New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-04
A CIVIL PENSION LIST.
Plans for Preparing a Proper One
Data To Be Collected.
TFRow THF TRIBUNE FUREAr.l


Washington. Jan BIN order TO facilitate the
consideration of experimentation in the public
service. soon to be undertaken by the House
Committee on Reform in the Civil Service, the
Civil Service Commission has about completed
a census Of government employees Cards were
sent out asking age, length or service. status
under the Civil Service rules. title of position,
and in addition. veterans of the Civil War were
especially questioned to military service.
With this data which will he placed at the dis
posal of the committee the present month, the
Civil Service Commission hopes to assist ma
teriaIIy in formulating just and equitable meas
ure looking TO the establishment of civil pen
sion list which will retire from the government
service those who are unable satisfactorily to
perform their duties because of their physical
disabilities due TO age.
Various bills have been introduced in Congress
providing a supposed remedy for superannua-
ton IL the government service. a condition
which tends to retard. in a measure. the trans
action Of the business Of the executive depart
ments because Of the number Of employees who
have survived their usefulness. Representative
/ GiIlett OF ssachusetts. chairman of the Com
/ mittee on Reform in the Civil Service has intro
duced a measure OF this character which pro-
vides that all honorably discharged soldiers.
sailors or marines who served as such between
April t. 1861 and August p. 1865. who. upon
/ the passage of the act are seventy years of age
and serving in any executive department. or
! who served in a military civil capacity for
! thirty years both included, shall he placed on
/ the United States Civil Service retired dist with
! pension of 500 a month.
! In order to create the fund necessary to
| carry out the pension scheme. the measure pro-
vides that per cent of the salary paid to every
|
retirement fund be placed in the United States
! Treasury.
While Civil Service reformers generally favor
the retremen: proposition. opinions widely differ
as to the proper manner in which to create the
| fund necessary for that purpose. 1t is claimed
! that it would be an injustice 10 compel civil
| employees 10 contribute regularly TO a fund
! under which only veterans Of the Civil War
| would be the benehciaries. 1t is held 10 be a
! matter of doubtful expediency arbitrarily to
! withhold part Of the salary of a certain class
for the sole benefit Of another class. Congress-
! Of course has the power to reduce salaries but
| 1t is looked upon as an open question whether IL
! can sequestrate a part of a fixed salary for any
/ given purpose. These are knOtty problems
| which will be carefully and fully investigated
! by he Committee on Reform in the Civil Service
| with View 10 reporting favorably seine meas
| ure which VIII permit Of the establishment Of
| retirement fund FOR the relief Of superannuated
| government employees, and which will inure to
| the benefit Of all and the injury OF none
! Many Of the higher salaried positions in the
| government service are now held by EMPLOYEES
| who have survived their usefulness and their
| compulsory retirement on a fair pension would
| II is asserted by government officials. work a
great benefit 70 the service. II would permit Of
the infusion of energy and ability into positions
/ OF responsibility, through the promotion under
civil Service rules. Of clerks Of the lower grades
| These officials hold that such an arrangement
/ would be a combination Of good business meth
ods' with fitting recognition Of long and faith
1 full service
! 1t is pointed out by the advocates Of this
scheIfe that many large corporations through
ouu .ne country are making provision for the
! Inc large railway companies banks and other
corporations have adopted retirement methods
| proVldlng Tor their employees in their old age
ana are according TO the Civil Service Commits
| sion, unanimously Of the opinion that they are
| exercising sound business judgment Three
! hundred and eighty-sX other corpora tons have
TINS matter under consideration. and expect 10
! adopt it because they regard il as a good bust
ness proposition. In connection with this Il Is
pointed out that the Grand Trunk Railway. Of
CANADA in 1914. adopted the superannuation
system, and II has been in successful opera tion
since that time. The movement is general among
| the corporations in European countries and the
| united states stands alone among the great
powers OF the world without provision for nan-
| sioning the Civil Service F'
The Civil Service Commission has recommend
"a Ci1I d Committee OF experts he selected to
examine ahd report on a just and equitable plan
| 10 remedy Inc evils Of approximation in the
government service
The Civil Service Reform, .o,,,,. ..,.. :;
structed its president. DR.. Gilman. 10 appoint a
oIi,ilI'lee on slperannuaton. William Dudley
QUIZ former civil Service Commissioner will
/ De Inc chairman OF this committee and associat-
/ ed with him will be Richard H. Dana. of Bos-
| ION, ana other representative men 1t IS assert
ed mat the PRESIDENT is deeply Interested in This
subject, and hopes that the comrnittea In tbor
! oughly investigate the entire matter.
KEIFER WOULD RETURN TO CONGRESS