Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-14
TAFT FAVORS PLAN
Retirement of Aged Clerks
Given Endorsement.
ADDRESS TO PROMOTERS
Delegates of Association Received at
the White House.
EFFICIENT SERVICE DESIRED
President Believes That Contribu-
tory System Will Be Less Burden
some to Government.
ADDRESS TO PROMOTERS
EFFICIENT SERVICE DESIRED

President Taft talked encouragingly to the
delegates to the Civil Service Retirement AS
sociation today about the plans for retire.
ment OF aged clerks. The President is heart
fly with the associatio nand advises that it
stand by its colors, with the certainty of
eventual success.
The delegates were received by the
President about 10 O'clock this morning.
being presented by Michael F. O'Dono-
ghue. The speech to the delegates was
~ follows:
"Gentlemen-You are rather formida-
BILE gathering. 1 am glad to note the in
terest in the subject of civil pensions and
retirement 1t seems to attract attention
enough by those in the service to war
rant the hope that somebody who has
the power-I mean Congress-will have
their attention directed toward this SUBJ
ject matter.
Consideration of Details.
81 suppose you have been considering
at some length the details OF the propo-
6ftion which is to bring about some means
Of retiring those who are aged in the
service so as to aid the service by their
retirement, and SO as to make It possible
in a way consistent with humanity to re-
lieve them from public service. Now.
whether that shall be by direct pension
or by a contrfbutory system Is a ques-
tion rather more for experts than for one
| who occupies the position that 1 do;
| but some system must be evolved even II
1t carry the greater expense Of q pension
system. I believe from the showing made
| that contrfbutOry system would b
considerably less burdensome to the gov.
eminent in the end, and it may perhaps
be wise to unite what is really kind Of
life insurance with the partial contribu
ton by the government to the fund ou
| Of which the payments are to be made
SO that when the person leaves the serv'
ice under any condition he shall still have
retained some interest in 1t.
From Government Viewpoint.
'tsomething must be done in order to
enable the government-and that is the
| standard from which / approach ito
carry on an efficient public service, and
to do the just thing to the public in Sc
curing from each individual that service
which the public is entitled to have fol-
the compensation paid. Other countries
have it. Great corporations are adopting
| such a system. They are usually regard
| ed as soulless. and therefore we may
| very we'll say that the motive which has
| led them into the adoption of such q
system is a motive prompted by a de-
sire to improve the efficacy and the
average efficiency of their employees
With that result, there is no reason why
the government should not have SINH
lar system and get the same benefit.
Retains His Interest.
Il assume you have passed resolutions
and that the result OF your labor viii
be transmitted to Congress. I have done
all can in making my recommendations
but shall still retain an interest in the
matter, and, in SO far as / properly can
shall take measures to influence the mem.
| bers of Congress in favor of some Sucf
| system 1t ia q matter that Congress has
| to be educated in. There are Other
| things in which Congress has to be edu.
Gated. 1t Is natural that 1t should be so
They come here and their minds are di
| rected toward the particular necessities
| of the government. and then the discus
| sion of the subject clarifies il.
| Il beg you not to be discouraged be
| cause in one session 1t may be discussed
| a little and then dropped. 1t will con
tinue to recur because ii is a reform tha
is needed. and ultimately something vii
| be work out. The prejudice against i
arising from the very heavy burden tha
we have had to carry in military pen
sions Is something that we have to over
| come by arguments showing that it is 9
policy tnat will pay and will be profitable
! to the government in the end.
Reduction of Cost.
| I'VE are now engaged in movement
which hope will greatly reduce the cos
Of that framework of the government
| which we have to make permanent. II
is proposed to appoint a committee or 9
commission to make an Investigation into
the departments and see where we car
cut off unnecessary expenditures. Hr
connection with that committee or com.
mission doubtless questions of this sort
will arise, but continued study and dis
cussion and fair-minded arguments di
| rected toward fair minds will ultimately
win and bring about system which
you and IL assume SO from your being
| hereJbelieve ought to be brought about
go that those who have earned the graft
tude of the people by consistent hard
| work in the civil service may feel thai
at the end of their lives. when their
powers have abated by reason of their
| long service, they shall have something
from which to retire on.
Gentlemen. / am very glad to see you
wish you all good luck. We are all
working for the same government, and
sincerely hope that our work may re-
| suit in making the government better.
ASS0ciafi0n C0nVeneS for