The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-12-18
CLERKS CONCERNED
OVER FATE Of THE
RETIREMENT BILL
Advocates of Gillen Measure
Anxious TO See Congress
Take Action.
SENATE BILL ASKS
A STRAIGHT PENSION
introduced by Curtis of Kansas,
and Provides 5000 q Year
to Employees.

Now that the scare Of longer working
hours has subsided the Government en-
| plOyes. especially those in the classified
civil service. are turning their attention
70 the two propositions being urged he
fore Congress 10 protect them in their
old age, when they shall have become
! sUpersunuated-
The two propositions that are now up
/ permost IN the minds Of the euuIoves
are A straight civil pension and a com
pulsory contrfbutorv retirement plan-
Originally there were four plans. the
other two being the substitute scheme Of
retiring an enploye at half pay and hir-
! ing a substitute for the other hale pay,
! and a compulsory saving plan OF having
a separate fund for each empIoye- How
/ ever. only the first two mentioned are
now being given serious consideration
! by the employees as a whole
Features Of GiIett Bill.
The principles Of the compulsory con-
/ tTibUtOry retirement plan are embodied
IN the Gillett bin, which is nov. pending
| IN Congress. and in its fate a great
many OF the Government EMPLOYEES are
intensely interested Il is practically
based on the established principles OF
annuity insurance. the underlying theory
being that each employe entering the
service or already IN the service shall
provide for his own retirement fund BY
a system OF monthly deductions
II is argued by advocates OF the GIL
/ lett bill that the principal Obligation OF
the Government under the provisions Of
the measure would be 10 establish the
plaa BY providing for those already
I grown old IN the service, an Obligation
that would ultimately cease. whereas
under civil pension the burden OF the
public treasury would continually IN
crease
However. the contributors made by
an empIcye would remain ais properly
under all conditions. and in case Of res
| isnatSOn from the service. before the
age Of retirement, or n case Of death,
they would be returned to him OF HIS
estate with compounded interest
/ II connection with the GiIlett bill Il
Is urged by many OF its advocates that
II vii be necessary for Consress TO 50
adjust and reaTange the salaries Of the
civil employees Of the Government as 70
prepare them 10 meet the deductions
which would be necessary under the pro-
| visions Of the measure, especially IN the
more advanced ages as one nears the
time OF retirement Another contention
in the agitation for an increase in sal
aries is that al salaries should be in
creased
The principal argument in favor Of
the GiIiett bill is that # cOmprekends
the past, the present. and the future
For Straight Civil Pension.
Senator Curtis Of Kansas yesterday in
troduced in the Senate a retirement bill
providing for a straight civil pension.
=
who may in the future enter the service
or who may hereafter reach the age OF
sixty-five years and shall have been II
the service for ten years It provides a
lpensiOn OF $500 a year for any employ
who is now sixty-five and has been en-
Ployed by the Government for period
Of ten years or longer
| This virtually is the only straight pen
sion measure now before Congress. bar
II does not contain the ideas Of q gre1t
majority Of the civil service employee
! who are urging outright pensions with
out any contT1butOry feature There are
in the course OF construction other bills
which would provide for the future re-
LTement under a pension plan Of al
civil service employees
Employees receiving comparatively low
salaries are the ones who favor, for the
most part the straight pension idea
They are averse 20 contributing 10 thr
general pension fund and believe the
/ Government should bear the whole
financial burden, as is the case OF sew
/ eral corporations
Taking an active part. and in fact
backing the movement TO protect su-
/ perannuated employees Of the Govern
Il ment, as contemplated IN the Gillett
bin and the proposition for a straight
i civil pension, are two factions Of the
/ United States Civil Service Retirement
4 Association. Each faction has a large
! following among the employees and Is
vigorously urging its pet respective
plan.
! Clash of the Factions.
/ The split in the ranks Of the United
/ States Civil Service Retirement As
sociation occurred at a conference in
i Washington on January Il and Is. last,
when one set favoring the straight pen
sion idea had a clash with those sup
porting the compulsory contributoTy re
tirement plan Since then the two fac
tions have been at war with ore an
/ other. each claiming to be the accred-
tied organization
i The United States Civil Service Re
/ tirement Association was organized n
! March. 1900, for the purpose, as stated
in the constitution then adopted, ''of
i obtaining information upon the subject
i of superannuatiOn Of employees of the
classife5 civil service and 10 aid in
i deviSing a plan for their retirement
upon an equitable basis, and without
4 expense 70 the Government" All per
sons IN the classified civil service were
eligible TO membership on the payment
Il Of the annual dues OF > cents
1 When the rupture in the organization
occurred the membership was about
L 5000 men and women representing
throughout the United states UntfI
then II was generally understood that
the association was supporting the