Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-12-06

( should enable the executive in his COM
munications to congress to give infoF-
nation to which congress is entitled
and which will enable it TO promote
economy.
/ l have requested the head of each
department to appointment commit
/ tees on economy and efficiency IN or
4 der TO secure full cooperation in the
J movement by the employees Of the
government themselvs.
/ l urge the continuance Of the ap-
preparation of 100000 requested for
the fiscal year 1912.
/ My experience leads me to believe
I that, wiiile government methods are
much criticised. the bad reSuts-if we
! do have bad results-are not due to
/ lack of zeal or willingness on the part
! Of the civil servants. On the contrary,
/ believe that a fine spirit of willing
/ ness to work exists in the personnel.
which. If properly encouraged. Will
! produce results equal to those secured
! in the best managed private enter
/ prises.
In handling government expenditure
! the aim is not prOfit-the aim is the
maximum of public service at the
minimum of cost. We wish to reduce
/ the expenditures OF the government,
! and we wish 10 save money to enable
! the government to go into some Of the
/ beneficial projects which we are de-
/ barred from taking up now because
/ we ought not to increase our expendi-
/ lures.
/ At a later date I shall send to con-
/ ereSs q special message on this gen
I eral subject.
Civil Service Retirement.
/ 1t is impossible to proceed far in
such an investigation without perceiv-
ing the need of a suitable means Of
eliminating from the service the super
animated. This can be done in one OF
two ways-either by straight civil pen
sion or by some form of contributory
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 it by the
taxpayer, the administrative officer
and the civil employee, respectively.
\ civil pension is bound to become
an enormous. continuous and increas-
ing tax on the public eXchequer. 1t is
demoralizing 10 the service, since it
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 en-
ployees themselves. since it is always
taken into account III 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 4 half century
: Of experience under a most liberal pen
! sion system. the civil servants of Eng
! land succeeded about a year ago in
( having the system so modified as to
! make it virtually a contributory plan
/ with provision for refund OF their the
/ oretical contributions
The experience Of England and 9th
er countries shows that neither can a
/ contributory plan be successful, hu-
/ man nature being what 1t IS. which
( does not make provision for the return
/ of contributions. with interest. in case
of death Or resignation before pension
able age Followed to its logical con-
.
and most independent solution Of the
problem for both employee and the
government is compulsory savings
/ arrangement. the employee to set aside
from his salary n sum sufficient with
the help OF liberal rate of interest
from the government. 10 purchase an
adequate annuity for him on retire
ment this accumulation to he inalien-
ably his and claimable 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 Gillett bill. now pending. is
drawn
The Gilett bill. however. goes fur
Their and provides that the government
shall contribute to the pension fund Of
those employees who are now so adj
vanced in age that their personal con-
tributions will not be sufficient to Gre
ate their annuities before reaching the
retirement age. In my judgment this
provision should be amended so that
. the annuities of those employees shall
be paid out of the salaries appropri-
ated for the positions vacated by re-
tirement and that the difference be-
tween the annuities thus granted and
the salaries may be used for the en-
ployment of efficient clerks at the low
er grades. If the bill can be thus
amended I recommend its passage, rs
it will initiate valuable system and
ultimately result in a great saving in
the public expenditures.
Interstate Commerce Commission.
There has not been time to test the
benefit and utility of the amendments
to the Interstate commerce law con-
tanned in the act approved June IS.
1910. The law as enacted did not con-
tain all the features which | 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 jutprSro 70 cOu1una-ca I