Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-21

.'Thcrc will he considerable difficulty IN
getting the figures in shape 50 as to put
ON n practical basis the proposition to re-
tire departmental employees explained
well-known expert actuary, who has ex-
pertcd for several of the prominent life IN
sr1rarce concerns. tn a Star reporter, nut
that it can lie done there is no reason for
doubtjna. There are. as is well know.
several Schemes for retirement or clerks
and Others and while thcE are directed TO-
ward the sault- general end, they reacn IL
by different methods. OF course, before
anything could he seriously considered II
was necessary to get the facts in the case
for insurance. ard retirement schemes 10
work out we'll have to be very thoroughly
based on facts ImIginations, theories ana
hopes don't count worth cent. Tor IL thele
was a single default in payment the whole
thing would 20 to pieces quicker thah II
takes to say it. To get at tbs facts the
Senate passed a resolution requesting the
various heads of departments 10 furilish
tables showing the ages of the clerks Inc
nronosi.ion was divided into six branches.
To get the answers has required over
month and department has not yet
furnished its reply Enough IS known
however, 10 show that a retirement ScneIlie
is practical and that with a small month";
" payment a sufficient sum will be secured
to nut all who retire on a retired pay. the
money Tor winch Will CUNT Jul VI ttiC 800
paid in by those who are TO be benefited
by it, 1t is different from pension or
what is known as the retired INST pay Vi
the army or navy. and entirely AVOIDS an
questions that have arisen in connection
with a civil pension list. 1t Is in no sense
a pension, any more than any endowment
policy is a pension, for those who receive
the retired pay will ony get back what
they pay in, plus the natural increase that
will arise from the interest. Though the
plan will be pretty Well worked out, |
have some doubts that it can be considered
by either branch of Congress this season.
strange as it may appear. almost the
entire number of female clerks are against
it. root and branch, not. however, because
II is not practical or desirable, but because
il requires women as well as men 10 give
their correct ages or fail to get any bene-
fits. One secretary in transmitting the
answers TO the committee apOloSiZed Tor
the delay by saying that 1t was caused by
the lady clerks. who offered all kinds OF
objections TO furnishing their exact ages,
and who seemed 10 regard the whole prop
osition as but scheme to wiring from them
their ages. In the War Department reply
it is noticed that the clerks had to give
their present age This was designed.
1t is said, to get answers from some ladies'
who We're willing enough to reply, but
wanted TO give the age they were some
years ago.
Amateur photography is one of the lead
ing features in late years in Easter Mon
day egg rolling. and on Monday last was
especially in evidence remarked a dealer
in Photographic supplies to a Star reporter.
snap shots could be counted by the thous-
and, and if one-tenth of the photographs
made are ever developed it will up a
great amount of material. Many have
been getting in readiness for ii for sew
eraI weeks. The atmospheric conditions
We're excellent in the afternoon, though
slightly unfaVOrable during the morning.
GT he surprising things in connection
with egg rolling is that Notwithstanding the
hundreds of thousands of snaps that have
been taken during the past. many of them
by the most experienced and successful
amateurs. there none sale to be
secured anywhere. We have had during
the past two or three months five or six
applications from publishers of magazines
and newspapers for egg-rolling views for
publication. but were unable to supply
them What becomes of the many photo
graphs that have been taken is as much
of a mystery as what becomes of the brass
pins
X \ x
THE State. War and Navy Department
building. under the law which authorized its
construction. is governed by a board con-
sisting Of the heads of each Of the depart
ments which occupy it," observed an Off
rial of the Navy Department to Star re-
porter. and This board has satisfied itself
that there mi ST he a separation for the
reason that the building is so crowded that
there is no longer room enough for all three
Of the departments. 1t is interesting to read
the reports OF Mr., Mullett the supervising
architect of the Treasury Department who
designed and supervised the construction of
the building in 1850 to 1883 He thought the
building would be sufficiently large 10 accom-
nOdate the three departments for thirty
years at least The building was occupied in
1ssS. But twelve years have passed of the
thirty, and there is today as much necessity
for increased accOmmoda ton as there was
before II was constructed. Al that time the
State Department had a rented building for
It's home. and the War and Navy depart
nlents at least a half dozen outside build
ingS rented for the various bureaus which
could not get any accommoda ton at all in
the old War or Navy Department buildings
The portion of the building occupied by the
State Department is not crowded now for
many of its officials and even clerks have