The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-12-05
SUPERANNukTED
TO BE- RETIRED
Pension Commissioner Ware
Stirs Up a Tempest in
Washington.
HAS 500 USELESS CLERKS
Zone Hundred Young Men Could Do
Their Work." Says Mr.. Ware
Would Pension Old Men,
Promotion of a "Rebel."

Washington, Nov. %. - Eugene +.
Ware, the pension commissioner, has
raised a subject which has caused
more speculation among Washington
ian than all the rumOrs about extra
sessions and tariff revisions and other
legislative possibilities. The pension
commissioner has recommended the
passage of a law retiring on a civil PEN
sion 800 superannuated clerks in this
department and the employment of 100
active young men in their places. These
100 young men would do more and bet
ter work, the commissioner from Kan
a has declared, than the 500.
One-half Of Washington Is composed
OF superannuated clerks or the friends
and relatives Of them. Last winter an
inquiry was made and in che depart
ments under the civil service were
found several octogenarians. The num-
Der, over 70 is large and over IS the
names are legion. Commissioner Ware
has called attention to a condition
which was we'll known, but had been
ignored. The government service Is
rapidly filling with the superannuated.
There is no way to retire them and they
will not resign. The only remedy the
commissioner can see is to put them on
a pension list m employ one-ffth the
number of younger persons. ,
-tsFsSTOS NboNASo
James A, Garfield, jr., the new civil
service commissioner, discussed the
history and development Of the civil
service Monday night, and his audience
Was composed Of government employees.
He dcifted int the recommendation Of
Pension Commissioner Ware n in
vited questions from his audience. No
more of the lecture was delivered. The
meeting would have lasted until day.
light If the chairman had not declared
the discussion ended n refused to let
any further questions be put. The dis
Cussion brought out the fact that the
pension commissioner has raised a
tempest in a teapot by promoting an
tX-confederate soldier.
In referring to Mr.. Wares attitude
the civil service commissioner said:
There is incentive for every mar to
do his best. Commissioner Ware is en-
deavoring to bring this condition about
in the pension office. He Is not only
promoting deserving clerks, but he Is
reducing incompetent ones. This law
is working both avs Mr.. Ware told
me that he had promoted an ex-con-
federate soldier for merit. The men In
the office complained that q "reb"
should not have received the distinc-
ton and Mr.. Ware summoned his as
sistants. He wanted to know about it,
and told them he was being deluged
with complaints. He didn't know the
clerk was an ex~-confederate when he
promoted him.
The Most Efficient Clerk.
"'You told us to send you the name
Of the most efficient clerk said an
assistant, and he is the best one there
Is in the office
Hes the man I want said Com
missioner Ware, and later he sent for
the fortunate employee and told him he
admired him for being on the confed-
crate side Of the conflict more than he
did G. man who stayed at home and
fought on neither side"
Mr.. Garfield thought the question of
Buperannuated clerks was one to be
carefully, considered. He thought the
plan of Commissioner Ware was too
broad and sweeping.