The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-28
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
report of the Committee on Those
Who Are Superannu ated.

New York, Jan. 27.-The report
OF the Committee of the Ma
uonal Civil Service Reform League on the
question of provision for those who be-
come superannuated in the civil service
OF the government contain several points
OF interest. The committee says:
II is very difficult for public officials.
unless compelled by some stringent reg
u-auons, TO discharge subordinates who
nave become incapable from old age when
THESE suoordinates have been faithful in
the past and are absolutely dependent on
their salaries for support. The extent of
this evil it is hard to ascertain, some
experienced officials considering il great
er than others. 1t is true that mere
age tables do not tell the whole story.
Some men at 70 have more vigor than
others at 80. Yet as an average, 70 may
be taken as the general ago of the end
OIL activity. In the United States Army
Of is the age of retiring. In the civil SER
wee the requirements are not so exactins
on the physical forces as i'm the army
with the exception of a few small depart
ments like the Railway Mail Service. 1t
is TO be remembered in this connection
that experience and know edge of the
history of a department make a man, too
GA 70 enter new employment, yet invalua-
Every man of business is familiar with
such cases. If we assume then that about
as many over 10 are thoroughly useful as
under 1t are incapable from old age, I'VE
may use 70 as a fair basis for obtaining
an approximate estimate of the situation
In the eight departments at Washington
IN 1893 there were 22S persons of 10 years
of age and over out of II 1857, or almost
exactly per cent. In 1900, the only other
year for which the data are accessible
we ind there are 262 of 20 years of age
ana over out of 1885, or a little over 2
per cent, making an increase in seven
years IN the ratio of 2-7 in 10000, while
the number of persons of 50 years AMI
over has actually decreased in those
seven years. In the New York Postofiics
IN lsVO there were only q Of 70 years of
age and over, out of 1851 employees, or
less than 6.10 of l per cent.
our committee unanimously recon-
mend as the best remedy for superan-
nuation a system requiring fife insurance
on the deferred annui plan by all en-
ployes durir probation, as a prereuuis tie
TO final Apo ntmsnt, the policies to be
non-assignable and in government con-
troll; and to be secured by deposits from
the insuring companis in government
control; those employees still capable and
useful at the fixed age to be allowed
to stay. in the service at regular salary,
on condition that their arnuities go to
surplus fund with which to pay annui-
ties to those under that fixed age who
have become inca able from age and
through no fault of their own, and sys-
TEN of daily records of efficiency, COM
bined perhaps with recurring inspection
by government physician and in some
cases, with exami at ons, to determine
who can stay in over the fixed age and
who below it are to share in the surplus
anhuties. The exact age at which the
annuities would normally be payable,
varying perhaps for different kinds of
service, the amount of annui Y to be paid
for in the various grades, the age and
conditions under which the surplus annui-
ties are paid to those superannuated be-
low the normal age, and all other details
necessary to ca ry out the plan as more
fully outlined heretofore. should be fixed
by regulations to be drawn by some
special commission c. mro-ed perhaps of
the civil service c9nimi 81 n and some ex-
perienced officials of the departments APP
pointed by the Pres dent. 1t might be
well to apply this system to a portion
only of the Gas flied civil service, say
to the departments at Washington. and
the larger 20 t-oftices and Gust m-houses,
just as was done when the civil service
law was first put in operation, and then
extend the system as fast as the COM
mission, with the approval of the Presi-
dent may deem eXpedient.