The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-06-15
PENSION FUNDS
in MANY CITIES
Papers Are Read at Police
Convention Of the Topic Of
Retirement Funds.
INTEREST STRONG HERE
Almost Every City Has Some Way to
Pay Firemen and Police for
Long Service.
STRONG HERE

The vigorous campaign for the enact
ment of legislation providing for the es-
Establishment of permapent and adequate
pension and retirement fund for the po-
licemen and firemen of the District, which
for several years The Washington Herald
has been pushing forward toward the
goal Of ultimate success. was given add
tional impetus by the International Asso-
citation of Police Chiefs. in session at the
Raleigh last week.
The discussion of the important ques-
| ton was started by John J. Downey,
superintendent of police of Detroit.
Mich, who presented a paper on the
| topic. The policemen and firemen of the
city and other persons interested in the
enactment of the pension and retirement
legislation have manifested so much con-
Germ in the general crusade and in the
action taken by the police association
that The Herald prints below practically
the entire paper of Chief Downey.
From my personal experience for the
past thirty years." he said, II believe
the city of Detroit has solved the aues-
ton more satisfactorily than any other
municipality in the country.
81 regret that the law governing our
retirement and pensions is not in State
wide operation, applying only to the city
of Detroit as passed by the legislative
session of 1891, amending an act previ-
ously in force. 1t now enables an officer
to be retired at half pay, after having
served continuously for twenty-five years
and after becoming incapacitated for ac-
tive duty, on the certificate of the Po-
lice Department surgeons statement as
to such incapacity.
las the growth of the city advanced,
the requirements for additional men be-
came obvious, and when. at first, the
retirements seemed of little consequence,
little attention was paid to it, but with
the additional requirements for REINFORCE
ments the question began to attract the
attention Of citizens and taxpayers. who.
in turn, attracted the attention Of the
public through the press to such an ex-
tent that in the year 1891 one branch of
the city government secured an injunc-
ton restraining the city comptroller from
paying retired policemen a pension equal
to half pay on retirement
Bill Is Drafted.
LAS our State Legislature was then In
session. a bill amending the police re-
tirement and pension act was drafted
and received prompt action. 1t embodied
the following scale: Patrolmen (fuIl pay
at that time less than $1,000, si5 a
month; sergeants. $50: lieutenants, SIS;
captains, $50, and superintendent. SIS
I believed that a certain independence
would be obtained by levying a charge
OF l per cent on the salaries of the ac-
tive officers and men of the department.
which has proved very satisfactory all
around and has lifted a great part Of
the burden of paying these pensions from
the taxpayers. For the purpose of ex-
planning the wisdom of this act, will
cite the case Of one of our former su-
perintendents He was retired on half
pay. His salary being $1,000, his pension
was. therefore. 5000 per- annum. He
was an active man and was often seen
on the street, which caused the tax
payers to make comments and to join
with his enemies, who, for one reason
or another, were numerous to cause the
commission to order the former super
intendent to appear before the department
surgeon for a physical examination. The
doctor pronounced him in sound health,
and he was forthwith recalled to active
duty as a captain, with salary fixed at
s.. 500. He was man of acute sensi-
bilities. and the humiliation was too
much for him. undoubtedly causing his
death, which occurred in less than two
years.
Il have not caused inquiry to be made
of other departments throughout the
United States and Canada; therefore l
am not able to make comparison. and
as believe il to be a critical question,
and apparently satisfactory to those
most concerned, 1 have refrained from
criticising the Partially shown by the
city toward the officers of the fire de-
partment in Detroit. The law gives
them half pay-chief. 5000; assistant
chief, $500. and so on down the ranks.
1T is a weIl-known fact that a police
man loyal to the trust reposed in him
will be appreciated by all good citizens.
Yet many persons of influence are ar
rayed against him. Therefore, police
officials stand entirely distinct with re-
spect to comparisons between the police
and fire departments. The police officer
is the friend only the law-abiding
citizens. whereas the hAeman is the
friend of all.
In closing, 1 would say that my object
in making the comparison between the
police and fire departments is to show
how dangerous IT is to ask too much
from an appreciative and generous pub
lie. l maintain that in no other country
are the pensions paid to peace officers
so liberal as those in this country, and
/ hope the time will come when the law
will provide the same pension for all
other officers in the State, whether in
cities of 1000 or $1,000 population. I be-
lieve it should apply not only in cities
of large size, but also in small towns
maintaining an organized police force"
Following the presentation Of the pa
per. many of the police chiefs from vari-
Gus sections of the country explained the
pension legislation in force in their cities.
Conditions in Cincinnati.
The pension and retirement system in
operation in Cincinnati, Ohio. was de-
scribed by William Copelan, police chief
of that city. He said that policemen dis
abled after fifteen years of service re-
ceive a pension of $50 month Persons
serving twenty-five years and reaching
the age of .fifty-five years have the OPP
ton of retiring at any time on a salary
of $50 per month. Disabled policemen
who have been on the force less than
fifteen years receive pension of y
month for each year they have served.
The funds for the maintenance of the
system are supplied almost entirely by
the City Council. Each member of the
force is compelled to pay 81 a month to
a sick fund. Policemen receive sl.75 for