The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1910-12-06

: mfnfmnrn Of cost e yvish-tO reflnee
! the expenditures OF the goveEnment,
and we wish to save money to enable
the government to go into some OF the
/ beneficial projects which we are de-
barred from taking mp now because
\ we ought not to increase our expendi-
lures.
At n later date I shall send to con-
gress a special message on this gem
ernl subject
Civil Service Retirement
1t is impossible to proceed far in
such an investigation without percefv-
/ ing the need OF suitable means Of
eliminating from the service the super
animated. This can be donein one OF
two ways-efther by straight civil PEN
sion or by some form OF conributory
plan.
Careful study Of experiments made
I by foreign governments shows that
three serious objections to the civil
! pension payable out OF the public treas
| ury may be brought against 1t by the
taxpayer, the administrative officer
and the civil employee, respectively
A civil pension is bound to become
an enormous. continuous and increas-
iNng tax on the public eXchequer- 1t is
demoraIizing to the service. since 1t
| makes difficult the dismissal of incOm-
petent employees after they have part
| " earned their pension, and it is dis
advantageous to the main body OF enl-
pIoyees themselves, since it is always
taken into account in fixing salaries,
! and only the few who survive and re-
, main in the service until pensionable
{ age receive the value Of their deferred
pay.
For this reason, after half century
of experience under n most liberal pen
sion system, the civil servants OF Eng
land succeeded about n year ago IN
having the system so modified as TO
make it virtually contributory plan
with provision for refund OF their the
oreticaI contributions.
rrhe cxnerience OF England and 9th
er countries shows that neither can
contributory plan be successful, hu-
man nature being what it is, when
does not make provision for the return
of contributions, with interest, in case
Of death or resignation before nenSlon-
able aee. Followed to It's logical con-
cIusion. this means that the simplest
and most independent solution OF the
problem for both employee ami the
government is n compulsory savings
arrangement, the employee to SET aSloe
from his salary sum sufhcient' wlth
the help of a liberal rate OF interest,"
from the government. to purchase an
adeuuate annuity for him ON retire
inen+ this accumulation to he inaIien-
ably his and cIaimable If he leaves the
service before reaching the retirement
age or by his heirs in case Of his
death. This is the principle upon
which the GilIett bill, now pending, IS
drawn.
The GilIett bill, however. goes fur
Their and provides that the government
shall contribute to the pension fund OF
those employees WHO are now so ad-
vanced in age that their personal con-
tributlons will not be sufficient to ere
ate their annuities before reaching the
retirement age. In my Judgment TINS
provision should be amended so thaC
the aunufties of those employees shall
be paid out of the salaries appropri-
ated for the positions vacated by re
+Iremept and that the difference be-
tween the annuities thus granted and
the salaries may be used for the en-
pIoyment of efficient clerks ut the low
or grades. If the bill can he thus
amended I recommend it's passage. az;
1t will initiate a valuable system ana
ultimately result in great saving IN
the public expenditures
Interstate Commerce Gon1nnissien-
There has not been time to test III"
benefit ana utility of the amendments:
to the interstate commerce, law con-
tulned in the act approved June IS.
1910. The law as enacted did not con
tain all the features which I recon-
mended 1t did not specifically de
nounce as unlawful the purchase by
one of two parallel and competing ROADS
of the stock of the other.
Nor did it subject to the restraining
influence of the Interstate commerce
commission the power of corporations
engaged in operating interstate rail-
roads to issue new stock and bonds.
Nor did it authorize the making OF
temporary agreements between rail
roads, limited to thirty days, fixing the
same rates for traffic between the same
places.
do not press the consideration OF
any of these objects upon congress ut
this session. The object OF the hrst
provision Is probably generally covered
| by the antitrust law. The second pro-
vision was In the net referred to the
consideration of n commission to be
appointed by the executive and 20 re-
! mort upon the matter to congress. Ihat
! commission has been appointed and Is
engaged in the investigation and con-
| siderctIon of the question submitted