Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-19
Senate Would Reward Life.
Saving Service Veterans.
HOUSE MAY DEFEAT PLAN
Has Regularly Pigeonholed Similar
Measures in the Past.
STRONG PLEA BY MACvEAGH
Secretary of Treasury Praises Sacri-
nee and Courage of Men Who
Brave Danger to Protect Others.

| Inc senate went through. yesterday.
us biennial custom of passing bill
providing for the pensioning Of veteran
members of Uncle Sans life-saving
service. In practically every Congress
III the last decade, IL not longer, the
senate has passed bill for a retire
nent system in the service and the
rouse has invariably pigeonholed the
Legislation.
yesterday the bill of this Congress.
having the recommendation of the
senate committee on commerce, was
reached on the calendar and was pass
ca with practically no discussion.
The bill proposes to provide for the
compulsory retirement of district SUI
perintendents. keepers of life-saving
stations and surfmen at the age Of sixty
t .Hur years ana at their own option when
tney shall have served thirty years: also
compulsory retirement for physical
disability upon the recommendation of
retiring board. the retired paw in all
cases TO be 70 per cent of the active
DUTY pay in the respective grades. 1t
also provides for an increase in nav
OF 10 per cent for each period of Ave
years service, not to exceed 40 per
| cent.
MacVeagh for Legislation.
Secretary MacVeagh of the Treasury.
| under which department the lfe-saving
| service Is, has recommended the legisla-
| uon In the strongest terms. In letter
| 10 the Senate committee on commerce.
which the committee presented to the
Senate in recommending the passage of
the bill. Mr.. MacVeagh says:
This universally conceded supremacy.
and the saving of the multitude of lives
| ,;<,i,
stands to the credit of the service, are
chiefly due to the heroism, devotion and
ndellty or the men in the field, whom the
OH seeks to benefit. and have been
dchleVeo at an expense to the govern
ment OF only a fraction of the value of
the property they have saved.
| Living In Isolation, exposed to the
! seVerest storms, meeting by annual tests
the lnnexible demands of the department
as to physical fitness. accepting q COM
| pulsory leave of absence of from two to
| rour months in every year without paw.
doing deeds of daring always at the ex-
health or life, submitting to an immense
~ narrower sphere than their fellows. in
tnese regardS-tn rem lnciation, In cour-
age. in constancy-these men render
| service mat is unapproachable. and they
are neglected to degree unsupported by
| our people.
what Can Excuse BeP"
What reasonable excuse can the gov
eminent offer for longer delay to take
some action in behalf of the men who
have accomplished SO much i'm the inter-
est of humanity and commerce. and to
the credit and honor of the nation tina I
Will relieve them of the ever-present dis
heartening apprehension of ending their
days in want?
4 The increased cost of maintaining the
Service by the enactment of the pending
DILL according to a careful computation
based on the present actual force of the
service, would be: For the retirement fea-
ture alone. $173,t~-, and for the longevity
increase Of pay, $243. 700 per annum. The
total amount is inconsiderable in COMPARE
son with the saving of property and the
thousands of lives"