The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-18
A PENSION OFFICE PROBLEM.
Superannuation of Clerks Becoming q
Serious Question There.

Washington Letter in Chicago Post
Commissioner Ware will probably apply
to Congress at its next session for an IN
creased approprist ton for clerk hire or some
other means of relieving the Pension Ofnce
staff of its present burden or superannua-
ton. Among the data which he has peen
collecting in connection with the WINDING
up of the affairs of his bureau for the riscal
year just ended is a schedule showing the
ages of the clerks. and N has resulted III tne
discomforting discovery that by far the
larger part of them are more than nifty
years of age-ten years, at least, past the
age of best activity for such tasks as they
have to perform. This Is the natural con-
sequence of the practice which has always
prevailed since the office attained anythlngs
like its present proportions and Importance
of having the bulk of its work done by
veterans of the civil war, on the theory that
men who have gone through the expert
ences of soldiers in the field would have
keener sympathy in looking out for the
rights of their comrades. All except
small number of these veterans are now
we'll past the prime OF life. Even those who
served only as very young men dor the lasI
year OF the war are ten years past the
half-century mark.
Some of the old men are well preserved,
and still capable Of doing good service Tor
seven hours a day. But each OF the iast
two or three fiscal years has seen 10 per
cent. of the force drop into the group tf;at
have TO be practically retired. The situa-
tion is a painful one. An aged man came
to the commissioner the other day and
practically threw up his hands. Il have
reached the point now" said he, when
L must do something for the relief of my
mind have got so that i wake up in the
night and turn one of my difficult cases over
and over in my thoughts. 1 can't control
my brain and keep it from working, ana IL
is wearing me out.
Such confession points with sure fin
ger to paresis. Not few of the clerks
have actually succumbed and become help
less. They cannot be turned adrift in their
OLD age. On the other hand, 1t is inhuman
to demand that the work of every one who
drops by the wayside shall be distributed
and added to the burdens of those who still
keep ON. for there is limit to the strength
of the best.
Meanwhile Congress is heaping up duties
for the office staff. Three measures recently
passed have contributed each its large share
to an issue of some 1900 new certificates
during the year A constant increase or
work TO be done by a constantly decreas-
ing number of clerks presents a serious
problem for the lawmakers to solve. Either
the roll of employees must be increased or
there must be created a retired list'-the
civil pension system which has been long
threatened and vigorously resisted. 1t may
be that the Pension Office, the institution
which has received most attention from
Congress during the last twenty years of
legislation, will be the scene OF the first es-
Establishment of some such approximation
plan as has been advocated by ex-Commis-
sioner Foulke, or a few other civil-service
reformers. 1t is certain that things cannot
go on longer on their present basis.