Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-28
NEW AGE PENSION IDEA.
Austin Bill Proposes Plan That
Costs Nothing.
Retirement ON HALF PAY
Rest of Salary Pays Substitute and
Promotes Associates.
NO EXPENSE TO GOVERNMENT
Measure Explained by Department
Employee. Who Favors Project
as Model Plan.
NO EXPENSE TO GOVERNMENT

| Government employees in the classified
service are interested in the bill intro
drced in the House last Friday by Rep
| Iesentative Austin of Tennessee providing
! for retirement of aged disabled en-
/ ployes in the civil service of the United
States the feature of which is that it
does not require the creation of a civil
(, pension list or OF an annuity fund. but
may be administered without a cent of
cost to the government or its employees.
The measure will go. eventually, to the
| committee on reform in the civil service.
of which Representative Gillett of Massa-
chusetts is chairman. Mr.. Gillett's COM
mittee has been actively Investigating
approximation and the civil pension
problem for several sessions and will be
particularly qualified to deal with this
new measure. which undoubtedly will
meet with the approval of a great ma
jOrity Of classified employees while at the
same time proving unobjectionable to
| those members of Congress who dread
the creation of a civil list.
Government Clerk Favors It.
An old employee of the government who
holds a position of trust and who has
devoted considerable time to an inquiry
into the various propositions dealing with
the question of approximation in the
government service has carefully read
and considered the Austin measure and
| says it is the best thing offered so far
along this line.
He said to Star reporter today:
The plan simply provides that boards
of retirement shall be established by the
civil service commission in the several
executive departments and offices of the
government for considering all cases
| where voluntary retirement is deemed eX-
pedient by the heads Of such departments
and offices. and that in the event of re-
tirement the previous pay Of the retired
employe shall go half to himself and half
to new employe. and, if pra cticable to
| the promotion of other meritorious en-
ployes in the same branch of the service.
Two or three illustra items of the plan
will explain it more fully.
How Plan Will Work.
IAN old employee, for example, is get
| ting $1,000 year and is retired. One
half of the pay he continues to get dur
ing his life or until he resigns or is dis
missed for he may resign or be dismissed
for cause the same as before retiremenD
and the other half is transferred, say
500 in the way of promotion to his de-
serving active associates and $500 10 an
entirely new employe, to be selected from
an eligible list of a new grade. called the
retirement substitute grade. made UP Of
persons primarily examined for such
/! grade, as well as others examined for
other grades who are willing to accept
employment as retirement substitutes. Or,
as further illustration, $500 year out
| of the 81 900 left may be used in the way
of promotions and the remainder 5000 a
1 year. may be taken for a new employe.
4 Cor say that an old clerk is getting
$1,000 year and is retired: He then gets
,s.xr10
less. at the discretion of the head of the
department, goes to the retirement sub
stitute, it being understood that in no case
Is the government to be subjected to any
greater outlay than if retirement had
been made.
Again. coming down to where
only 5000 year has been paid to the per-
son who is retired. AS in the other cases.
he simply. if retired, gets one-half of
this. or $500 a year, and the other half
goes to the retirement substitute who is
taken on-the government still paying the
two together only $500 year.
Experience Is Rewarded.
I'm all such cases, too, the department
or office is to be saved from embarrass-
ment on account of the loss of an expert
enced employee by merely assigning some
other qualified employe already in the
service to do the work Of the retired en-
ploye-a course that Is even now frequent
ly pursued.
In cases like that presented in the last
ILLUSTRATION 1t may be objected that $500
a year is too small salary to be paid to
a competent employe. This would be
strong objection if the pay so authorized
| We're to be permanent. But il must be
borne in mind that it is to last only while
the retirement lasts, or until another re-
tirement or some other contingency III the
same department or office gives opportun-
lty for his advancement or permanent
regular employment. And il should be
remembered. too. that many men now
competing for entrance into the civil serv-
ice at higher rate of pay maybe would
gladly accept this small rate of pay rath-
er than run the risk OF not getting in at
all. especially as they would be at once
in the line of promotion. and would AL
most certainly get this promotion at an
early day.
This suppositon is greatly STRENGTHEN
ed. too, by the fact that most Of the ap-
pointments now made in the postal serv-
ice are of substitute clerks and carriers
who are allowed only dollar year
paid by the government. and such addi-
lona1 pay AS they may earn by serving
in the place of regular employees who are
absent. The compensation thus gained is
hardly enough to keep body and soul to-
gether, but experience shows that thou
sands of men are glad to get i'm even on
these terms. having the certainty that
eventually they will be placed on the ac-
tive list at a reasonable rate of pay.
Benefits of Scheme.
'One of the expected good results of the
BILL if enacted. is that while the govern
ment will not lose a cent by the measure
while giving it's wornout and aged en-
ployes an excellent and liberal oppor-
tunity for retirement, it will be enabl to
get rid of large number of worthy
though inefficient employees who might
otherwise manage, through the charitable
and sympathetic feelings of their SUI
periors, to remain in Office to the detri-
ment of the service for years to come
| The bill of Mr.. Austin may need some
amendment to make it perfectly unobiec-
tionable. but il is founded upon an adj
mirabe principle and deserves the most
| serious and the kindest consideration by
our lawgivers.
The Austin bill. which is thus explained.
provides that lin establishing the several
boards of retirement care must be taken
to select men, as far as may be Dracti-
cable, of judicial mind and of a high
sense Of integrity and that mo member
OF any such board shall act in any cas-
of enforced retirement where his own in
terests would be advanced by the boards
| action.
1t is further provided that mo person
not In the classified service of the govern
ment. nor any person employed therein
for a fixed term. either by law or custom
shall be entitled to retirement under the
terms of this act nor shall 1t comprehend