. each
man pays into the fund an amount In di-
rect proportion to the rate of pay he re-
ceives. The additional revenue from this
source will be S13.95o9i; added to the
revenue from insurance licenses viii
make a total increase In the receipts for
the pension fund of S29,9I09a. Based on
the figures for 1911 this would make the
amount available for pensions Isl, Il
instead of $2sS. 120.21. as given out by the
auditors ONCE and published in the
papers.
Total Annual Payments.
The pension roll requires yearly pay
ments Of Si35. 900. thus leaving a credit
balance, under present conditions sof
about $4,000. but. according TO pSst rec
ords. the pension disbursements have been
increasing at the rate of nearly s5Ooo per
year. II this rate OF increase is man
tanned the new sources of revenue pro-
posed In the Senate bill will be exceeded
in little over three years The cause Of
this increase. however, IS not easily under
stood by the Senate committee. The poQu-
lation OF the District Of Columbia in
creases at the rate Of IL per cent year.
yet the payments for police and firenenss
pensions increase at the rate of mere
than 3i1 per cent a year. Ia seemed 10
the committee that these rates Of Increase
should bear more similarity 10 each other.
THE statement that The bill as II has
passed the Senate will take care OF the
deficiencies that have already ACQUIRED as
well as those that are likely TO accrue
is entirely misleading. II will not In any
way provide for the deficiencies already
existing. and there seems to be no way
to take care of that. except to insert an
item in some one OF the appropriation
bills
No Reason for Increase.
THE committee could see no reason fer
increasing the pensions of the higher
officials of the police and FIRE depart
ments. as proposed by the Commission
ers. and for that reason the pensions
were reduced to the amount that lie now
being paid.
for the payment OF pensions. coupled
with a provision for retirement after
twenty five years service, as proposed by
the Commissioners. the pension roll would
increase so rapidly that in short time
Congress would be compelled to take
drastic action. which might result n
totally abolishing the pension system. In
the opinion of the committee the wiser
course is to provide funds suficient 10
allow for an increase in pensions some
what commensurate with the growth or
the city and the increased membership
of the two departments.
Text Of Senate Bill.
Senator Galinger calls attention TO
the fact that the Senate, March 81. i9l2.
passed bill i'm these words. which -
now in the House of Representative:
THAT the Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia are authorized and d.
rected to deposit in the Treasury OF the
United States to the credit Of the pol CO
and firemens relief funds of the District
Of Columbia, from the receipts from liz
censes (other than liquor licenses), In adj
dition to the revenue now authorized by
law such sum as may be required 10 meet
the deficiency now existing in said fund.-
and thereafter such sum as may be neces>
sary from time to time TO prevent de-
fciencies In the same. =
"If the House should pass that bill
there would be no further trouble, SO far
as deficiencies already existing or those
to occur in the future are concerned In
this respect the Senate has done its fun
duty. and il is now up to the House OF
Representatives TO respond in the same
generous spirit.