Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-08
FOR CONTRADICTORY PLAN
Says It Can Be Effected Without
Cost to the Government.
BELIEVES IT IS ESSENTIAL
Cabinet Officer Discusses Changes
for Efficiency and Economy Made
in His Department.

tirement law. which he believes is in
dispensable in putting the government
service properly on its feet, and declar-
ing that the contributory plan of re-
tirement, which disposes of the objection
to civil service pension roll, is best for
the men and women in the service and is
the only system that has any chance at
all of adoption, Secretary MacVeagh in
troduces one of the most important of
his recommendation from a local stand
point.
1t can be effected, he declares, without
the cost of an additional dollar to the
government. and those executive depart
ments which have been consulted stand
ready to carry out the plan with this
understanding. if given the authority. He
strongly urges all friends of the retire
ment movement to concentrate on the
contributory plan, as he outlines it.
Among the topics of local interest
treated by the Secretary in his report are
the changes made in his own department.
changes in the Treasury building, and Il
recommendation for central power plant
for lighting and heating the new eXecu-
tive department, to be erected, and the
new bureau of engraving and printing
building.
In discussing civil service retirement,
Mr.. McVeagh says:
There is no practical way to put .he
government service properly or it's feet
without fair and just method of civil
service retirement. This is not only a
requisite: it is a prerequisite: and unless
Congress shall give the executive this
necessary method of improving the serv-
ice the country must accept a service that
is not fully satisfactory and which can
not be made fully satisfactory.
Fortunately this retiring provision can
be made-and this is mathematically DEM
onstrable-without the expense of one
dollar to the government The cont: ibu
tory system of retiring allowances is not
only the only system that has any chance
whatever OF being adopted, but it fortu-
nately is the best system by far for the
men and women of the service: and 1t
is, therefore, the part Of wisdom for all
the friends of this movement to concen-
trate upon this method.
"Of course, thee must be paid by the
government the retiring allowances until
the contributions by the members of the
service have become sufficient to take
care of the payments; but these prelimi-
nary payments by the government need
not cost the government anything what
ever. All Of the executive DEPARTMENTS
which have so far been consulted stapd
ready to carry out such a law without
asking any addition whatever to their or
dnary appropriations.
THE objection. therefore, that we
might be introducing another pension roll
has no jurisdiction. 1t had complete
justification as long as the straight pen
sion was in contemplation. The contribu-
tory allowance. however. is an entirely
different matter and eliminates this OBJ
lection altogether.
Calls Merely for Law.
The government, therefore, can with
out any expense to itself, and by the
mere passing of a law, set this whole
matter right.
1T is only necessary to mention two
things about the contributory plan. as
contrasted with the pension plan, to make
clear its advantages to the people in the
service. 1t could never be taken as an
answer to A claim for increased pay 1t
is contribution of their own and not
contribution Of the government, and it is
in no sense an estoppel Of any argu-
ment in favor Of increased pay at any
time during its operation.
"On the other hand. a straight pension
paid by the government would always
be taken additional salary and
would perpetually have q tendency to
estop any argument for increased COM
pensation. The other consideration is
that under pension system a man must
not only live beyond the retiring age,
but he must continue always in the
service until that period in order to re-
ceive any pension at all: whereas under
the contributory system. under all the
accidents of life. he gets what belongs
to him of the savings Of the system.
lmDOSSlhlo regard
straight pension as part Of the salary.
adm II a man loses 1t altogether. owing
to the accidents of life, he loses a part
of his aggregate salary.
"The Treasury Department Is engaged
in the work of increasing its efficiency and
diminishing the relative expense of opera
ton. II has made considerable progress.
but has not nearly reached the end. At
least four hundred positions have been
abolished
so lar we have been able to take care
of all the displaced employees. except in
The of the mint at Philadelphia and
in other offices outside Of Washington
and New York. where. in the nature Of the
case, there were no opportunities for
transfer We have succeeded in trans
ferring those who were displaced 10 places
becoming vacant in the normal way: such
vacancies having been allowed to accumu-
late by temporary appointments Whether
it Will be possible to continue to take care
in this way of the employees whose posi-
tiOnS we are abollShing DO not know.
But this is clear. that any successful
effort to improve the administrative opera
tions of a large department like the Treas
ury is Immediately handicapped and might
well be discouraged entirely by the alb
sence of just method of retirement.
And even when it is possible to protect
these displaced clerks from being thrown
into the streets it is done. in many cases.
i'm denial of the right Of An office to eff
cient help. Working in these improve
ments brings constantly to mind the hope
lessness of ever arriving at a complete
state of efficiency without way Of retir-
ing clerks in just and humane manner.
I have no doubt that this very discourag-
ing feature has i'm the past stood In the
way of many attempts to improve the
efficiency and ecOnomiZe the expense OF
cperation in the departments.
MI MacVeash also recommends a re-
tirement law for the men Of the life.
saving service.
Efficiency and Economy.
! Reviewing the changes in his depart.
ment for efficiency and economy and the