The Washington herald., 1916-08-04
Fire and Police Pensions Near.

The Senate yesterday passed amen..nent
TO the District appropriation bill providing aue-
quate pensions for policemen and hremen. The
House made no such provision when it passed
the bill and the matter must be threshed out
in conference. 1t is believed and fervently
hoped that the House will take favorable view
Of the Senates act and allow the conferees to
retain the pension amendment.
The action. of the Senate probably is the
most progressive from the viewpoint of the Dis
trct that has been recorded during this session
Of Congress. If the completed bill contains the
pension provision a shame that long has been
blot on the conduct of the District govern
ment will be wiped out
The Washington Herald has been edtorially
advocating adequate pensions for District police
men and fremen for years and has thrown open
its news columns to expose of the conditions
which have confronted these public servants after
they have outlived their days of activity. The
position taken by this newspaper has had the
unqualified endorsement Of practically all resi-
dents of the city.
The fault has been merely that the sources
Of revenue for the payment of pensions have
been inadequate so that those legally entitled
to pensions have been paid but part of what
was due them. This has resulted in hartships
and sufferings almost inconccivable in the Ma
tion's Capital city at a time that is called pro
gressive."
The present system, founded in 1885, requires
contribution of ST each month from the pay
of every fireman and policeman. The fund thus
created is re-enforced by the proceeds from
sales of stolen property fines imposed on MEM
bers of the departments, fines collected in the
Police Court and revenue from the dog tax.
Except for occasional small deficits these sources
yielded sufficient revenue until the end of 1910,
but since that time the pensioners in neither
department have been paid in full
In January there was due and unpaid to the
incapacitated members of the police department
for the five years from 1911 until 1915, the sum
of more than S45,ooo. The District was in the
debt of the who had become worn in the
work of fire fighting to the extent OF more than
$4,000 in unpaid pensions during the same
period
The pension system As provided in the amend
ment passed by the Senate yesterday is based
on the newest and best pension systems through
out the world. The House should not block
the enactment of this amendment into law for
no one yet has been able to raise sound
reason why the government should fail to per
form its duty to the policemen and iremen.
The crux of the matter is that when Con-
gress has provided for pensions and the reve-
nues fixed for the payments not sufficient,
the deficits should not be allowed to stand. In
the amendment passed by the Senate it is pro-
vided that when there is such a deficit it shall
be wiped out by funds drawn from the Treasury.
If the pension amendment becomes law the
thanks not only of the fremcn and policemen,
but practically all residents OF Washington will
be due to the men in Congress who have engi-
neered the amendment and to Maj Pullman,
who has labored indefatigably for the legislation
ever since he appointed superintendent of
the police department.