New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-07

ton in 1918. were appointed by Mayor Mitchell
to take charge of the special Investigators en-
gagged by the commission. The first step before
these men naturally was to find out the cost OF
the existing pension plans in this city. The
next was to make an analysis and study OF
pension systems of various sorts throughout
the United States.
Taking the census was the foremost and for
midable task ahead of he commission. To get
figures on the employees in 10 different city
departments as we'll as from thousands OF per-
sons no longer in city service has taxed to the
utmost the energies OF formidable staff OF
clerks 1t made necessary the writing OF $780,
900 personal records-a census o. active en-
ployes those who have left the city service re-
Gently, and former pensioners. Mr.. Won Reut-
lineer declares that such a work has rarely
been undertaken and never before on such
gigantic scale.
A LARGE DIFFICULTY MULTIPLIED
BY 10000.
you can imagine some Of the difficulties
confronting our clerks" he said, when l tell
you that even the correct date of birth, most
elementary consideration in any actuarial cali
culation, could not be had from any depart
mental records and required search OF civil
service records that were not classified chron-
ologically. From first to last we have had to
dig into records which were not prepared or
kept for statistical reference. Multiply this
difficulty in a single case by 10000 and per
haps you will realize that we have had no
small task"
In creating force to handle it red tape was
as great an obstacle as the poorly kept and we'll
hidden records. Countless rules and regula-
tons of the city service interfered Until re-
Gently there was further trouble because it was
uncertain how far the city would allow the
commission to 60
The work however, was accomplished in one
way or another. During the latter half Of the
year just ended the records commenced to
come in at the Office of the commission. They
have been checked of against such records as
were available thousands of missing cards
have been supplied by specia, investigators,
the cards have been edited on uniform basis
and the services of individuals in various de-
psrtments as we'll as Of pensioners have been
brought together in complete record.
To decide upon fair and adequate pension
system, which is also sound financially, many
questions of justice and policy must be deter
mined. These questions could not be an
swered until there was definitely known among
other things the nature OF the work the en-
ploye had done for the city the time he has
served, his age, whether married or not his
earnings. past and present, and if, at any time,
he has received pension. With these facts
at hand the experts can figure out the proba-
bilities OF death and disablement and all the
other factors which must be determined. Their
work resembles that Of the insurance company,
which never writes risk until it has carefully
and laborously determined what that particu-
lar class Of risks is going TO cost.
The insurance actuaric>, in fact, are coop
Grating with the Pension Commission, and
the Actuarial Society Of America has appointed
a committee OF three we'll known insurance
men TO help and advise in the work. This COM
mittee will analyze the conclusions reached by
the commissions experts and will pass final
judgment on the proposed actuarial scheme for
new pension system.
The actual work of computation has at last
been started, and it is now hoped that the
autumn of 1915 will see the liability of the city
under the present pension laws in simple
figures and clear and definite type.
TO bring it there wholesale mathematics
must be INDUCED in. The installation OF the
most ingenious tabulating machines will en-
able the commission to finish the task in eight
months BY means OF a numerical code the
information on census cards is punched at the
rate OF one thousand cards day by the six
punching machines in operation. There is slsp