The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-12-18
Firemen Hold Annual Ban
quet at Which Prominent
Citizens Suggest Agitation
for Pensions.
WHITE PROPOSES
NEW STATE LAW
Gormon Declares Compensa-i
tion Ruling Makes Patrol
men Only Targets for AS
sassins' " Bullets.

Pension funds for members OF the;
police and fire departments was =,
movement inaugurated Sunday at the
annual Christmas dinner Of the MEM
bers OF the two fire department CONF
panies stationed at the city hall.
Also impetus was given the move-
ment to influence the legislature tot
amend the workmen's compensation
act so as to specify specifically that
policemen and firemen are regarded
as city servants and entitled to receive
benefits under the provisions of the
compensation act.
1t was Mayor Robbins who suggest-
ed the creation Of pension funds for
members Of the police and fire depart.
ments, suggestion which received
hearty endorsement from the other
speakers, including r. G. Leeds, I. A.
Gormon, former chief Of police, Alfred
Bavis, president of the board and
Prosecutor Keller.
White Presents Resolution.
Today Councilman John White an!
nounced that he would introduce the
following resolution at council meet,
ing this evening:
II move that the mayor appoint 6
special committee to take up the mat
ter Of amending the workmen's com.
pensation act to include the members
Of the police and fire departments to
devise the best way Of preparing the
amendment and securing fts passage
by the legislature. with the suggest
ion that the act be made retroactive
80 that the families Of two Richmond
policemen. Officer Stephenson and
Little. murdered last July In the per.
compensation from the city"
Not Servants But Targets.
With tears in his eyes Ex-Chief Cor.
mon decried the recent action Of the
state industrial board in refusing au-
thority to the City of Richmond to pay
compensation to the families of the
two murdered policemen. He claimed
the board had taken advantage of q
technicality and urged that no effort
be spared to amend the compensation
law SO that policemen and firemen
should become beneficiaries Of the act.
'The Industrial board construes the
law to read that policemen are not
citizens. not servants Of the municipal.
ity. only targets for assassins." Mr..
Gcrmon shouted.
Mr.. Leeds declared It was important
for the taxpayers of every municipality
IN the state toprovide every protection
for their policemen and their firemen.
1--WE ask these men to enlist In our
service like soldiers but we deny them
the benefits the soldiers receives" he
said. "Our policemen, and our fire
men do not have the opportunities to
better themselves as do men engaged
in the trades and professions. We asl,
them to risk their lives in the protect
ion Of our own lives and property and
1t Is only right that we provide for
their care In old age or II they are
incapacitated for work in the per
formance of their duties hope the
compensation act can be amended and
l hope that the city administration
will adopt some pension system plan"
Entitled to Decorations.
Mr. Bavis declared that there had
been men in the city's service who
were as much entitled to decorations
such as the iron cross or the Victoria
cross as the brave soldiers in the
trenches of Europe.
Get him, Mort: he's got me-"
Mr.. Bavis recalled that It was with
this gallant call to duty that the dying
Elmer Stephenson spurred on his un.
armed comrade. George Little. to his
death at the hands of an armed and
desperate assassin.
He then remarked. somewhat bitter
ly. that the state industrial board had
refused to permit the city to com
bensate the families of these two
brave men.
Prosecutor Keller urged more pay
for both members of the police and
fire departments.
AS usual the dinner served by the
firemen yesterday was an excellent
one. The guests were:
Mayor Robbins, George Carter.
Frank Ray. H. d. Goodwin, Willard
Jessup, Charles Tangeman, Everett
Davis. R. c. Leeds. I. A. Gormon, L.
F. Davis Fred Schattel, Carl Haner,
Robert Stauber, H. H. Englebert, Sam
Diutiman, John T. White, John Nc
Mimi. Harry Hodgin. 3. A. Bescher.
Carl Graham, Elmer Dlckinson. VIII
mer Brown, Roy Dye Waiter Cox, Roy
Wenger. Sid Benham, Eart Miller, w.
r. Poundstone. George Mckinley.
Charles e. Marlatt, p. @. McMahan,
Alfred Bavis, w. w. Keller. Fred
Charles. Sergeant Stapbach. Ollie
Staub. Chief Miller. Carl Wadman.
Assistant Chief Frank Carter. Joe
Baetz, Herbert Ray. Al Griffith.
Charles Graham. Amos Bell. Claude /,