The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-03-18
OSLER PROVISION
AROUSES VETERANS
Object to Proposal to Re-
tire Old Employees.
R { lUTI0NS ADOPTED
EncamPment Sixty Says Plan L
Against Well Being of Citizens
and Society.

The old soldiers are aroused over the
proposal in Congress to rid the Gov
eminent departments Of their elderly
employees for the reason that they are
older than they once were. The old
soldiers, their widows. and daughters.
constitute large proportion Of the
force OF the Government departments.
and they would suffer more by the en-
forcement OF an age limit dead line
than any other class.
The sentiment of the veterans was
well expressed by the resolutions
adopted without dissent, last evening.
by Encampment No. so. Union Veter-
ans Union, as follows:
Whereas the annual warfare against
old men and women In the civil service
has at last eliminated in what may be
properly termed the ~Osler provision
In the legislative. executive. and Judi
cial appropriation bill. which no mat
ter how efficient the clerk. or how well
earned his promotions. reduces his sal
airy at sixty-five 20 sl4Oo: at sixty
eight TO $1,000. and at seventy years TO
$3.50
IL also provides that after the year
OF 1913 the clerk shall be forced from
the service al the age Of seventy
whether his efficiency be good, bad or
Indifferent. In other words. his expul-
sion from Office has no other excuse
than that he has grown old In the ser
vice. Thus. for the first time In our
national history, dead lire is drawn
upon age. and hope at the SEVENTEEN
milestone Is bSnished forever from the
heart OF him who essays thus long TO
linger upon the shores of time
And whereas. 81 is plainly apparent
that the vast majority OF the men thus
designated for dismissal are veterans
OF the civil war and our comrades
Veterans Give Reasons.
7SOw. therefore. be Il resolved. By the
Union Veterans Legion. in regular ses-
March, 1906 by unanimous vote OF all its
members then present. That we earnest
" protest against the passage or sec
lion OF said appropriation bin for the
following reasons:
1t IS against the well being or both
citizen and society II wounds she in
dividual and II shsmes the state. BY
Il. the former must suffer wrong and
the latter suffer loss President Roose-
Welt has well and truthfully said: BY
far and away the best prize that this
life offers is the chance 70 work hard
and to work at something worth doing -
How can man. when he Is old. best
serve society while making his battle
against penury2 BY taking heed first
that he DO his best, and, second. that
he adhere TO that which he can best do.
What then shall be said Of the law
which takes from an old man the oppor-
tunity 70 do that which he can do best ,
A large majority OF the old men row
remaining In the civil service are vet
Grams OF the civil war. They came from
heroic struggle TO save the Union.
wounded and weak in body, but strong
and healthy in mind. They came. not
for makeshift. but TO master calling
They have succeeded in a conspicuous
degree. As law clerks. they knew the
law, and they know how 10 apply IT.
As chiefs OF divisions. they are familiar
with all strategems by which cunning
men scheme TO beat the nation" A.
reviewers of the work OF others. Their
trained eye detects errors and omissions
OF those new in the service.
Years of Honest Dealing.
Long years OF honest dealing with tho
state have established confidence and
justified the wisdom OF that confidence.
Are AL these. by cOmpulsion. 10 be turn
eli away from their high achievements
solely because they are old2 There is
not a young man or a young woman in
the civil service who is not daily advan,
tagged by the wisdom 10 be gained from
the men who nobly sacrificed in war and
are wisely serving the nation in peace.
II is unthinksble that this-new genera
ton of clerks should covet the veterans
mantle before the reasonable Tine OF
his daps r1ure-
Believing that the better angel of the
legislators nature will vet prompt him
TO behold wiser way of reforming the
civil service, We pray and we protest
IL. .L,.s l,i-.,.. -L...II