Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-12
TO BAR AGED CLERKS
Drastic Provision in the Legis-
Iative Appropriation Bill.
DISCHARGE OR REDUCTION
Alternative Made Mandatory on
Heads of Departments.
EXCLUDING INCAPACITATED
Probable That the Limitation Will
Be Knocked Out by the Senate
if It Passes the House.
DISCHARGE OR REDUCTION
EXCLUDING INCAPACITATED

The specter of legislative superan-
| nuation provision. that for many years has
stalked before the eyes of the thousands
OF government clerks in Washington as
a dreaded antithesis of the civil pension
scheme. is materialized in the legislative.
executive and judicial appropriation bill.
reported to thu House from the commit
! tee OH appropriations. The members of
this committee. most of whom oppose the
very thought of civil pension list. have
| been trying for some years to devise a
means OF Kidding the government service
| OF those clerks who. having given the
best years OF their life to the exacting de-
mands of the governmental routine. even
tually become unable, by reason of age and
infrmites. to perform the work assigned
them as weii-both with regard to quality
and Quantity-aS when in their prime.
To Bar the Incapacitated
In the bill just reported the committee
believes that from it's own point of view
at least 1t has solved the difficulty Ger
tainly it has endeavored to cut the
Gordian knot. The provision in question.
which is No. 3 in the list of limitations
surrounding the expenditure of money
recommended under the measure, is as
follows:
The appropriations here made for the
officers clerks and persons employed in
the public service shall not be available
for the compensation o. any persons in
capacitated for performing the service
ployed and the heads of departments shall
cause this provision to be enforced either
by the demOtion O. removal of such per-
son from the public service
AS can readily be seen from perusal
of the foregoing para graph, the demotion
or removal of supe erannuated clerks is not
left to the discretion Of heads of de-
partmerts. but is made mandate Y. More
over the provision gives the widest pos
Sible latitude to these department heads
as to the Interpretation Of the language
tncapacited for performing the service
for which such person has been en-
ployed.
In effect this provision is designed to
carry out the recommendations that have
been made to Congress from time to time
by young. active and energetic heads of
departments. who reach the conclusion
before the ink on their commissions is dry
that for many years the work of the gov
ernment has been carried on in an unin-
tellgent oldfogyiSh, inexcusaby peace
ful and placid way. and, in great measure.
by mddle-aged old men, who, lacking all
of the delightful attributes Of youth. are
not qualified to earn an annual compen-
sation from the government.
Advocated by Mr.. 'Tawney.
Chairman Tawney Of the House appro-
priations committee is one OF those who
has hardened to this youthful cry OF
weed 'em out" and when the legislative.
executive and judicial bill is taken up Mr..
Tawney will be heard in exhaustive de-
fense of the merits of this superannuation
proposition. Other members Of the COM
mittee will support the chairman on the
floor, and perhaps one or two members,
who believe. certainly. that the govern
ment should receive efficient service for
not excessively high compensation, but
who object to drastic superannuation leg
islation of the sort contemplated by the
measure. will oppose him.
The work of the government has been
going on for a good many years now.
and by comparison with the correspond
ing departments of other governments
in remarkably efficient manner, ac-
cording to experts who have looked
deeply into the subject. Yet annually.
semi-annualiy or quarterly, AS the case
may be. and Notwithstanding the Iecog-
nized fact that the work of the govern
ment cannot. of necessity. be carried on
i'm close stimulation of the work Of
private corporation. however gigantic,
there are demands upon Congress from
the room-sweeps-clean heads OF
various departments. bureaus and the
like for drastic legislation that will
tion," and so forth.
Unlikely to Be Enacted.
It is not thought that the superannua-
ton provision in question will be found in
the legislative. executive and judicial ap-
propria on bill when that measure be-
comes law. Even should the House
pass it, there is a strong proba bility that
the provision will be eliminated in the
..ff ft,oI 20 f<1 thnr
is understood to be an appreciation OF
the fact that in many respects there Is
ample opportunity for improvement in
the manner of carrying on the work Of
the government. but. at the same time.
full realization of the hardships and the
possible miscarriage of justice that would
result from the enactment OF a drastic
superannuattOn bill
Consideration of the provision in the
measure lust reported will undoubtedly be
followed in Washington at least, with
greater interest than anything else that
is likely TO come before Congress in d
month of Sundays.
Appropriation Over $32, 1000. 900.
Tire bill carries an appropriation Of S32.-
337 .O73. a reduction of 81 ,s73. CAB from the
aggregate of the estimates submitted by
the legislative. executive and judicial de-
partments. The total appropriation for
the current fiscal year was 49, 4OG, ,493, or
SG4. 40 more than the appropriation rec
commended for the fiscal year ending June
So 1909. Provision is made for the pay
ment of 14.SlS salaries. 341 less than
the number estimated for by the depart
ment. and twenty-seven more than were
provided for in the present fiscal year. The
figures 14.SlS do not include enumeration
of the specific salaries incident to the
operation of the government printing Of
! flee. Those salaries will be carried in the
sundry civil bill.
Estimated expenses for payment OF en-
p'oyes in the service of the Senate are re-
duced in the bill from S1c) 600 to $I5OO),
twelve $3.50 clerks to senators who are
not committee chairmen being cut Off A
similar cut of S25G0c Is made in tn, es-
timated expenses of the House.
Increases in Salary.
| Among the salary increases provided for
| in the bill as recommended are the fol-
lowing: Department OF State-Assistant
secretary of state. $500. instead OF
..G0 second and third assistant secre-
taries. S5.GcG. instead of s4.5CO. Treasury