New-York tribune., 1916-07-24
Commission Finds 1t Must
Meet Future Deficit of
S2O2,775,56S.
FURNISHES DATA
FOR REORGANIZATION
podv Wants n. Y. Employees to
Aid IN Placing Fund on Sound,
Permanent Basis.

s,set in its pension funds for en-
70 ,hc present system is con-
,,,,sa These were the alarming fig
!, the fnal actuarial report on
..s,cn funds OF the city presented
.,erday to the Mayors Commission on
pensions by Henry Bruere. eN-Citv
chamberlain. now viee-chairmsn and
secretary Of the commission.
aTbe present liability of the pension
funds on the basis Of existing laws
.,5 the past experience, for the pres
.,, and prospective pensioners aggre-
-.,ss the slupondous total Of S2l5,S2O'-
"a" Mr.. Bruore wrote. Against this
..srge there are funds in hand aggregat-
-, S2s4s.f5S. and prospective receipts
f,or the contributions OF employees.
xb.re such contributions are required,
- &c Sss.l92. leaving deficit OF S2o2,-
T7s56S TO be met by the city by way
osindireet contributions and out Of aP-
,ropriations from tax levy funds"
Nobody Is Criticised.
The report contains no line Of eriti-
,ism Of any city official or employe. II
furnishes for the first time data need
d 10 reorganize the pension funds on a
sound basis. The commission later will
Law before the city officials and the EN-
oloves a plan covering all city pensions.
conferences will be held, at which all
employees Will be asked to present thei~
views.
The proposed plan is not discussed in
detail in the report After explaining
certain ineauities which exist IN the
various city pension funds, the report
states:
BY the expenditure Of an immense
amount Of labor the forces which de-
terrine pension costs in the different
branches Of the service have been meas
ured. and the measurements are ap-
nlicable 10 the service for good many
wears 20 come. The pension provisions
NAV be continued as they are, with new
sources of income. or they may be
changed; but whatever the plans pro-
posed the rates Of action Of the funda-
mental forces that determine the cost
are now known and are contained IN
the Basic tables of the present report:
These tables are 70 the pension fund
what the standard mortality tables are
to insurance companies.
Teachers Fund in Distress.
REORGANIZATION Of the nine indi-
vidual pension funds for city employees
viii have 10 come, for the actuarial
balance sheets for the separate funds
all show liabilities greatly in excess OF
assets. The time is rapidly approach
ing when the funds will no longer be
able 10 pay pension claims. The teach
ers' fund reached this stage while the
present report was in preparation. The
Health Department fund Will soon be
in exactly the same condition"
Mr. Bruere points out that it is not
the intention of the commission to
throw all employees in large group in
q single pension fund; consequently
the pension benefits will not necessarily
be the same throughout the service.
The commission desires employees to
take the right kind of interest in the
matter and lend their assistance in OBJ
tanning for themselves sound system
"Ihe commission fully realized the
condition Of the pension systems in
this city" the report states, land II
appreciated that the employees might
take an antagonistic attitude in any
thing that it attempted TO do by way
Of reorganiZation of existing funds.
Many feel that the commission wishes
to take away from them rights which
now exist, although, as matter Of
fact, the rights in all the funds but
two are simply hollow promises made
by the pension provisions of the law,
as there Is no actual cash on hand.
So far as the Pension Commission is
concerned, it does not anticipate the
proposal Of any pension provisions or
reductions TO initiate against the
rights Of any city employe."
Past Figures Given.
The report points out that past pen
sions for city employees have cost
about S57,00O,O00, of which the city
has contributed SAG, 100000. and that
the present pensions cost $5,00O,000 a
year, of which the city contributes
S4,45O 900. The city employs 1906
persons covered by pension provisions,
receiving salaries of S99,2O6,4oO
year
Mortality rates show, according to
the report, that women live longer
than men, and hence for equal benefits
they should be charged higher retire
ment rates, if employees are TO bear
part Of the pension cost, as the com
mission advocates. The highest rate
Of death. IS per thousand, is found in
the laborers' group; the lowest, per
thousand in the teachers group.
More than twice as many iiremen are
killed in the performance of duty than
policemen. Considering the number OF
accidents in the performance Of duty
which resulted in disability, the Police
DEPARTMENT shows nearly three times
as many as in the Fire Department.
Average Family Size.
Families Of employees in the Street
Cleaning Department show the largest
proportion of children average family
Ss), and the lowest in the Health
Department average family I'D. The
average annual salaries are: Fire,
1880; Police, Sl,407; Health, Sl,0lS,
ana Street Cleaning, 1915.
One table in the family history data
SHOWS that the chance Of an employe
q The age Of twenty being a married
nan Is about one in twenty, while at
we age Of thirty il rs about seven out
Vi ten, and at forty about nine out Of
,eh' AZ fifty a little over nine out Of
"n while at sixty il is about nineteen
out OF twenty that he will be married.
1eorge b. Buck has been in charge
OF me actuarial staff Of the commission,
aided by an advisory committee ap-
pointed by the Actuarial Society Of
america, consisting Of William a.
nnuteheson, Robert Henderson and
nenry Moir. actuaries Of the Mutual