Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-10


will almost equal the number Of new ap-
pointees throughout any given period. long
or short .Ye
"As to the portion of the force that may
become reasonable, o1e-half Is liberal
estimate, for only about one-half of persons
thirty years of age live to be sixty, even
Under the favorable conditions of clerical
life; and the number of separations from
the service by resignation and dismissal
would inevitably reduce this ratio to con-
siderably below one-half. So all this effort
is, at best. only in the interests of mi
norfty of those concerned.
The bill provides for several classes of
pensionables, but the sixty-year-old thirty
year-service class is the only one onstitut-
ing factor in the problem presented. OF
those retiring earlier under the disability"
provision, the number would in the very
nature of thirgs, be but small. while there
is nothing in the bill to prevent the sew
enty-year class from retiring voluntarily
under the provisions for the s!xty-year
class; and even were it not SO, the first
years retirements would wipe them out.
The benefits 60 Of the savings-fund fea-
ture are scarcely worthy of discussion. The
salary paid affords to some a surplus; to
others bare sufficiency. while to others,
owing to extravaganza, misfortune or other
cause. 1t proves inadequate to the demands
made upon 1T. Such as have surplus are,
as rule. capable of taking care of 1t.
many of them investing it in homes; and
what Is per cent to such one, or to
one who. having an undue share of lifes
burdens to bear, so as to leave no surplus
perhaps a deficit-as things are now, when
this assessment would have the effect Of
Gripping ris resources to that extent and
the deficiency. and pay interest at the rate
of from to 10 per cent, or more?
The ImprOvidents.
AS to the "improvident" class (of which
we hear so much), who save nothing now.
and who would thus be compelled to save
something, 1t is just possible that they Cor
their families) might be somewhat bene-
fitted; but this even could hardly justify
such governmental interference with the
right of the majority to manage their own
private affairs.
1 cannot forbear noticing the argument
that Is implied in the statement relative to
those who enter the service with a view to
leaving at the end of a few years. Indeed,
seriously question the wisdom Of holding
out any irducement to people to hang on
for life until diminished efficiency rem
ders retirement (for the good of the SER
vice. advisable. Government positions are
like those outside in ore respect. People
enter the m for the purpose of advancing
their own interests, and not with any view
TO life wcrk.'
I'm every line or phase of employment
the employee sooner or later reaches a
point when efficiency begins to wane. Where
this duties are of a nature involving the
necessity for that wisdom which comes
only with age and experience. high de-
gree of efficiency may exist long after the
physical powers have begun to fail.
when a person engages in particular
calling outside the civil service he realizes
that if he does not lay by enough for old
age. when he can no longer compete with
younger people, he must seek some other
and less remunerative field of labor within
the scope of his ability.
THE government clerk is favored above
his fellows in having field of employment
and an avenue Of advancement open to
him that Is closed to the great mass of
those who must labor for their support;
and that preference and the advantage
derived therefrom ought to content him,
without insisting upon special class leSis-
lation for his particular benefit. Thus it
appears to one who has labored all his life,
partly within and partly without the civil
service
Another View.
''The disability clause in the BILL" said an
old department clerk yesterday, is very
important and deserving one-and the SIM
pie qualification that the disability should
not be due to vicious habits is perfectly
fair and sufficient. To say that it must be
incident to or caused by his civil service is
absurd. The TawLey bill is correct in max
ing it the only condition to disability for
retirement that 1t should not be due to
vicious habits. y man may have had a
disorder altedating his term of service
which for many years has not amounted
to serious physical disqualification; but in
time it does amount to it, and when latter
twenty years Service) it has become SO Sc
riCus the clerk should be retired il he de-
sill IS to he; or after twenty-five years such
retirement should be compulsory if his
physical mental condition demands it."
mo clerk, however healthy, is exempt
from danger of sudden and terrible disabil-
ity. If already in service for twenty years,
he would have the option under the Tawney
bill of retirement, and under the same bill
he would be retired compulsorily after
twenty-five years"
Probable Pension Office Retirenlents.
An old pension Office clerk, who has made
a careful estimate from the records of the
number Of employees of the pension bureau
TO be affected by the proposal retirement
law, said today: .Of class one SALARY $1,000
to Sl,40D the number of employers who
on the LIST day of July, 1900, will have
served twenty years In classified service in
the pension Bureau, and who Will have the
option of retirement If totally disabled for
manual labor from causes no. due to vi
cious habits, is one hundred and seventy
five.
''Of class two (salary 81 HOO to 81 500 the
number of employees who Tie list day
of July, 1890. Will nave served twenty-five
years in classified service in the pension
bureau, who will be compusorilv retired if
totally disabled for manual labor from
six.
"Of class three salary $1,000 to 500
the number Of employees vino On the 1st
day of July, 1870, will have served thirty
years in classified service in the pension
bureau, and will De eligible to optional re-
tirement. is thirty-eisht.
"Of class four salary 81 $50 to s., 600, the
number of employees, who, on the 1st day
Of July, 1900. will have served thi.ty-five
years in the classified service in the pen
sion bureau. and will be compulsorily re-
tired, is seventeen.
This is a close approximation, based
upon the assumption that there will be no
deaths from now Until Juv |, 1900. This
being. of course. an improbable hypothesis,
il may be cstiint-ad that of class 40. |
there will be left surviving July /, 800,
100 persons; of class No. =, 80 persons; of
class No. $, 10 persons; of class No. 4,
II persons. Of class No. probably not
more than thirty will be found totally dis
abled within the meaning of the proposed
law, and will desire retirement; and out
of class No not more than ten will be
found ready for compulsory retirement fer
The Clerks for 1t.
W. F. Campfield, clerk in the War De-
partment, writes The Star in this connec-
ton as follows:
1.-The Tawney bill, providing for the re-
tirement of superannuated government
clerks at their own expense, is still mat
Of al ipf nd SS;o IN,