The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-30
OLD CLERKS REDUCED. ,
BLOW ABOUT TO FALL UPON
RETEREK MEN OF THE COY
ERMENT DEPARTMENTS.

Congress Preparing to CutI SaIarie;
\ and Discharge Older Employee:
Il Who Have Spent Best Years O
Life In Serving Uncle Sand
i The blow, which the older govern
; ment clerks at Washington have fol
| sometime feared, is about to fall, anC
If the House of Representatives follows
its apparent intention, the clerks o.
, 65 years old and over, will have theil
pay cut from 25 to so percent.
The investigation carried on by the
Appropriation Committee, shows thai
lover 100000 Is annually paid Il
clerks over 65 years of age, and that
II the plan proposed is carried out, over
rs percent of these will be reduced
This will mean that many faithful en-
ployees of the government, who have
grown old in the service of their coun'
try, will suddenly find their incomes
cut nearly in half.
1t is often stated that the average
government job is an easy one, with
short hours and good pay, so that there
ID something of a Discrimination
throughout the country to feel or ex-
press much sympathy for the govern
ment clerk who Is reduced, or per-
chance, dismissed for any reason. AS q
matter OF fact. however, these posi-
tons in Washington, are most trying
and improbable (unless we except a
few cases, in which the work Is tech
nicaL with the possibility of leading
to better things outside in the COM
mercial world, and after a few years
of service, leave the incumbent with
out the capability of making his way
in business, If suddenly thrown upon
his own resources.
Most of the government bureaus are
large Offices, where a clerk may be en-
gagged for years in q single line OF
work, his knowledge and experience,
although narrow and circumscribed,
thus becoming valuable to the govern
ment. In the meantime, his salary has
been barely commensurate with his liv-
ing expenses, and although some of the
government employees with thrifty
wives may have been able to buy a
modest home, the proportion Of these
In not large.
Then, after twenty years OF combining
and uninspiring labor comes his dis
charge, and he finds himself complete
ly out of touch with all former bust
ness knowledge and relations, unable
to earn as much in new line of life
as could his recently graduated son.
This would mean that the man who has
entered government service in middle
life, and through meritorious effort and
faithful endeavor has worked up to a
salary OF $1,000 or $1,000, would in his
ripe years and experience, be thrown
xVf ~ nj r1nI
has served his master faithfully but
has lost the vigorous step and stylish
action of younger animal. Had this
man been connected with big COM
mercial house for those twenty years,
his business associates would delight
to honor him with the increased salary
due to his experience and wisdom,
which had done so much toward build
ing up the structure OF their worldly
interests.
The sentiment has been freely ex-
pressed upon the floor of the House,
however, that It IL not Believed that q |
of its members will favor any
drastic measure of cutting down the
income OF faithful clerks. One plan dis
cussed by the House Committee, en-
braces provision that when any en-
ployee shall have reached the age of 70 |
years, heshall be immediately dismissed |
While $1,000 might appeartobea rea-
sonable living In the smaller towns, In |
Washington, where expenses are SO |
heavy, 1t Is q small sum for man of |
family. Old and honored government |
from the administration of /
Washington down, have resigned or
lied In the nations service, but Con-
yress In its wisdom. in these days Of un.
wonted national prosperity, seems to
De pursuing extraordinary methods to
Increase the efficiency Of the service
md to reduce the federal expenditures! |
Anent the subject, the Washington
Post says: What a kind and beneh-
cent government 1t would be that |
would cut a faithful servant, who had
served 1t for years, and who IL as eff
.ient clerk now as he was ten years
lgo, because he has reached the age of
ixty-f1ve! What an inducement to
aithfui servicel What splendid ex-
nipple Of the 'merit system" But
{ probably serves a man right for
eaching the age Of sixty-five, and be-
ng still vigorous and faithful and capa-
lie in the public service.
The Speaker Of the House, the honor
bile Joseph g Cannon. who will be
evenly years old on the 7th OF I
fay next. should see to It that his
riends on the Appropriation Com
nittee take back track on this Osler.
fish proposition. If the provision r
houid not be stricken out IN the House II
be twenty-six Senators who are over q
ixty-five, and the three others who
vill be sixty-five before this year is q
ut ought to be able to give It a Il
uietue In the Senate.