The Washington times., 1910-06-05
PLAN IS AGREED UPON
FOR RETIRING CLERKS
Warning Factions of Assoca ton, President and Cabinet
All Said to Be United in Support of Measure Which
Congress Is Being Asked to Pass.
By JAMES HAY, JR.

In determined effort to bring every
persuasion possible to bear on Congress
Tor the enactment of a law for a con-
trlbutory system OF retirement for Gov
eminent clerks, officials of the Treasury
Department have persuaded the warning
factions of the Civil Service Retirement
Association TO pull together for the
plan.
The first step toward putting the mat
ter up to Congress in a way TO compel
attention has been taken In the circu-
latiOn Of a petition in Washington and
throughout the country asking that the
desired law be passed by the House and
Senate.
Copies Of the petition bear the names
Of every member of the Cabinet as ask
ing for the legislation, and it is set forth
in the document that the President of
the United States approves OF the pro-
posed plan. Circulation Of the petition
among the clerks has been authorized
by the Administration. and H. c. Allen,
Of the Coast and GeodetIc Survey, is in
charge Of the circulation work in Wash
ington.
Supported By Former Opponents.
%AAN bNAAAADAA - AEAllN Et4A Jul " UNAlEl
parts Of the country under the supervi-
sion of DR.. Llewellyn Jordan. secretary
Of the Retirement Association.
Officials of the Treasury said today
that they were satisfied that the faction
Of the association which declared last
winter that IL favored a straight civil
pension list instead Of a contTtbutory
plan viii be strong supporter Of the
latter plan and will sign the petition.
Secretary OF the Treasury Mack eagh
has had several conferences with Mich
ael +. O'BonOghue. president Of the Re
urement Association. and believes he Is
safe In saving that Mr.. O'DonOghue and
the members of the organization who
were active last winter In carrying the
association against the contributory
plan viii now support II.
Mr.. MacNeagh pointed out that there
Is a. chance that Congress will vote
Tor this scheme next session, but that
there IS absolutely no hope OF securing
a straight civil pension list. He ar
gued that Nj O'DOnOghue and his
associates would do well 20 accept the
contributory plan rather than no pro-
vision for taking care Of the super
animated clerks.
Little Chance At This Session.
DR.. Jordan is the man who. when the
trouble broke in the associations an
nual meeting last winter. vainly strove
to put the organization on record as
favoring the contributory plan. In this
he was unsuccessful and the vote was
for the civil pension list
While the work OF circulating the
petitions and Of creating interest in Con.
gressional circles in favor Of the plan
inquiry carried on by The Times has
developed the fact that there Is little
hope for action by the House and Sen.
ate before this session adjourns Mem
berS of both bodies are averse to vOt.
ing for anything which even appears
10 take money out Of the Treasury with.
out giving their constituents at home
something to show for It,
As a matter OF fact, the Treasury
officials have figured that the plan
viii save the Government money. in
stead Of entailing additional expense
as the appropriation needed to start 81
viii be more than made up BY the
saving accomplished through retir-