The Washington herald., 1916-01-16
Pensions Of City's Guardians.


1t is difficult to understand the motives or the
reasoning of those who would maintain the pen
sion fund for incapacitatcd policemen and fremen
of the District by special form of taxation or by
devoting to it certain fluctuating revenues of the
District derived from various sources. At present
the fund owes its life to contributions of ST per
month from the pay of the employees of the two
services active duty the fines imposed upon
them, the proceeds from the sale of stolen prop
erty, Police Court fines, and the revenue from the
dog tax. All of these items, with the exception of
the contributions of the men themselves belong to
the District revenues, and they fall short of pro-
viding the amount necessary to meet the pension
roll by some $4,000 year, deficit which will be
increased the years go by. 1t appears then
that to the extent to which pensions due policemen
and hrcmen are paid at all, they paid by their
own contributions, supplemented by certain speci-
fed District revenues. That these revenues are
used for the purpose is plainly recognition by
trict to pay pensions to policemen and fremen.
Then why not place the revenues in the Treasury
and provide annually the amount necessary Tor
the payment of the pensions by an item in the
District appropriation bill? The pensions could
then be paid in full. The men would not be
cheated by the District of Columbia out of SI2oo
year, or more, sum too trivial for considera-
tion by great government, but meaning much to
those dependent pension money due them, but
not paid. Clearly that is the only sensible busi-
ness-like method. Having undertaken to provide
the pension fund Congress surely will not con-
tinue the present system of underpaying each man
every year. 1t would suggest comic opera theme,
but that to some of the actors it means tragedy.
Reduced to plain terms the present situation is
that money provided by District revenues supple
now pays the pensions, less some $4,000 year.
1t seems like pure farce to stop $4,000 short of
meeting this just debt. AS matter of fact the
men should not be assessed at all to make up the
pension fund. The amount needed to meet the
pension roll should be appropriated annually in a
lump sum. The sum would not be large and the
taxpayers would willingly and gladly the
money they contribute used for that purpose, if
Congress would permit These men who have de-
voted the useful years of their lives to hazardous
duty in defending the lives and property of the
citizens have we'll earned their pensions; to pay
them is not generosity, but simple justice. To
withhold them is plain dishonesty, which the
District government and Congress must not be
guilty. Not only should provision be made to
pay pensions in full but amount sufficient to
meet the entire deficit-only matter of some
So, ,ooo-should be appropriated at this session.
The money is justly due the pensioners from the
District government which has no right to with-
hold it
The Cary bill, pending in Congress, pro-
poses to tax the horsepower of automobiles to
provide the pensions. Not only is this discrimina-
ton against automobile owners, but there is no
necessity for complicating the system further.
The pensions should be considered part of the
expense of maintaining the police and fire depart
ments, and if the District revenues are not suf,
ficient to pay its operating expenses, they must
be increased, and to this increase all of the tax
payers should contribute A system which pro-
vdes special tax for and devotes certain speci-
fed revenues to the payment of specially Sc
lccted item of governmental expense-which is to
go unpaid if the revenue falls SHORTS absurdly
unbusiness like.
Congress will not fail to provide remedy if
the facts properly presented to it.