Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-20
TALKS TO THE CLERKS
Mr.. Burton Addresses Retire
ment Association.
NEED PRACTICAL BILL
ORGANIZERS MUST EXPECT TO
MEET OPPOSITION.
When the Proposed Measure is Ready
the Ohio Representative Believes
Congress Will Adopt It.

when the committee of the Civil Service
Retirement Association are ready to come
forward with bill. practical and well con-
sidered. that will be self-sustaining and Will
not be drain on the treasury, then can
assure them that they will find sympathetic
advocates in Congress who will help to put
| the bill through"
This was the gist of Representative Bur
| toms message to the government employees
at the National Rifles Armory last night
The announcement was greeted with APP
| plause, for 1t was what the clerks had been
working for. They disclaimed any fnten-
! ton of burdening the treasury with civil
| service pension list, but they did want some
assurance from those in authority that they
would be allowed to pension themselves.
| In spite of the bad night there was good
| turnout of the association at the hail. Rep
resentative Theodore Burton of Ohio was
| the speaker of the evening, and the chair
| was occupied by w. w. Hite of the Interior
Department. who is the chairman of the
executive committee of the parent associa-
tion." as the Washington branch is Known
There were a number of prominent depart
ment people on the platform, among them
Mr.. J. w. Starr, the president of the Wash
| ington branch; D. D. Caldwell of the Inte-
| rior Department, secretary of the asSocia-
| ton; Mrs. Jennie L. Monroe of the general
| land Office and vice president of the associa-
| ton; w. E. Andrews, auditor of the treas
ury; Miss E. NJ. Jacobs, secretary of the
| treasury branch, and S. ]. Besselevre of
the Navy Department and a member of the
executive committee.
Preparing Bill for Congress.
Chairman Hite said that he had little to
say In introducing the speaker of the even
Ing except that the parent branch of the
association was at work a tentative bill
for presentation to Congress. One of the
best actuaries of the country was now at
work on the preliminary estimates to show
what percentage of the salary of the en-
ployes would be necessary to enable the
association to pay a reasonable annuity. AS
soon as this information was in shape at
would be published for the information of
members and prospective members of the
association.
Mr.. Burton said that he had to confess
himself learner to large extent In the
subject in which the association was so vi
tally Interested. He said that he might as
well say to them frankly that Congress
would not favor any plan that contemplated
the establishment of a civil service PEN
sion list, with its corresponding burden on
the-government, but that a practical we'll
dlgested scheme for mutual assistance and
the payment of reasonable annuity after
the employees life work was over would
meet with hearty and prompt recognition
as soon as the bill was presented He said
that he considered the scheme good one.
that 1t would relieve the government of the
burden OF carrying on its rolls number of
the old clerks, who had passed their stage
of usefulness. 1t would HELM the cIaris
themselves by making some sure. If small
provision for their old age and IT would en-
courage the subordinate by opening the way
~ surer ana more speedy promotion
Warned to Expect Opposition.
He said that the association might look
lot opposition and adverse criticism They
would be told that they could not frame
an annuity scheme that would not break
down py ats own weight, that the plan
could not be made self-supporting by a
mere assessment on the employees salary.
These criticisms were to be expected. he
said. But there was nothing in them TO
discourage the association Mr. Burton
remarked that this country in spite of
the freedom of which we are proud was
one or the most conservative In many
ways of any country In the world. Con-
trary to general opinion the people are
much welded to the old ideas and slow at
inaugurat1ng changes. Possibly the recur-
ring rebukes of the people to their elected
officers had something to do with inculcat-
Ing this caution. Anyhow, 1t was some
times very hard to get a new idea success
fully launched, and the association need
not he surprised at any amount of pre-
urinary encouragement in overcoming the !
Inertia of Congress and the people
Mr.. Burton said he had no ideas to urge
very forcefully on the association. The
matter of percentage ON the salaries neces-
sary to sustain an annuity fund would, of
course, first have to be settled by the
actuaries. AS to the age retirement limit
he had some Ideas on that subject but
his thoughts were not second thoughts and
possibly might be subject to revision on
further consideration. He did think how
ever that 1t would be mistake to have
hard and fast compulsory retirement age
There might he thought, be an age limit
at which clerk would be called before
an examining board to ascertain his fitness
for continuing in active work. This board
might retire or continue him as the In
dividual case demanded. He knew that
there were some men who were more cap
able of good work at seventy than others !
were at fifty-1ye, and these variations in
Individual capacity should not be subjected
to hard and fast rule that would force |
them out OF the service or keep them In |
irrespective of the personal fitness.
Civil Service Here to Stay.
Mr.. Burton spoke in a general way of |
the civil service compared to the spoils |
system, and said that he thought the civil |
service had come to stay because it was |
right. He even intimated that civil SER |
vice ought to be and possibly would be |
extended to municipal governments, as |
there was no reason that cities should have |
a less efficient force of workers than rail- |
roads or other private firms and corpora |
lions.
AT the conclusion of Mr. Burton's address |
the association thanked both Mr.. Burton |
An