Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-23
SEVENTY-YEAR LIMIT
What the Clerks Think of the
Gillet Bill.
OPINION ALL ONE WAY
RETIREMENT ON SELF-RAISED
FUNDS APPROVED.
Caustic Comments Inspired by the
OPINION ALL ONE WAY
Caustic Comments Inspired by the
Government Workers.

The Star has in the course of the present
week received a large number of communi-
cations on the subject of the bill which has
just received the unanimous approval of
the House committee on civil service, pro-
viding for the dismissal, after June 30, 1907,
of all government employees in the classified
service who have reached the age of sew
enty years 1t Is impossible to print all of
these letters, or even the full text of all
that are selected for publication, but those
excerpts that follow sufficiently attest to
the prevailing sentiment among the gov
eminent clerks:
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
l thank you for your vigorous editorials
condemnlng the monstrosity lately incu-
bated In the House of Representatives re-
firing clerks arbitrarily at the age of sew
enty and without provision for their old
age If a rider is attached devising ways
and means for the clerks to provide a fund
In the nature of an annuity, the bill, with
some alterations. would be benefit and
blessing. AS 1t is 1t is a detriment and
curse. In certain other countries clerks
are retired after thirty-five years service,
with seven-tenths of their salary. or are al
lowed to remain as long as they desire at
the whole salary. If they remain they are
giving their services for three-tenths or
their salary, consequently most resign, and
they are among the most respected and es-
teemed citizens of the community BY the
provisions of the Gillet bill many of them
would become paupers In their old age. Inc
fund of information by experience accumu-
lated by aged clerks Is invaluable. VINO
would care to burden his memory with sucn
matter knowing that he would be cast on
the world at the hale age of seventy? what
Young man of vigor and intellect will re-
main in the public service If such menace
to his declining years is passed. Suppose a
clerk does acquire competence, 1t may pe
swept away at any moment. And the
clerks who accumulate property are not al
WAYS the best. The younger Pitt ana
Daniel Webster both died in debt Many
of the ablest men in Congress are poor. Inc
same is true of the clerks.
The proper thing, the humane thing, the
beneficial thing to all parties TO do is 10
fix an age at which clerks may retire,
leaving 1t optional with them to do so, pro-
vided their superiors are satisfied, ana al
the same time devising scheme by Wnich
the clerks must pay in a sum to provide,
saw from $50 a month upward after retire
ment This. as l said, will benefit the serY-
ice, the clerks and the community and Will
save the statute books from being dis
graced by the brutal and dangerous Gillet
bill am a young man, in the prime of
my physical and mental vigor, and If some
such bill as / have outlined Is not passed,
and especially If the Gillet bill is passed, l
shall sever my connection at the earliest
POSSIBLE
not only inappreciative, but heartless.
A. c. c.
To the Editor OF The Evening Star:
The wise and benefcent measure pre-
scented by Representative Gillett for the
retirement of superannuated government
employees Is probably the most brilliant So
IL ton of a vexed question that has been
presented to Congress since the close of the
civil war. The numberless symposiums of
the committee the collection of data from
great railroad and other corporations, and
the intricate calcula lions of life insurance
actuaries. all combined to point unerringly
to the fact that a faithful. efficient, intelli-
gent government employe who had reached
the age of seventy years had justly earned
the privilege of being unceremoniously
kicked out. / have been informed by OH
Gals of younger years who have charge OF
large numbers of employees that many or
the clerical force who have passed the fatal
nj mber years are among the most val
able helpers. Many of these older men in
years ir the service are ofttmes spoken OF
as walking encyclopedias OF useful 1nforma-
ton As this presumption is of universal
application, let IL be tested with another
class of government officials Let an amend
ment be added in the Senate applying 10
their own membership, and the result Will
be to retire instanter. from Alabama, Sem
ators Morgan and Pettus: Colorado, Teller;
Connecticut. Platt and Hawley; Georgia.
Bacon; Illinois, Cullom; Iowa, Allison; Ken
lucky, Blackburn and McCreary; Louisiana,
McEnery: Maine, Hale and Frye; Maryland
German; Massachusetts, Hoar; Michigan
Burrows and Alger; Missouri, Cockrell;
Montana, Gibson: Nebraska, Willard; Ne
vada Stewart; New York, Platt and De-
pew; Oregon, Mitchell; Pennsylvania, Quay;
Tennessee, Bate; Vermont Proctor; Wash
ington, Foster, with quite number more
in the very near future. This list OF
ancient worthless is proof as positive as
holy writ" that decay of the physical
body weakening of the mental powers and
inability to render quid pro quo occurs at
the SEVENTEEN birthday.
To the Editor OF The Evening Star:
The average salary of the clerks is prob
ably between 81. 400 and 81 500. The clerk
tries to raise a family and may even de-
sire to educate his children. He conse-
quently reaches the age of seventy without
sufficient accumulated means for his future
maintenance. Therefore. 1 respectfully sug
gest to the committee that a provision be
added to the bill, ere 1t becomes law. look
ing to the furnishing of means whereby vet
eran clerks and their wives may be dispos-
ed of in the manner practiced by the city
dog catcher in the case of the ownerless
ours. In view of the humanity and broad
mindedness already displayed by the COM
mittee, / feel assured other means falling
that they would cheerfully devote one per
centum of their own salaries toward the ex-
ecution of this worthy and logical dernier
pas of their plan: c. S.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
| want to thank you for your editorials
on the Arbitrary Age Limit in the CLASH
fled service of the United States. They are
absolutely correct and cover the ground
completely. If there has been a single
objection found with the committee of the
House against retirement pension created
by assessments upon the employees within
the classified civil service l have never
learned of 1t. and have. through the kind
ness of the committee, been furnished with
copies of all the hearings before the COM
mittee. l have made great effort to deter
mine what the feeling among the en-
ployes upon the subject and have been
agreeably surprised with the unanimity
with which the employees favored the as
sessment plan. / cannot see wherein the
government could suffer by the passage OF
such Il law. If the object of the bill lust in