Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-31
Deny That Dissensions Delay
Retirement Measure.
REASONABLE PLAN
Ready to Suffer Inconvenience to
Aid Their Associates.
ACTION IS DESIRED
Main Thing Now is to Get Congress
to Squarely Face the
Issue.

Concerning the alleged delay in secur-
ing retirement measure as a result OF
dissensions among the clerks themselves.
the civil service council. which was re-
Gently organized by the clerks, through its
publicity committee strongly protests that
the differences among the government
employees Ill the matter nave not really
involved one hundred persons in a total
of 5000 here in Washington.
The council. it is declared, is how work
ing to secure an expression through pr
t1tlons to be forwarded to Congress by
the cabinet officers which will show how
well united they are in favor Of any
reasonable plan for the retirement of the
superannuated clerks
Not one in ten of the clerks who have
united with the council, it is declared
will benefit directly and Immediately by
any retirement bill which may become a
law. Three-fourths of them, it is said.
will suffer some present inconvenience
by the measure which seems most likely
to be adopted. Nevertheless, they aver,
they are willing to endure some im1ne-
diate disadvantages if thereby relief is
granted their associates who are being
forcibly retired without any provision
for their future
Cost Government Less.
They realize. it is claimed. that the
ultimate results Of systematic plan of
dealing with the aged and disabled clerks,
instead Of by the present methods of
uncertainty and Iavoritism,' will be a
distinct benefit to the clerks and at the
same time cost the government less
money than it now pays
They claim it is no proof of greed if
they ask the benefits recommended by the
Kemp commission as a relief from tho
advanced cost of living, which has not
been met by a general advance Of pay
IN their case. They point to the fact
that thousands of employees of great in
dustrfal organizations, as we'll as large
proportion OF government workers OUT
side of civil service, have already had
their pay advanced. and that this fact
Is recognized by many members OF Con-
gress who believe provision of a similar
character should be made for the clerks
also.
The charge of "selfishness and greed"
was made with some feeling by q
prominent official in one of the govern
n1ent departments, who deplored the
TACT that at the time when every effort
action to relieve the faithful old clerks
who were now being forced out of the
service, with no provision for their
future and with no hope Of any, some
of the clerks should hamper such an
effort with demands for an increase of
pay.
AS pointed out in The Star yesterday,
there is no attempt to dispute the fact
that the present salaries OF the govern
.ment clerks are Inadequate to meet the
needs Of the increased cost Of living. but
there are those who do not regard it as
good policy at this time to force that is
sue In the face Of the fact that hundreds
Of old men and women are on the verge
of being virtually thrust into the poor
house because of approximation and the
announced fact that Congress would prob
ably take no action upon the superannua-
ton question until it's next session. At
that time. 1t is argued, these clerks will
be past the hope of any remedy. for they
will be out of the service. and any super
snnuation law that is passed will in all
probability apply only to those who are
still in the service at the time Of it's pas
sage.