The Delta independent., 1906-04-06
OLD CLERKS REDUCED.
BLOW ABOUT TO, FALL CPON
VETEREN MEN OF THE COY
ERMENT DEPARTMENTS.
Congress Preparing to Cuta Sa rie:
and Discharge Older EMPLOY ees
Who Have Spent Best Year o,
Life in Serving Uncle Sam.

Life in Serving Uncle Sam.
The blow, which the older go, ern
ment clerks at Washington have 10
sometime feared, is about to fal4. ant
If the House Of Representatives follow
its apparent intention, the clerha o
60 years old and over. will have 'nel
pay cut from 25 to so percent
The investigation carried on l.! III
Appropriation Committee, show ma
over $2,000,000 Is annually pa Il
clerks over 65 years of age, an la
If the plan proposed is carried OIL vNr
IS percent of these will be reilred
This will mean that many faithful IN
ployees of the government, who aav'
grown old in the service Of their III
try, will suddenly find their in one
cut nearly in half.
1t is often stated that the a'vras
government job is an easy one ~.tl
short hours and good pay, SO thai ,n"r
is something of disinclil1'i iOI
throughout the country to feel "l X
press much sympathy for the e"nrrn
ment clerk who is reduced, o. 'er
chance. dismissed for any reason A.
matter of fact, however, these posi-
| tions in Washington. are most ~ IN
and Improbable tunless we exc
few cases, in which the work l. ,'7'h
nical. with the possibility Of leadu.
| to better things outside in the rom
mercial world, and after a few lcarl
OF service. leave the incumbent with
out the capability of making his wal
in business. IL suddenly-thrown 4I0I
his own resources.
Most of the government bureau ar
large Offices. where a clerk may BE- IN
gagged for years in single liue o
work, his knowledge and experlence
although NARROW and circumscriD e,!
thus becoming valuable to the govern
ment In the meantime, his salary ha
| been barely commensurate with hi liz
ing expenses. and although some OF III
government employees with Thrift!
wives may have been able to bul
nodes, home. the proportion Of 'h"s'
is not large.
Then. after twenty years Of conf Il!
and uninspiring labor. comes his dis
| charge. and he finds himself com p's'e
ly out OF touch with all former uusi
ness knowledge and relations. uEabl
| to earn as much in a new line " LII
as could his recently gradua'ed son
This would mean that the man Who ha
entered government service in middle
life. and through meritorious EFFORT an,
faithful endeavor has worked up to
salary of $1,000 or $500. woult in hi
ripe years and experience, be throwl
out on the world, like an old hose. VIII,
has served his master faitht Ily bu
has lost the vigorous step am stylisl
| action OF younger animal. Nad thi
| man been connected with a 'HS com
merciai house for those twcni' years
III, la1s ssvh
to honor him with the increase salar!
| due to his experience and Wisdom
which had done so much toward build
ing up the structure of thciI worldl!
interests.
The sentiment has been freely ex
pressed upon the floor of the House
however. that IL is not believed that Z
majority of its members will Ia' or an!
drastic measure of cutting down th'
income OF faithful clerks. One p,an dis
cussed by the House Committee, EN-
| braces a provision that when any EN-
ployee shall have reached the axe OF a
years. he shall he immediately Il >misset
While $1,000 might appcarto''ca rea
sonable living in the smaller towns, II
Washington, where expenses are 81
heavy. It Is n small sum for a man o
family. Old and honored Eov"rnmen
employees, from the administration o
Washington down, have resigned o.
died In the nations service. but Con
gress In its wisdom. in these DAYS OF un
wonted national prosperity. seems Il
be pursuing extraordinary methods t.
increase the efficiency of the service
and to reduce the federal expenditures
Anent the subject. the Washington
Post says: What Il kind and henefl
cent government II would hr that
would cut faithful servant. who had
served II for years, and who is ns eff
clent clerk now as he was ten years
ago. because he has reached the age OF
sixty.fivc! What an induccmcnt te
faithful service! What n splendid eX
ample OF the "merit system" But
II probably serves n man right fol
reaching the age Of sixty-fve. and BE-
Ing still vigorous and faithful and cafa
bic in the public service.
The Speaker Of the House. the honor.
able Joseph G Cannon. who will be
seventy years old on the Ith Of
May next, should see to II that his
friends on the Appropriation Com.
mittcc take back track on this Osler.
itish proposition. II the provision
should not be stricken out in the House
the twcnty.six Senators who are over
sixty-tive. and the three others who
will be sixty-tive before this year Is
out ought to he able to give It a
luietus In the Senate.