New-York tribune., 1906-12-21
UPH0LDS OLD EMPLOYEES
PROTISION FOR THE 4GED.
National CiuH Serrice League
Makes Recommendation.

The report Of a special committee of the Ma
| tional Civil Service Reform League on super
| annuation in the Civil Service and different
plans embodied in bills before Congress for the
! retirement Of civil employees part pay for old
age or disability points out that in the early
and middle part of the nineteenth century, be-
| fore any Civil Service law had been enacted,
| incompetency among oficeholders from old age
was more prevalent than it is at present. 1t
also says the present small percentage of old
employees in the Civil Service is not due to the
merit system, but TO a natural reluctance on
the part of heads of departments to dismiss the
superannuated who have rendered faithful SER
vice TO the government
Contrary to the assertions of those opposed
| TO the present Civil Service requirements and Of
other advocates of Civil Service pensions. the
report goes on TO say, Civil Service examinations
and provisions tend rather to lessen than in
crease the number of old employees. the ap
pointees are picked persons. and after some half
dozen years in the service finding promotion
slow and better opportunities in business life,
resign their places in altogether too large num-
bers. 1t says also that large proportion OF
such superannuation as exists is caused by the
special preference given to the Civil War vet
Grams, and that the prospects are there will be
in the future fewer old persons than at
present in the departments at Washington
The committee, composed OF Horace f. Dem
ing Richard Henry Dana. Henry W. Farnam
Henry w Hardon and Lucus b Swift is cp-
posed TO the various measures which have been
proposed to remedy the supposed growing
amount of superannuatlon in the Civil Service
which il asserts does not exist. 1t attacks
specifically the Perkins bill introduced in Con-
gress last May, which provides for retirement
pay after seventy and incapacity before that
age, and also for refund separation from
the service assessing for the purpose per cent
OF all salaries. The Brownlow hill. introduced
last January, also meets with It's disapprOval
This bill provides for assessment of 3 per
cent for the retirement fund, besides a contribu-
ton to IL OF one-twelfth of the first years sal
ary, and Of one-Quarter of the first years in
crease in salary in case OF promotion. These
plans, besides being unnecessary under present
conditions the committees report asserts, are
expensive. impose an unfair burden on the
younger appontees for the benefit of the older
ones now in the service and would make it
harder for the heads OF departments 10 remove
employees for cause, especially in the of
the Brownlow bill where such separation from
the service would deprive the employe of the
benefits OF the fund TO which he had contributed
SO heavily.
If any system of compulsory old age pro-
vision is deemed necessary, however. the COM
mittee is in favor of the Australian system,
adopted at Victoria in 1890. by which new ap-
pontees TO the Civil Service are required take
out deferred annuity policies during the period
OF probation a prerequisite to final appoint
ment The policies made non -assignable
! and non-attachable. 1t has learned, it says,
that some OF the large insurance companies
would be willing 10 make sufficient deposits OF
good investments with the United States Treas
ury 10 secure these annuiues. and that they
would welcome federal supervision.
The committee summarizes its conclusions :
follows:
The retention OF employees in the Civil Service of
the United States is no longer than in the service
Only IL per cent Of the employees in the eAecu-
tive civil Service throughout the country are over
The The number OF i 3hese is not Sa nereasns @ and r
! 10 decrease the number Of old employees.
service ser; ON an average. once in ~ Years BY far
competitive appointses seeking better places out
only 81 per cent of employees now in the service,
VINO are over siXty-nve years old, entered through
/ THOSE over seventy do threefourths of the maxi
mum M quantity OF WORK performed by thoroughly
,se The e0ysrnms4t,s loss from inefcisncy Of rs
| salary. equals only 81 10000 a year -
A, Eyil ,,S pension list ,he English basis would
civil pension systems have been sources Of great
port in the United States S9 not receive popular sup
Old, Old age provisions, based funds raised by
}n1Se n & yet proposed are quite sure to he inadequate
| IA tle SiIu ana United States government is
made the trustee, doubtless II will be compeied 10
In2ke up Ihs deficit, and will thus repeat the his
| tory or the English civil pension list
ANY pension system tends 10 make ofrca a nror
| eTty right OF the incumbent ~ P'"P-
| following dilenmas. O''S7 uhe TWO
First-Either II applies only to those entering
the service hereafter. 10 the present sorce ne
Wen II me FORMER plan Is adopted the goyern-
menI has y 10 "a hadyantage over a mutual Insurance
company II the latter then the tba
civil Service unustly hurdened foT tbe hereet
/ older 81 ''S DeheiI
second~i3ither it involves a refund ,,nor ao.,h
resignation or removal service or il does
| not II me refund is made. the nlouoy Teuured is
! ebFiolsly more than could be raised bv auV rea-
I sp.aole ASSESSMENT II none ie made an Injustice