New-York tribune., 1906-12-22
AGAINST CIVIL PENSIONS.

The report of the special committee of the
National Civil Service Reform League on super
annuation In the Civil Service and plans for re-
tirement pensions is worthy OF special attention
because II shows that the great body of Civil
Service reformers are fighting against the ten
dency for which the merit system is frequently
but, we believe, unjustly reproached, or making
public Office private property and of saddlng on
the taxpayers the burden Of incompetent EN-
ployes II is also worthy OF attention because 1t
demonstrates that the merit system is not re-
sponsible for the evils of superannuation, but
that on the contrary, those evils were much
worse under the spOils system, and the examlna-
tions tend TO lessen the number OF incompetent
employees and bring into office young and amb-
tious persons who in q few years leave the ser
vice for better opportunities In private life and
make way for other young and ambitious per-
sons whereas the spoils system tended TO bring
men into the service who were past their useful
ness and either keep them there year after year
or turn them out to make way for others equally
unfit.
The committee shows that the present superan-
nuated list is made up largely Of Civil War vet
erans whose preferment is a matter of national
sentiment. Even with these. only IL per cent OF
the employees in the executive Civil Service are
over seventy years old, and the average Of en-
pIoyment under the government is no longer
than in the service of the great railroads. Only
81 per cent of the employees now In the service
who are over sixty-five years old entered by
competitive examination. and in the classified
service designations and removals are rapid
enough to effect change in the whole body once
in twelve and half years BY far the greater
number of designations are among the employees
in the competitive class. These facts suft-
ciently demonstrate the unsoundneSs of the argu-
ments Of the GrosvenOrs, Baileys and others,
who charge the merit system with producing
dry rot in the service, and oppose it on the
ground that it's logical outcome is the pension
system.
The merit system does not logically lead 10
civil pensions. On the contrary, its tendency TO
make career of public employment is an argu-
ment against the necessity of pensions. In all
the lower grades of the public service the pay is
as high the pay for similar work in private
employment. and the average man or woman is
able I'm Office as out of It TO lay up money for
sickness old age. Certainly the emplOye who
is not likely TO be dismissed during good behav-
for has as little need of pension as the favor
ite Of the spOils system who may have TO begin
a search for new employment as the result of
political Overturn. Nor Is there any practical
need Of civil pensions at present. We hear loud
complaints about the ineficiency of old govern
ment employees. As we have noted some of them
are kept for sentimental reasons regardless of
the merit system. Others, because of the inef-
cheney Of their superiors, are kept, or were kept
until they are now so old that II would be
cruelty TO turn them adrift. These superiors
when they blame the merit system for 1t, in ef-
feet confess that they would have had the heart
TO discharge these employees in cold blood for
political reasons, but did not have the heart to
exercise their power of removal for the good OF
the service. But even with all these incOmpe-
tents, as the committee shows, the government
loss from the ineficiency of superannuated en-
ployes amounts 10 only 81 100000 year.
This is considerable loss, indeed, but It is a
mere tride beside the cost of any possible pen
sion system proposed TO relieve the departments
Of this inefficient labor. civil pension list on
the English basis would cost s19000OO0 a year
for the classified service alone, and no system OF
pensions made up OF the contributions OF en-
ployes has yet been devised which does not lay
great and incalculable burden on the government
as a partner In the scheme or impose q great
injustice on younger employees The committee
believes that the only feasible plan OF enforced
provision for approximation is the Australian
form OF deferred annuitles. This plan forces all
candidates for employment TO take out policy
with an insurance company and maintain it dur
ing their service. Employees Of the government
are thus protected against the evils Of super
annuation while each person bears the burden
OF providing for himself. We are glad TO see the
league take this emphatic stand against civil
pensions and seek TO free the merit system
from the reproach OF furthering the dangerous
and corrupting idea that public offices are the
private property Of those who happen to become
intrenched in them that the government ever
after owes them support.