The Washington times., 1904-01-05
NO ACTION TO URGE
CIVIL PENSION LIST
Civil Service Commission
Thinks Time Is Not Ripe.
TOO MANY IRONS IN FIRE NOW
Commissioner Greene Thinks withhold
ing Small Percentage of Salary of
Employees Most Feasible Plan.

No official action will be taken by the
Civil Service Commission as a commits
sion in the matter OF urging a plan To
pension superaunuated members of the
civil service. The members of the ccm-
mission have been consulted by tht.sc
woo are interested in the plan, but they
have not officially taken action Com
missioner Greene said this morning:
The commission has too many irons
IN the fire at this time 20 take an ac-
tive part in any scheme for the pension
ing Of superanuuated employees OF the
Government You may say we will do
nothing along that line for the present.
NV opinion is IL would be we'll 10
wait while and get the civil service
laws in fun operation as a permane'it
and Successful Institution. Then &. will
be time for the commission TO consider
tho question Of pensions.
A Practicable Solution.
The most feasible scheme seems 10
be that OF holding back a small per-
centage of the salary OF each employe
to pay the premiums on an endowment
policy in some strong life insurance
company. That was suggested by the
commission several years ago and APP
pears to be the most practical solution
Of the problem. imagine the compan-
les. in view of sthe large increase of
business that would result from con-
tract to insure Government employees.
would be willing to make concessions
in the character of risks accepted and
that each person in the service would be
able TO take out a policy.
-The whole question Of pensioning
employees is complicated and viii require
careful study. BY enforced retirement
Of those who have outlived their use
fulness the service will receive an in
fusion of young blood. and proper APP
plication of the civil service laws and
rules Will cause men who have gained
the experience which qualities them foz
a promotion to obtain the Vacated
places.
But pensions to those who are super
animated are not the only features TO
be considered. Many Government en-
plOyes go through great peril and hard
ship in the discharge Of their duties.
and many Of them are entirely or par
TALLY incapacitated. Some provision
should be made for those who have
wrecked tlleir lives for The comnion good
and the proper regulation Of pensions
In such cases calls for careful study. Z"
Mr.. Gillett's Bill.
! For the benefit Of the Committee on
/ Reform OF the Civil Service a census of
employees of the Government has been
taken. The complete record Of the
/ clerks was obtained and the records ,yal
be used AS basis for any scheme fOl
pensioniug them. Representative Gil
I lett Of Massachusetts, chairman Of the
committee, has already introduced a bill
/ for civil service pensions His bill APP
plies to veterans OF the civil war and
/ provides that those who are in the Gov
/ eminent service AMI are more than sew
I enty years old or who are not seventy
4 years old. but have been in the civil
service thirty years. shall be retired on
/ a pension Of $50 per month. To pay the
/ pensions Of this special and favored
class all other Government employees are
/ to have per cent Of their salaries de-
Quoted
The proposition TO make the other
members OF the service provide fund
/ for the payment Of special pensions "a
veterans, the greater number of whom
are already drawing war pensions, is
! meeting with strong opposition and II
I Is not thought that II Will pass.