Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-17
Curtis Bill Gives 5000 Yearly
to Superannuated Clerks.
PLACES NOT TO BE FILLED
To Get Out Of Government Service
When Sixty-Five Years Old.
NOT TO CONTRIBUTE TO FUND
Statistics Advanced to Show That
Treasury Woulr Save $780,
oSS Annually.

e Senator Curtis Of Kansas proposes a
new scheme Of retiring veteran govern
ment clerks in bill which he introduced
today
Any employe Of Uncle Sam who has
been in the service ten years and has
arrived at the age of sixty-five may,
upon application, be retired in the dis
erection of the head of the department
or bureau. The retired pay is to be. in
all cases. 5000 per year.
The place of a retired employee is not
to be filled. it is specified, unless the
work in the department or bureau de-
mands additional workers. When the
place is filled the new appointee is to
receive only the average salary Of en-
ployes of the bureau or department.
straightout Pension.
. Although the plan is a straiehtout
pension system, with no contributions
from the clerks themselves, it is argued
by those who advocate it that it will
mean saving to the government.
Should it be carried out right now, 1t
Is estimated, Uncle Sans pay roll would
be cut down over $4,000 per year.
Papers which Senator Curtis presented
with his bill and which are to be referred
with the bill to the Senate committee on
civil service gives specific data to show
how the saving will be effected.
According to figures compiled by the
bureau of census. there are 6,523 en-
ployes of the government over sixty-five
years of age. They receive an average
salary Of 1864 per year. They receive,
therefore in salaries s6.2ss IT. per year.
average annuity of $500 per year. the
retired pay would amount to $3,913,S0
per year. 1t is estimated that not more
than 25 per cent of those retired would
be replaced by other clerks. That
employees at the average salary or 1854
per year. These new employees would
draw $1.572,2s4 every year in salaries.
Saving Of $500, 0es Yearly.
Uncle Sam gets the best Of the bar
gain, on that showing. The cost to
him, with the veteran clerks still car
ried on his rolls. is $6.2S8,172. The
cost to him, with the veteran clerks
retired and the needed additional en-
ployes hired, would be $5.486,0S4-the
total of annuity Of $3,s13,S0O and of
salaries for new employees Of $1,572,2S4.
The saving, on that showing, would be
$S02.oSS per year.
The arguments in favor OF straight
annuity, without contribution from the
clerks themselves, such as II proposed
by Senator Curtis bill, are outlined as
follows:
Six hundred dollars per annum is
enough for any employe. when no
service is required Of hin, in yeturn. !. ;
The man getting $4,000 per annum
has had some show Of saving some
thing. while the man getting 81, 900 or
cording to Mr. Roosevelt, because he
has had but . bare living.
Committee Opposes Pension Plan.
The Senate committee on civil service,
Of which Senator Cummins Is chairman,
has also before it the Perkins bill. for
contributory pension plan for gov
eminent employees. similar to the Gil.
lette bill, now before the House COM
mittee on civil service. Meetings of
the Senate committee. at which civil
service retirement was discussed at
length. have shown that the Perkins
bill does not entirely meet the views
Of the members, and that a new bill
is likely to be framed before the COM
mittee will take favorable action upon
any plan.
1t is generally understood that the
Senate committee. at least a majority,
favOrs contributOry system, and are
opposed to a civil pension system which
calls for no financial aid, during the
years of service, from the clerks them