Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-21
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the benefi. of the fund. Under this the
annuitant would receive sixty-two per cent
or his average annual salary only for the
first six years. The chief drain on the
fund will be during the first six years, and
1t Is this drain which section is apparent
ly designed to partially relieve. Few of the
employees appointed under the civil service
act OF 1888 will be eligible for retirement
In 1900. the service limit not having been
fulfilled. Sixty-two per cent of $50 is 1890
and with $45,017 available 90s employees
could be retired. This will leave an ample
margin for all Withdrawals from the fund
under clauses two and four.
The above figures are necessarily approx
mate. but If there is any lack of accuracy
the error Is on the side of conserva tism.
They refer only to 1.-The executive depart
ments and other government establish
ments at the national capital" but are
equally applicable to the service at large.
1t may be Interesting TO mention the sys-
TENS which prevail in two Of the principal
European countries, Germany and Great
Britain. All the civilized countries of the
world have some sort of q provision for
experimenting civil employees but in those
TWO countries the system is especially
wothy of note, because of the high state of
perfection TO which they have brought 1t.
In Great Britain, IN the home service a
system Of pensions is used, proportioned to
the length of service Sixty-five years is
the age for retiring. subject to certain
limitations. The salary is calculated by
sixteths. For ten years service ten-six-
ueths of the average salary, and for each
additional year one-sixteth of the salary
Is added until fortysixtieths, the maxi
num- is reached. Employees injured in the
line or duty and compelled to leave the ser
vice by reason thereof before having
served sufficient length of time to be en-
tilted 10 approximation. are given a lump
sum, and there are other allowances which
may be made IN the discretion Of the heads
or departments In the colonial service
there are similar systems. In New Zealand
compulsory insurance obtains. The system
IN Germany is practically the same, with
few differences in calculating the retir-
Ing allowance. 1t should be remembered
that the government in both these coun-
tries pays the annuity, and therein the
system differs radically from that proposed
under the Tawney bill. Under this bill the
clerks pay for everything; the government
Itself merely borrows the money and acts
as the disbursing officer for a fund which
by getting rid of the dead wood" saves
many times its whole amount.
Let US consider some of the objections to
/ this measure 1t is said that the compul-
sorry feature is unfair, and that the bill
eminent pensioners" The "office- holding
aristocracy" has been the war cry of the
enemies of all reforms in the civil service
not only in the United States but In Great
Britain and Germany. Germany, indeed
has now compelled all large employers of
labor to provide for their employees
through compulsory insurance or other
wise. when age or disability renders them
many speeches in Congress on the subject
of employees retained in the departments
at Washington long after their services
had ceased to be of value. Why are these
employees retained? Merely because the
head of the department is perfectly well
aware that dismissal means distress to a
worthy servant. The feeling also prevails
that the employee has. by length of service,
earned the right to provision for old age.
lhis Is true but how much better for the
servant and the government to allow him
to retire, to relieve him from reporting to
the department. and TO relieve the depart
ment from the drag which employee not
capable of active service becomes OF
course. 1t is natural for the old employees 20
object to retirement They are usually in
the higher grades. and will prefer an easy
berth at the department at s., 500 per annum
to doing nothing at home for sixty-two per
cent of their average annual salary.
The objection is raised that the govern
ment is not a wet nurse" that the provi-
dent clerk will save from his salary, and
that 1t is nobody'S business to provide for
the spenthrift. This is true. The bill,
however, is not designed to guard the
sIendthrift, but to guard the government
service against him. He forms but small
proportion of the force, but It is that very
proportion which stays in the government
service, and becomes eligible for superan-
nuation. The provident clerk receiving
81 300 a year will scarcely miss the s36 an
nually deducted from his salary. Admit
ting that the assessment is compulsory, the