The times., 1897-12-17
CIVIL PENSION PROPOSED
Bill to Make Retirement for Age
Compulsory in the Service.
INTRODUCED BY Mr.. TAWNEY
Clerks VIII Be Compelled to Estab-
Iisb the Fund From Their Own
Earnings - Expected That the
Measure VIII Meet With Yigor-
Gus Opposition.

If the bill Introduced by Mr.. TawEey
In the House yesterday becomes d law,
supeTannuated employees OF the do=eln-
meut must retire on a pension. The bill
provides for the creation Of fund ty
Withholding each month per cent T an
employees salary, or SO much as the Fee
retary OF the Treasury deems necessary.
The persoI retired is TO receive a certain
percentage of the salary received by him
during his service. The bill does affect
any but those in the classified ser5:ce.
1t is provided that the Government shah
pay per cent interest on all moneys
withheld, which interest viii be add ID
to the principal of the fund. II Mr.. law
ney's bill becoInes a law, 1t will 50 into
effect July /, 1901, and employees no
have reached the age Of fifty years or
more and have been in the employ Of the
Government for twenty years, and for
any cause except vicious habits are disabled,
shall be compulsoriIy retired, reoei wing 30
per cent OF the average annual sallry
they received while in Government employ.
Employees who have teen IN the service
thirty years tuay he retired attheir own re-
quest and paid an annuity equal TO 65
per cent % their annual pa wilhelm Govern
ment employ
Employees who have reached the age Of
stxty-fiye years ana who have teen in the
service tlirty years shall be compulsoriiy
retired ana paid an annuity equal to 80
H,s, M ytfhI
in Government employ
Those persons who voluntarily or other
wise leave. he service, who wit hdraw from
tho retirement fund The amount 10 which
they are entitled, and thereafter re-eHter
the service, shall not he emitted 10 the
time they served previous to leaving the
service. tut il they are separated from
the serS ice and >tilI keep up their payments
and enter the Government employ again
they retain all Of their privileges.
Those who are retired prior TO July,
1919. shall permit the sum OF per cent
10 be retained in the fund, for he reason
that such prDstnIs win enjoy the fun bene-
fit OF the retirement privilege and fund
without having contributed to the retire
meut fund III proportion to their benefits
Any employe having contributed to this
fund, wis, shall die before retirement, Jr
who has been dismissed, or W no may To
sign shall be returned the amount u
money witlEeld,,e This provision also al
lows interest on the salary withheld TO
those wro are deprived Of employment by
reason of any legislative enactment; or
whose dismissal is due TO a reduction Of
the force.
The payment ef these annuitles must
be made mopthX by the Secretary of the
Treasury. Persons desiring to retire must
make Application 70 the Civn Service Com
mission, who VIII make the retirements
and certify them to the Secretary OF the
Treasury.
Mr.. Tawney has no fear that the Re-
publican memhers who desire TO repeal the
civn service law VIII be able to 10 50.
lie is firm in his conviction that the 'aw
is OF the statute book to stand. In speak
ing Of Lis bin lie said to Times repre-
sentative that 900 VIII be about the
annual avera ge number that VIII be placed
| ON the retired list. 1t win require the
pa yment uf So, 300 900 into the fuuds aCh
| year to meet the pensions. The total
| annual income of the fund would ne So
| 439,S0 if 3 per cent Of the annual avara ge
| salary OF all employees in the cil .slfied
| service is withheld. There win hc in
| 1901, when the retirement provision goes
! into effect, 4 600 persons subject to its
/ provisions, including those who would
| be entitled to voluntary retirement. The
| vacancies thus occasioned would uecesSf-
/ tate about 10000 promotions in the Gas
/ sifiel service.
a great deal Of adverse criticism OF Mr..
! Tawnty's bill was heard yestertla OF the
| Capitol, and, owing to the dtssensions
that now exist in regard to the civil
| service law. 1t IS believed to be absol ltely
| impossible for the bill of Mr.. Ia wner to
| pass this session.
The reduction of supprannuated clerks
] pay I'm the Treasury Department continues
4 to be the natural subject Of special interest
| to the army of people In the great building.
| The clelks, however, are lot talking for
! publication, as they are of the opinion
| evidently that when the officials declined
| to give out the names of those reduced
| it was intended that the clerks Should
hold tEeir peace.
One of the clerks who has been reduced
| is Mrs. McCIeary, who has been in office
twenty-six years. call was made n
| her yesterday, and she was asked some
| questions. The lady promptly but politely
refused to say anything except TO get the
information tfat her interrogator w IS a
| representative of the press. She would not
| even say who We're the others, and vet
| the Treasury officials themselves say
| there are others-at least nine others. an
| Dlication was then made at several Of Ices
in the building, in which Were noted some
very vencra choking people.
1t is fairly well understood now that
there will be an opportunity when the
| rule is carried out for between sixty
and seventy clerks to be promoted.
One OF the clerks to be affected IS sttI
said to be an expert accountant, and was
| appointed under Treasurer John G. New
One Of them, who begged iblt
his nanIe be not used, asked that
the suggestion. be made that LONGER
notice should have been given of the con.
| teinplatcd change. He said that IT WINS
talked over by three OF the clerks last
night to prepare petition TO the effect