The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-30
THE CARE OF AGED CLERKS
Plans to Pension SHperaRnUated
Government Employees.

William Dudley FouIIse Discusses
the Question of Retirement Under
an Endowment Schcme-Subject
Before civil Service Commission.
The question Of experimentation, OF pro-
vision for Government clerks who have
grown old In the service. is "a problem
which has long confronted the Civil Ser
vice Commission i'm lis efforts 10 Increase
efficiency in the work of the Government
departments.
William Dudley Foulkc. of Indiana, the
new Civil Service Commissioner. has made
an extensive study of the subject. He
deems the establishment Of a civil pension
list OF of plan OF retirement by the re-
teuti0u by the Government of a certain
per cent 81 the salary of each employe
unwise. The solution Of the prob
lem. he thinks. lies in the establishment
of a retirement fund by the Government
employees themselves through the agency
ut bonded endowment companies
Mr. Foulke in answer TO an enquiry re-
gar6iug his views on the subject of super
aunuauon. one in which nearly an Gov
eminent employees are deeply interested,
today said:
Although that question viii not per
haPS come within the duties OF "a Civil
Service Commissioner just now, / have
taken warm interest ia Do. Indeed one
of the arguments most frequently urged
against the merit system Is that 10 tends
to promote superannuItIOn and naturally
leads 20 civil pension list This state
meut rs not true. Nearly an OF those now
IN the service who are superanuuated
came IN under the patronage system and
the number of these Is very greatly eNag-
gerated.
An Investigation by Congress shows
Ice over seventy years of age Is small and
many OF these are doing good work.
But for all Of that. there should be
some way Of providing for those who have
really become superauuuated or disabled.
and this, If possible. without expense TO
the Government Men may talk as much
as they like about the duty Of discharging
those who have grown old in the service
and are no longer useful But. no man
with ordinary sympathy is anxious to
turn out an Old and tried public Servant
where his removal means restitution for
himself and family.
ION the other hand. a civil pension list
can never be established I'm America and
my opinion is that il should nor be estab-
liShed- The experience Of England Is
against it II is an extremely wastef1l
system Many are retired who are able
TO render good service and the abuse tends
to grow greater on account Of personal
ard political influence used To secure pen
sious-
The cost Of the retired list IN England
Us not Tar from j. 20 ~ per cent OF ihe
active list. an enormous burden on the
public treasury.
1T has been proposed JEat provision
should he made by law Tor q retirement
fund. 20 De collected from the salaries q
those in the service. This is III many
ways desirable But the experience Of
England is against it. II vas vice tried
there, and twice failed. and 7.uG supple
mtuted by a civil pension list.
1T would seem as IF tho best plan Of
all would be for those now I'm service to
unite as far AS pDssin in a system for
procuring such a retirement fund out Of
their own salaries. and that those who
come into service hereafter be required
20 take out endowment policies In relia-
/ bic companies. secured by deposits with
the Government. providing for an annuity
- hen they become Superannuatcd.
II have gone over this question On some
. detail as member of 4 committee sDe-
Cially appointed TO investigate the matter.
The amount Of premium which would be
required OF those entering at twerty-eight
years OF agr. the average age Of admit
lance TO the classified service would not
De very large The benefit would De in
calculable. The different departments
could thus be stripped OF decaytug and
dead timber without personal suffering