Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-10
PENSIONS FOR CLERKS
MATTER DISCUSSED BY THE
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION.
Many Plans Discussed for Retiring
Aged and Disabled Employees
Favors Annuity Insurance.

In its annual report the United States
civil service commission discusses the ques-
lions of approximation and disability Of
employees in the government service, and
criticises the various remedies that have
been suggested for these evils. 1t is recon-
mended that committee of experts be Sc
lected, either from the public service or
otherwise to aid the President in providing
means to deal with the question.
The commission says:
The extent of approximation now in the
public service Is variously estimated Two
Investigations made under authority Of Con-
gress, one in 1893 and one in 1900, would
seem to show that the extent of this evil
at the present time has been considerably
exaggerated
"In the eight executive departments at
Washington, in 1893, there We're EDS persons
of seventy years of age and over out of H.
657 or almost exactly = per cent In 1900
there were 262 persons out of 1O,967, >or
little over per cent, while the number Of
persons OF eighty years of age and over
had actually decreased during these seven
years.
An investigation conducted by the United
States Civil Service Retirement Association
in the spring of 1902 showed that there were
only 312 persons over seventy years of age
in the departments and federal offices at
Washington out of Ia, S66, or 1.97 per cent.
1t would therefore appear that the actual
amount of approximation now in the public
service as a whole is comparatively small,
although in some special offices it Is quite
large, and 1t cannot be questioned that in
the future an increased number of persons
who have survived their usefulness may be
found in the public service.
Many Remedies Proposed.
Some of the remedies proposed for the
evils of approximation are:
"(a) Fixed terms of office.
"b) Provision for the forced retirement Of
certain percentage of employees each year.
"(c) Forced retirement at a certain age.
I'D Removals made upon recurring exam
nations and daily records of efficiency.
And in connection with the foregoing:
Il. A civil pension list.
SO. A retirement fund made up by deduc-
lions from salaries.
20. a provision requiring endowment or
deferred annuity insurance from all seek
ing admission to the civil service.
Merit Of Insurance Plan.
'"The method of requiring annuity insur-
ance payable at certain age, upon
disability occurring prior thereto, from all
those who enter the service hereafter. has
many advantages over any other system of
providing a fund for experimentation. By
this plan the government is relieved from
the responsibility and from the importuni-
ties and lobbying which are likely to follow
any system conducted directly by govern
ment agency. This system would also, by
a law of natural selection, encourage the
appointment of such clerks and employees as
are physically best qualified for their work
and least likely soon to become disabled or
superannuated, since such persons would
have an advantage in the matter Of prem
iums.
bly, intervene to secure the payment Of the
premiums by deductions from salaries, and
on the other hand, to secure the payment
of the annuities by requiring from the In
surance companies the deposit Of suitable
securities, to be approved by the proper
officers The average cost OF such annui-
ties would not be very great. For example,
a deferred annuity of ST, 600, payable after
seventy years of age, on male lives begin
entrance into the classified service through
examination), would require payments of
about S45 a year
ITO these pure deferred annuties should
be added insurance against disability, and
also Cat the option Of the Employed life
insurance, through the payment of add-
tional rates Such a plan, in its general
features, was adopted In the British prov
ince of Victoria by the act of 1890. which
required that such insurance should be
effected during the term of probation as a
policies were made non-assignable. In this
country II might be well also to have them
deposited with the government. Another
precedent Is found In the German compul-
sorry old-age insurance, adopted in 1881, for
the lower grades of the civil service.