The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-11-27
AGED CLERKS.

terror the commissioner OF Pensions says
Il have in my Bureau many worthy EN-.
ployees who have served their country and
who are suffering from the disability both
of war and age. 1t will be only very
short time before there will be in my Blu.
reau 500 persons who will be practically
incapacitated for the intricate and difficult
duties devolving upon them in the adju-
dication of pension claims.
Congress should make some arrange
ment by which these men can be retired
from duty. They must be taken care Of
To discharge them in large numbers as
soon as they have become unserviceable,
which will be very soon, would cause very
great pain and suffering.
IF 500 superannuated clerks could be
retired and 100 ;Oung men put in their
places. l could very greatly improve the
service and augment its speed, besides saw
ing much money"
This is not n condition peculiar to the
Pension Bureau, but applies equally to
every other Department of the public SER
vice. All the Departments were greatly
enlarged during and Immediately after the
rebellion, and a great number of clerks
brought in who are now approaching old
age, if they have not already attained that.
A very large proportion of these are vet
Grams or veterans widows, who were given
positions in recognition of meritorious ser
vice to the country. During all these
years they have made the very best of
clerks, and in many instances have been so
valuable as to be Indispensable. In spite
of the pretense of the Civil Service the
class of employees now brought in is not up
to the average of the clerks who came in
directly from military and naval service.
They took the civil service of the United
States, which was then in formative and
unsatisfactory condition, and built it up to
the very best civil service in the world.
This was before the Civil Service Com
mission began its operations. While a
very large percentage of these clerks are
still doing superior work-possibly the
best that they ever did-a certain proper
ton of them are suffering from failing
powers, and all must look forward to the
time when it shall be true of each of them.
The question is therefore a burning one
in every way as to what shall be DONE
This was settled some years ago in the
army and navy by retiring naval officers
at 62, and army officers at GA, on three
fourths of their active pay. The justice of
doing something like this for the clerks
has been apparent to everyone, but so far
all efforts to establish system of retire.
ment has been frustrated by the repug-
nsnce of the people to the establishment of
a civil pension list, such as other civilized
countries have. Yet the man or woman
who has given 30 or 40 years to per-
fecting himself or herself in the re-
quirements of the Governments cleri-
cal business, is as untitled for other
occupations as an officer in the army
or navy would be, and deserves equal con-
sideration. 1t goes without question that
it is good public policy for the Government
to encourage honesty and fidelity, by the
to the clerk that in his old age
he shall not be turned out to starve. The
clerks themselves have from time to time
made strong efforts to organize retirement
associations, but these have invariably |
been defeated by the greed of the younger,
who do not want to give up any portion of
their present salaries to provide fund
for the retirement of the older clerks.
The Commissioner Of Pensions recon-
mends that Congress shall take this mat |
ter up and provide for it by special legis-
lation, and the Secretary of the Interior
indorses his recommendation That Con-
gress should do this seems to us beyond
question. 1t is strongly in line with the
experience of all other countries, and leav-
ing out entirely the humane side, the ex-
pediency of the thing in encoura ging the
very best to enter the public service hardly
needs demonstration.