Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-12
CIVIL PENSION LIST
General AinsWorth Heard by
House Committee.
CLERKS RETIREMENT
FAvoRS 1T AS A GOOD BUSINESS
PROPOSITION.
Departments, He Claims, Would Be
Relieved of Incompetent and Super
animated Employees.

Gen. F. c. Ainsworth chief of the rec
ord and pension office of the War Depart
ment at hearing before the House COM
mittee on reform of the civil service this
morning, declared that he hoped to live to
see the day when the government would
establish d national, academy for the
training of young neil for employment in
the civil service in the same manner that
the military and naval cadets are trained
at West Point and Annapolis. He also
strongly advocated a retired list for the
civil service employees arguing that only in
this way could the efficiency of the service
be improved and the subject of superannu-
alton dealt with.
The civil service committee of which Rep
resentative Gillett of Massachusetts is
chairman, is conducting hearings on the
subject of the bills stfsat have been intro
duced at this session suggesting schemes
for retirement pensions. etc. among the
department. employees. Gen. Ainsworth made
one OF the mos inteTestIhg statements yet
heard. He declared he had for more than
twenty years devoted much thought to the
subject. 1t was at the conclusion of his
that he touched upon the project
of a national academy. saying:
Security of Tenure.
II believe that the time will come. and
hope to live to see it, when every perma-
nent branch Of the civil establishment will
be placed on an equality with the army and
navy IN respect to tenure of office, promo
ton and retirement of its personnel l also
hope to see the establishment of a national
academy, similar to those at West Point
and Annapolis, in which the government
shall train young men for it's civil service
them
and naval services. All this may be an
irideScent dream, but ! hope and believe II
is not. l hope that some of those who are
interested and active in civil service reform
will sooner or later turn their efforts In
the direction l have indicated There is a
great work for them to do there and one
which bids fair to be productive of more
beneticent results than any upon which
they are now engaged.
Representative Lacey suggested that such
a school might create ii class
Gen Ainsworth declared that graduates
OF such a school would. be representatives
Of the people, for the plan would include
the appointment of students by senators
and representatives, Just as is now the
case at West Point and napolis.
And / want to say" he added, that no
class of government officials are more thor
oughly representatives of the people than
the officers of the army and navy. The
cadets for the service are, appointed direct
ly from the people by the direct represent
atlves of those people.
Favors Retirement System.
Gen. Ainsworth argued that retirement
system would result in imme asurable i'm
provement to the civil service system. He
pointed out the high morale and the
of the military and naval services,
and said he believed It was the life tenure,
with certainty of the future that kept the
gifted m en- in the service, when their abili-
ties would command greatly increased COM
peIsa ton in other walks of, life He pro-
posed a retirement plan fashioned after
that of the army.
Representative Lacey asked Gen Aims
worth if he thought it was fair to the men
who may be called upon to take their life
in their hand at any moment in the service
of their country to place the civil employees
in the same category as to the retirement
and pensions, when the latter take nothing
but pens in their hands and sit in a COM
Portable office.
A Business Proposition.
General Ainsworth replied that the civil
plan would not embrace all the advantages
OF the military plan. In the civil service the
would be only on the grounds of
old age and long service, not for disability
He declared further that he was not urg-
ing the adoption of the system in the inter
est of the employe, but in the interest of
the United States service. He disclaimed
all interest in the matter from the stand
point of the employe. He brought the mat
ter forward as a plain business proposition,
calculated to increase the efficiency of the
government service,
Gen. Ainsworth was asked his opinion of
the plan to require the annual dismissal of
a certain percentage of employees in serv-
ice and the appointment of the same num-
Der of new men. He said it would accom-
plish the end desired if the discretion as to
the dismissals were not left with the bu-
reau chiefs. The great abuse of the civil
service system he declared rests today
with these bureau Chiefs whose sympa-
thies are played upon, and who are more
Or less subject to influence. They cannot
be brought to dismiss an old man who has
rendered many yearsaSof faithful service
and has been in the same room, perhaps,
for long term of years. Gen. Ainsworth
explained that for this same reason no
plan of requiring a re-eXamination and APP
pointment every five years would be sue
ceSsful if the examination were left to the
department chiefs.
Cost of Retired List.
In response to questions from members
of the committee Gen. Ainsworth stated the
estimated cost of retired list in the civil
service If the age of retirement We're
placed at sixty-four years as in the army,
the cost would be onea three-fo urths pay
basis. 1919 per cent of the active list. If
DIT
would be 6.75 per cent of the active list.
If the age of retirement be placed at sew
enty years the cost at three-fourths pay
would be 525 per cent of the active list,
and at half pay $50 Per cent of the active
list.
"It goes without saying" said Gen. Aims
worth in the course of his general statement
on the subject of approximation, that
whenever an employee of the civil establish
ment. by reason of age or any other cause,
becomes unable to renderta reasonable re-
turn in service for the salary paid him it is
the plain duty of his bureau chief and the
head of his department to cause his reduc-
ton in grade or his discharge from the
service
recommend or order the dismissal or re-
due ton. in his old age. OF an empioye who
has rendered many years of faithful and
pffioient service. who probably has no
means of support other than his salary,
and with whom no fault can be found other
than that he has become worn out in the
public service In such case sentimental
considerations usually prevail, the call of
duty is neglected and the old employe re-
tains his position, virtually a pensioner
while the duties which he should perform
nh1ro NV ther