Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-14
TAFT FAVORS PLAN
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Continued from First Page)
order by President NJ F. Donohue About
100 delegates were present. After an In
vocation by Rev. L G. b. Pierce, chap
lain of the United States Senate. Conn
missioner Macfarland made a brief ad-
dress OF welcome
Il am here said Mr.. mcfarland. mot
to advocate any particular measure but
to say that / am, and always have been,
heartily In favor of the object OF your
association. Justice, in my judgment,
ought to be done to the employees of the
national and District governments in this
respect. There is small percentage
Of government employees. as OF every
worthy of any special consideration. But
close observation for years has convinced
me that the great majority of these men
and women are not appreciated at their
full worth. No public servants are more
useful or more misunderstood and mis-
represented"
Support Of Board Of Trade.
Gen. George H. Harries was next intro
duced, as president of the Washington
Board Of Trade, and his address, in which
he pledged the support Of that organiza-
ton to the cause OF civil service retire.
ment and declared that the argu-
ments in favor of the proposition were SO
self-evident that there we're not two sides
to the question, was received with much
applause.
Il have great difficulty in finding any
thing to say upon the deeply interesting
topic which brings you here. said Gen.
Harries, because you know so very
much more about it than l do. To at
tempt to say anything of this. which is
your special purpose. at this time would
be almost an impertinence. Then there is
further difficulty, because there is
neither righteous nor logical opposition TO
you have stated your principle there
really is not anything more to be said.
TT is a question. and a remarkable
question. which does not appear to have
two sides to 1t, when you discuss 1t
from the standpoint Of the controver-
sialist or the man who wants to be a
controyersialist. Where there may be
two reasonable opinions. it is possible.
have unending opportunity for debate
and oratory. but where a principle Is as
clearly defined as is the basic feature
OF your movement. there really is not
anything to be said on the other side
by any person who has given the mat
ter serious thought.
That leaves for discussion only the
method by which the principle may
become effective. It Is not my purpose
to attempt to discuss either the prin-
ciple or the method. The first is firmly
established: the second is for you and
for those in authority whose business
duty it is to frame and to legislate.
Study of the Individual.
Perhaps however l may be permitted
to testify as one who has attempted to
show his faith by his works AS an
officer of one OF the public service COR
porations which employ more men than
any other fundamentally in the District
of Columbia. excepting. of course. the
government instrumentality, the study Of
industrial problems has necessarily been
forced upon me. We have done many
things in the interest of those on our
pay rolls but of all those things. and
some Of them are gratifying we con-
slider them now. nothing will more surely
receive the approval of time. which tries
those things out SO wonderfully well.
as will the establishment of our pension
system.
The pensions. while provided entirely
by our companies are not gratuities. The
pension system is merely the ordinary use
of what we call business sense. Some one
has called it enlightened selfishness. but
whatever name You may give il, there
cannot be any question as to the wisdom
of such a system. fairly operated. Gap
plause) BY its operation. looking at IL
from its selfish point Of view for mo-
ment, we are easily relieved OF the prob
lens that come to every employer-ine
aged or the inflrm; those who are injured
even before they reach middle life: those
mainly. however. who have been faithful
through all the years. and who in an In
efficient way. but none the less loyal.
would undoubtedly continue to be faith
full unto death were 1t not that we re-
quire Of them nothing more OF service
and only ask their acceptance Of the
ut cannot be alleged. however. that
our proceedings are wholly devotl OF
motives, for while corpora |
tions are called 'soulless' we were at the |
outset 'soulless' only in the view of the |
law. 1t never was anything, as proba- |
bly, many Of you know. other than a legal |
term We accept the opinion OF the great /
mind, the great legal master. which I'M |
Willingly fastens upon us what has be- |
come popular interpretation, and we |
are glad-really glad-he said il now and |
we are glad of its popular acceptance. err
lOneous though it may be, II 1t will as
sure us that souliessneSs is actual and /
will save US from all the torments of the |
world to come that are freely bestowed |
upon US in the world today.
Pension System Pays.
1--WE have an operating pension system,
not merely because it makes comfortable /
the lives Of many who have served US
skilifully and honestly: We have il be-
cause 1t pays. There is no question as to
profit We can demonstrate to any one
skilled in the accounting cost that it is
one OF the best investments. one Of the /
best dividend payers we have in all our
business.
1T pays because the young man and
the middle-aged man trained to our ways /
know that fidelity. and II may be long
service. In most cases Will be substan-
TALLY recognized, and that his declining
days will not be blackened with the sug-
gestion Of helplessness. a suggestion that
stares IN the face countless worthy men
and women. We look upon what we have
done apparently for our empolyes as
really for ourselves. and We declare II
to be good.
Now, Mr.. President, have not touched
upon my text. which / presume had
sonnet hing to do with more or less of a
VI elcome 10 The city of Washington,