Semi=weekly graphic., 1896-04-15
GREAT PENSION LIST.
FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL CIVIL sERv-
 ICE EMPLOYEES.

4 Great System to Iso Inausurated-How
 All Objections Have Been Met and Put
 Aside-supported by tho Different Heads
 of Departments.
 Uncle Sam s civil service employees throughout the country will be greatly pleased with q measure soon to be re- ported by the house committee on re- forms in the civil service. It looks to the creation of great civil pension system. This committee has lately been giving consideration to the question of proyid ing a retired list for superannuated em- ployees and has about agreed upon a measure which, it is believed, will over como tho principal objections which have heretofore been raised against this form of relief for government employees. A few minor details are yet to be per fected, but all the general features have been agreed upon.
 The general scheme contemplates the creation of fund to be deducted from the salaries of the clerks, from which payments will be made to civil service employees who become unfit for further service. Recognizing the objection to retired list which will mean drain upon the United States treasury, the committee has endeavored to so formu- late a measure as to make it evident that there will be no additional expense upon the federal government. It is estimated that an assessment of per cent on tho total salaries received by each employee will create a fund sufficiently large to meet all the demands that may be made upon it by retirements under the pro posed law.
 As an experiment. it was first pro posed to confine the proposed law to em- pIoyees in the government departments at Washington, but the civil service commission took hold of the matter, and as a result it is now deemed practicable by the committee to apply it to the en- tire civil service throughout the eoun- try. Disbursing clerks will be required to deduct from the salary of each em- ployee 3 per cent of the amount that may be due to him each month. In order to obtain good nucleus to start with it is proposed that these assessments shall begin at once, but that there shall be no retirements before 1900. With this fund as basis and subsequent assessments it is believed the entire expense of the re- tired list for many years to come will be assured without any probability of the United States treasury being drawn upon.
 Various forms of retirement will be provided for. There will be disability retirement, voluntary retirement after 30 years service, and compulsory retire ment at 70 years of age. Those retiring for age will be allowed to draw three- quarters of the pay they received while in active service. The rates for Yolun- tary and disability retirements have not been fully determined upon.
 To overcome the protests of those em- ployees who do not expect to remain permanently in tho civil service or may have misgivings as to their tenure of office, it is proposed to allow each person who may leave the service for any cause who has become eligible for retiremenb to draw from tho government the amount that has been actually deducted from his salary. with per cent inter est Insasmueh as the government will have tho uso of the money received by these monthly assessments, it is argued that it can well afford to pay interest upon it, especially as the amount so re- ceived can be used to pay the current expenses of tho government, thus avoid ing the necessity of paying interest on bonds.
 The proposed measure has the support of the heads of the respective depart- ments, the civil service commission and of advocates of civil servic6 reform throughout the country. Ono of the strongest arguments used toconyert those employees who have been reluctant to submit to a reduction of their salaries is that the assessment will be only per cent moro than they were formerly re- quired to pay in the shape of political assessments This, in addition to the proposition to pay back with interest to those who may leave the service before they become eligible for retirement the amounts which they have been assessed has converted practically the entire civil service force to the proposition. and pe- titions by the thousands for the adoption of the system have been pouring in on the commission and the civil service committee of congress. Chicago Times Herald.