New Britain herald., 1917-01-12
PENSIONS FOR ALL
 EMPL0YES OF CITY
Such a Plan Proposed to Charter
 Revision Committee

l NVIlOlVu. UVmulLlVV After lengthy discussion last night l on the matter of f1remen's and po-
 licemen's pensions .the members of the charter revision committee were l obliged to throw up their hands in
 helplessness, so great and complex is l the question. and after more than an hours talk the revisionists voted. on motion of Clerk H. V. Camp, to re- fer tho entire pension matter to the common council.
 The big question was introduced when Howard M. Steele, reporting - 1 subcommittee, introduced a tsnta- tive pension system for the fire de- partment as outlined in last nights paper. His plan did not meet with the approval of the commissioners. whereupon the pension discussion be- came general. Where the city now l makes provisions to pay pensions only to firemen and policemen who have served many years faithfully, Cor poration Counsel J. E. Cooper sug- gested that it be made to include all city employees. Clerk Camp said that school teachers would be included l next, and this idea was favorably re-
 ccived by all. Mayor Quigley remark ing that any woman who takes care
 of other women's children for twenty five years as a school teacher does is entitled to pension
 It was stated that the policemen of New Britain are willing to pay ? per cent. of their wages into their pension fund if the city will donate
 an equal amount of money. The fire-
 
 wanted to pay one and one-half per
 cent. 1t was stated There Is now about $8,000 is the fire department
 pension fund and a number of old
 f1remen are about to be pensioned.
 Unless immediate action Is taken to increase this fund the city will have to make good these pensions by gen. eral appropriation in short time, 1t was said Corporation Counsel Coop CT suggested as a feasible plan that some reliable insurance company be awarded the contract to grant group Insurance to city employees and F. F. Hall remarked that the premium for this would be only s per year per person.
 Mayor Quigley thought the best way to get at a fair and reasonable solution would be to ask an actuary of some Hartford insurance company to meet with the local board and out line a definite and plausible plan. The importance of this pension uues- tion, and the serious amount of thought and study that must be put into it was well stated by Mr. Hall, who declared it would be absolutely Impossible. in his opinion, for any committee to make q conscientious re- port Inside Of three months and he said he felt sure the present char ter revision committee would never be able to settle the question in the few weeks it has left in which to do work. He explained that with others he worked for six months before the pension system at Landers, F'rary & Clark's was finally evolved as at pres ent.
 As the general discussion did not
 seem to clarify matters but on the
 other hand served to bring forth new
 obstacles in the way of pension funds,
 it was finally agreed to have the char
 ter revision committee drop the en-
 tire matter and refer 1t to the com-
 mon council for solution. It is prob-
 able that a special committee will be
 named to take up the question with
 some skilled insurance man. who
 might be able to offer advice on the
 matter. t#
 Those present last night were Judge
 B. F. Gaffney. Clerk H. " Camp,
 Judge J. E. Cooper. Representatives
 Richard Covert and Edward F. Hall,
 Howard M. Steele. F. ". Christ Err
 nest Teich. Mayor G. A. Quigley, M.
 I. Jester and Senator George w.
 klett.
 Advance City Business One Month. The amendment providing for the changing Of the dates of the esti- mates was presented for final action. It provides that the twelve finance ! members, selected according to bi- partisan plans with the mayor
 member ex-officio, shall meet in Feb ruary each year to make estimates for the list of estimates furnished by February l by each board. The l finance board shall, not later than the Monday preceding the regular coun- cil meeting in February. complete it's estimates and report to the council at the regular meeting. The council shall receive the estimates and shall meet each secular day until 1t shall 1 take final action. The council will have the right to alter and amend
 the estimates and shall lay tax on 1 the ratable estate of the city. The council shall also fix the date when ] taxes are due and payable. Tn case l the taxes shall ever be in sufficient ] to pay the appropriations the board of 1 finance and taxation may empower ] the mayor and treasurer to issue and | sell or discount notes for necessary
 sums to be payable within six months. l The amendment lastly provides that when the council lays a tax a city meetinE shall be held within ton days
 to affirm or disapprove the action. 1 It makes the city meeting the last 1 word in taxation and gives that body 1 4hn right tn chan1a and revisA the