The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-07
POLICE OFFICERS
VERY HAPPY MEN
BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION MAS
ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND
DOLLARS IN TILL
EIGHT PENSIONERS
OUTLOOK BRILLIANT, WITH IN
CREASE IN MONTHLY STIPEND
COMING AFTER FIRST
OF YEAR

Happiness prevailed at the meeting
of the Police Benevolent association
yesterday afternoon. President L. z.
Morris read a report which sparkled
with rays OF hopefulness Messrs. ]
N. Boyd and S. II. Halves and DR..
| Oppenhimer, also three brands of Joy
in the police camp, while Major Wer-
ner, and Captain Wright, of the
Oppenhimer. also threw btands of
Joy In the police camp.
The meeting was largely attended
Every man on the police force is a
member. There are just few on the
pension list. When a policeman be-
! comes incapacitated by old age or In
jury he will, after the first OF January,
receive $40 a month as long as he
lives
President Morris stated that there
was In the treasury 500, 900. which is
being invested in such manner as
to bring In fine results
All the old officers were collected
l. z. Morris, president; George f.
Pollock. secretary. and George H.
Matthews. treasurer.
| In spreading his nuggets of cheer,
President Morris said:
Life's Greatest JOY.
The greatest Joy in life is to ac-
complish things. Every individual
should contribute the best that is In
him for the benefit Of mankind. So.
! likewise every society. which Is but an
aggregation Of individuals. should seek
( to advance its power for good. There
| Is no better work than that OF car
| Ing for the aged and inf1rIn. In the
halcyon days of youth we are but too
! Indifferent to the wheel of time in
its never falling revolutions. and only
when the frosted hair and ailments
! incident to age begin to be seen and
felt-do we ask ourselves. what Of the
future? The productive period passes,
! In the inscrutabIe dispensation of
| Providence sickness comes en- or &C
cidents happen, and unless some pro-
vision has been made to meet such
contingencies the resulting conditions
are indeed most deplorable.
The Police Benevolent association
was organized fourteen years ago for
the iaudable purpose OF meeting the
exigencies just described. Its projec-
tors realized that the members OF our
police department should have some
protection against accident, sickness
and the fnffrrnities of old age. The
start was. of course. difficult; there
was no fund against which to draw.
but with reso1ute courage and faith
| AaAo AAAAAHEVtS WEAN ~ NoA IA dtA0 li4A
the solid foundation on which q noble
superstructure has been erected.
From Small Beginning.
From the small beginning fourteen
years ago, we have grown sufficiently
! to enable us to say to You today, that
! we have one hundred thousand dol
lars safely invested for your benefit,
/ besides having paid out thousands of
dollars for pensions to your COM
rades--many of whom have responded
! to the last call How much good we
did to those who shared our accumula-
tions can scarcely be contectured. and
how many more will be helped by our
forethought only the future can tell,
| Ii should send thrill of Joy to every
member of the association. that he
was permitted TO share in this great,
noble and humane work AS we pros
/ pered so We enlarged our benefactions,
starting with payments of twenty five
/ dollars per month to our pensioners.
we have gradually increased to thirty
1 five, and the board of directors recon-
mend that the monthly benefit be
made forty dollars. to begin January,
! 1914. Think of it--what this means
| to a man who has been retired from
active duty, either on account of age
or physical disability. No longer need
fyou look To advancing age with
gloomy forebodings. 1t is not possible
! for every man to provide a compe-
tence. but our association brings this
message to each of you: Do your duty
faithfully, and we will see that your
! declining years shall be spent In peace.
| There la. however. another feature
that makes for communal uplift.
namely. the fellowship existing be-
tween the people and the officers of the
law. When we hear OF varions kind OF
graft. maladministration of office
paternalism and what not we may
| well feel proud for our city. that this
kind of thing cannot flourish here We
| try to be mutually interested in each
, others welfare, Que police depart
ment may well serve as model for
other cities-because our lives and
property are safe in the hands of those
upon whose guardianship we rely.
The Animal Feast.
Our citizens look forward with
pleasure to tho annual barbecue. where
all mingie socially and renew old
| friendships. The last barbecue was In
all respects the most successful ever
held. and every one present had a good
| time.
/ One OF our pensioners, N. l.. Ogilvie,
| died January 90. 1919. He was model
officer and was stricken In the prime
OF life---leaving behind him an un-
! blemished record.
Three of our comrades were added
! to our list, making eight that we are
now looking after.
The report of our treasurer. which
will be presented. will show cur trans
actions in detail.
| l again express my gratitude to our
secretary. Captain George T.. Pollock.
and our treasurer. Sergeant George
III. Matthews for their loyalty and
efficiency The association lis indeed
ITO be congratulated on having such
| officers.