The San Francisco call., 1909-12-13
Letters From The People
PENSIONS ARE ONLY JUST

Editor Call: Will you kindly give
me space in your valued paper for the
publication OF few words apropos of
an editorial invrhe Ca1l of December 10
on pensions for civil service employees?
The civil service employees of the
government have not asked nor are they
asking for> pensions. They wish to
have. the government hold out from
salaries sums sufficient to provide suit
able annuities when old age comes.
The big problem is to provide for the
present superannuated and those to be,
until these retentions from salaries
have made fund sufficiently large to
allow for the payment of annuities
without government assistance.
1t might be asked why the super
animated employees of the government
have not saved enough from their sal
aries to provide for old age.
The pay of the government clerk
tminor employe) was fixed in 1853 and
has not been changed since. 1t may
now. At that time the man who
worked at trade was getting s1.75 or
81 day. What is he getting today?
What was the cost of living then? What
is it today: The government employe
formed no union-made no demand for
an increase of pay, and received none.
Now they are organized for the specific
purpose of effecting retirement legisla-
tion.
When the pay of the government
clerk was fixed in 1853 a congressman
was paid SIS day with no perquisites.
Now he gets $500 per annum with
20 cents per mile for travel; furnished
quarters, $500 for clerk hire and other
perquisites. In 1853 secretaries of de-
partments were paid $4,000; today s12,-
600. Then the highest officers in the
army and navy were paid $500; now
s1S,500 Farragut sailed through fire
on salary of s4,O0O-and Dewey in
time of peace gets s13,500. The pay of
every one in the government service
except clerks (minor employees has
been increased so to 500 per cent since
1853. The clerks pay remains the
same.
The government ought to have the
very best men in all branches OF its
service, but 1T is hard to get such men
and harder to keep them, because the
ability which makes them valuable in
the public service is sure OF better
reward in private employment
The United States and two others ase
the only countries in the world that
have made no profisfon Tor their su-
perannuated employees. All the large
corporations and many of the business
concerns In this country provide for
those of tneir employees who grow old
In service. Relief to old employees is
not charity. It is business, good bust
ness. An instance of the governments
failure to provide for the superannua-
ton OF its servants is the case of Henry
Vignaud, late secretary of the Amer
lean embassy at Paris. This is from
a press dispatch:
PARIS, Feb. 16.-Henry Vignaud. first
secretary OF the American embassy, who
has resigned after "a Years of service
at the age of 10. without means TO pro-
vide for his remaining years, has adj
dressed letter of appreciation to the
20 prominent Americans. headed by
Levi p. Morton. Andrew Carnegie and
j. Pierpont Morgan, whose generosity
in subscribing a fund of $40, 300 insures
the last days of the veteran diplomat
against want. Is &
Mr.. eVignald lived modestly. yet his
meager salary scarcely sufficed to meet
expenses.
municipalities give pensions to po-
llcemen, firemen and school teachers
Why? Because it is just and humane
Give the government employees a retire
ment measure for the same reasons
w. j. SHERMAN. L. S. Customs.
San Francisco. December IL, 1909