Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-20
Civil Service Retirement.

To the Editor Of The Star:
have read much Of the varying propo-
sitions to retire aged and inefficient
clerks Of the government, but have failed
to notice any proposition to retain these
disabled government employees at salary
proportionate to their diminished capa-
city, thus making them Self-suppOrtirg
on a limited scale. at least until totally
disabled. say up to fixed age, when
they should be retired salary, say,
one-third less than the one last paid
them. This would protect them from
absolute want and make them independ-
ent. instead OF dependent, on relatives
or friends. In this. 1 assume that a clerk
too feeble or too old to work should
foregO social obligations that may have
been binding or desirable in earlier years,
but which should be eschewed in this
life of retirement. No doubt many of
long service have saved, or acquired,
measure of competency and could sub
sist respectfully on their denominations,
although they might wish to retain or
add to thir present accumulations for the
benefit of their heirs, while the low
salaried and the improvident now have
nothing In bank. or under investment.
and would. if dismissed from the service,
be wholly dependent on others for a mere
subsistence; and this latter class should
be accorded a pension equal to two-thirds
of their last reductions in salary, a sum
equal to their reasonable needs. A clerk
or other employee, under the civil service
who is able to perform even a reduced
amount of work, should be given the
option OF continuing at WORK, on a re-
duced salary, according to his present
ability. or of retiring on a salary not ex-
ceedng two-thirds of the newly adjusted
salary. These aged and inefficient clerks
should. If practicable, be in a class to
themselves, and in line of service in
which they can work easiest and most
efficiently at least until necessity or by
voluntary choice they wished to be re-
tired on the basis of such two-thirds sal
airy. Under this arrangement the newly
appointed clerks could be paid the regular
salary attached to their positions. in
stead of doing full service at half salary
in the interest of pensioned or retired
clerks
of all clerks. the money paid retired
clerks should be paid by the government,
just as any other obligation is paid, such
pension terminating at the death of the
beneficiary. This plan would avoid ar
bitrary separation from the service just
as long as an employee could work. and
still assure a reasonable support on re-
tirement, with no anticipation of either
the aimshouse or the unwilling hospi-
tally of either relatives or friends and
would mete out at least measure of
justice to faithful employees. Pensioning
faithful employees Is growing practice.
at least among all wise employers. and
Uncle Sam should do likewise. The pen
sioning of veteran clerks should not be an
act of charity, but strictly in the nature
of reward for faithful services given the
government. Nor should any given or
fixed age determine a mans capacity for
work. since many men live beyond the
three score and ten and maintain both
mental and physical strength equal to
that of many men much younger.
The writer. although past sixty-eight
years, does work every working day in
the year that some men forty years
Younger could not and would not do.
Although small of stature and working
hard every day. he has had no need for
a doctor for nearly thlrty years. and
variably determine either his physical or
mental capacity. -