Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-09-19
HIGH GRADE MEN WANTED.
Officers Needed in the Philippines t.

1Cun UOVernH1enU.
 Washington, D. C., Sept. 19.- American officers of the higher grades are seriously needed in the Philippines. Difficulty has been ex- perienced in inducing Americans of administrative and executive capaci- ty to remain in the service of the Philippine government and the point has been reached where some spe- cial inducement will have to be offer ed such men to continue work once begun in the archipelago.
 General Clarence R. Edwards, chief of the bureau of insular affairs, believes he has evolved a plan by which capable Americans may be at tracted to positions in the Philip pine government and induced to make their sojourn on the islands practically permanent. His idea has taken the form of civil service re- tirement law, which he proposes to consider with the Philippine com mission when he reaches Manila next month in company with Secretary Taft. A draft of the law hasbeen made by General Edwards, but it, of course, is subject to changes that may be suggested by the commission CTS and others interested. It is understood that Secretary Taft himself, approves of the law in principle and that he will do what he can to bring about it's enactment.
 The purpose of the proposed law is to incourage the best of the Amer jeans who have entered the service of the Philippine government to con- tinue in that service for a consider able period of years, in order that the government may have the bene- fit of their experience and knowl- edge. General Edwards was some- what embarrassed in drafting the law, as he regarded it as obvious that it must be made. applicable only to Americans. No inducement is necessary to get Filipinos into the government service, as the list of applications of natives always is far greater than the number of places to be filled. Places with the govern ment are almost "too good to be true" to the Filipinos, for they pay well and the natives are at home and can live on very little. With Americans it is different They are thousands of. miles from home; their living expenses are high; the climate of the islands is not satisfactory to white people generally; and the con- ditions are not favorable for long continuance in the government ser vice.
 It is proposed, therefore, to make the law applicable only to Americans in the service of the Philippine gov ernment and, probably, only to such Americans as receive salaries in ex- cess of S2,500 or $3.000 a year. No necessity exists for making the law applicable to positions of lower pay, because at all times the applications for such positions is greater than the supply. The real demand is for permanent service of the best char acter.
 It is proposed, therefore, to enact a law providing that when a citizen of the United States shall have served the Philippine government for ten or more years at an annual sal ary of not less than s3,000, he may be retired on his application and shall receive retired pay for as many years as he served the government actively. The amount of this re- tired pay has not been determined definitely. but it probably will be made fifty per cent. of the salary re- ceived by the beneficiary.
 The cost of such, a retirement law would be about s1O0.000 a year to the Philippine government. but it is believed that it would be money we'll expended.