The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1953-09-10

and holidays.
The delegation, headed by Officer
HORNE, consisted of men who join
ed the force after the new City
Charter was adopted in 1949. Their
complaint was, that while the older
members of the force Gall those who
jointed prior to the Charter) were
eligible for a pension amounting to
half of their annual salary without
having to pay anything at all to-
wards the retirement, the newer
officers not only had to make pay
ments from their salaries into the
State Retirement Fund, but their
pensions would be less than the half
pension of the older men.
1t was soon brought out that the
officers were not familiar with all
the details of the State Retirement
Fund plan, so quite a bit of time
was taken up explaining the various
retirement benefits, not only to the
police officers themselves but also,
in the event of their death, to their
wives and children.
It was also explained to them that
there was no hard and fast rule
granting pensions to the older of
ficers las the law distinctly stated
that the Mayor was empowered, at
his discretion, to grant pensions I'M
der certain conditions, and the case
of former police chief Peters was
cited, who did not receive a pen
sion until nearly five years after he
left the police force and that, when
the pension was granted, it was not
made retroactive.
It was further pointed out that the
only way in which the present law,
which makes it mandatory for all
employees of the city who were
hired after the new Charter went in
to effect to pay into the State Re-
tirement Fund, would be by a refer
endum changing that section of the
Charter, or by an act of the State
Legislature.
When the discussion was over,
the delegation admitted that the
State plan had a lot of good points
and no further action was taken.
The question of time off for pub
lie holidays was then brought up
and it was unanimously agreed that
police officers were entitled to get
the day off on these holidays or, if
that was not possible, they should
receive extra pay for serving on
holidays.
Police Commissioner Guth was
then requested by the Council to
find out which of his officers wanted
to take days off to compensate them
for working on holidays, and which
of them would rather receive ex-
ira pay for these duties
The Mayor and Council met again
on Thursday, September 3, to meet
various delegations of taxpayers.
The first delegation consisted of
a group of men who owned homes
on Radcliffe Avenue that they pur-
chased from the Hagerstown Hous-
ing Corporation. The delegation
appeared before the Council on a
previous occasion regarding the
connecting of the laundry tubs in
their easements to a dry well, in
stead of to the regular sewerage
line, and the matter was referred to
City Attorney Oswald for further in
vestigation.
At Thursday nights meeting Mr..
Oswald read a letter that he had
sent to all interested parties, in
which he stated that, in his opinion,
the connection of these tubs to the
dry well was a violation of the
plumbing code and that he had al
so been advised by the State Board
of Health that such connection
created an unsanitary condition.
Following a lengthy discussion
the matter was referred to the
plumbing inspector with a view to
instituting proceedings for the
alleged violation of the plumbing
code.
Two property owners then ap-
pealed to the Council to take some
action to prevent their homes and
yards, in a new development off
Frederick Street, being deluged with
water after every heavy rain.
This condition has been going on
for some considerable time, but in
order to properly correct it it will
require an expenditure of several
thousand dollars.
The Council promised the two
owners that their problem would
be taken up Immediately and it was
listed for consideration at a third
meeting of the Council, which was
coboJ,,1ad ~ bo hold IN T,,ocd OF,