Evening journal., 1910-12-06
PENNSY'S new
PENSION PLAN
Would Cause the Retirement
Of Thousands Of Old
Employees
MEN OVER 50 YEARS
WUULD BE RETIRED

Employees of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company in this city are interest
ed in the action TO be taken on a new
pension plan now being worked out
in philadelphia. If the new system
is approved by the railroad manage
ment, as it probably Will be, 1t will
result i'm quite q shakeup of the em-
ployes. wedding out all of the men
over sixty and sixty-five years of age.
The additional expense incurred in
the operation of the plan will be borne
by the employees themselves through
the voluntary relief department
The new system calls for voluntary
retirement of all the employees at the
age Of sixty years, and compulsory
retirement when they reach siXty-hVe
years This would enable the men to
retire five years sooner than the pres
ent pension plan and it is said that
It would affect about eight per cent
of the employees on the system
The movement was started by the
brotherhoods and a plan of paying two
cents a day into the fund was adopted.
Eight per cent. Of the employees will
be affected by the plan. For the year
ending 1909 the Pennsylvania system
had 1921 men on its payrolls, so
that on the basis of eight per cent,
1915 men would be placed on the
pension lists Immediately following
the adoption of the new plan. II is fig
ured that il would affect about fifty
trainment on the Philadelphia di-
vision, about thirty of whom run out
of Harrisburg About one hundred
men, Il is believed, would be relieved
from further work in the Harrisburg
Histrict-that section comprising Har-
risburg, EnOla and Lucknow.
II eight per cent. of the men on the
system are sixty years of age and over,
then on the lines east Of Pittsburg and
Erie, where 123, ASS men are employed,
9,S76 would be retired, on the lines
west of Pittsburg with 55.032 en-
ployes, 4,402 would be retired on the
Cumberland Valley with 1880 en-
ployes, 146 would be affected. on the
Vandalia railroad. with b,346 employees,
427; on the Grand Rapids and Indiana
railway, with 2.65S men. 212. and on
the New York, Philadelphia and Nor
folk, with 1.400 men, 1l2 men would
be retired
Local Employees Favor Move.
Practically all Of the railroad men
in this city and all along the line are
ia sympathy with the movement. The
older men approve it because IT will
retire them five years sooner. and the
young employees because they would
be promoted as fast as the older men
are pensioned.
The new pension system would not
affect the present system except as IN
the age Of voluntary retirement The
railroad company would continue pen
sioning the men according 10 their
rate Of pay as at present, and in addi-
tion to this relief department would
pay out twenty-five dollars per month
for the first five years, and an addi-
tlonal five dollars for each succeeding
five years.
At a salary Of 500 per month which
is taken as the average wage Of the
railroad man, he would receive forty
dollars per month from the company
when retired, if he has been in ser
vice forty years. Twenty-Five dollars
would be added to this by the reliei
department, making the total amount
$50 for the first five years; for the
second FIVE years he would receive s65
and for the third five years $40 and
so on.
Most of the engineers in this city
will have been I'm the service forty
years when they retire, and many -
them are receiving on an average OF
5000 per month, so they would receive
a monthly income Of sos from the
railroad company.
The new system is an involved one
and although it is being worked Ut
by the employees themselves through
the advisory members Of the relief de,
partment, 1t IS said TO be favored by
the railroad management. The plar
has been temporarily dropped On ac
count of the annual election of mem
bers to the advisory committee, but 4
will again be taken up as soon as The
matter has been settled.