The Washington herald., 1910-05-29
Retirement of Supeannuated the Classified Service

Investigation divulged the fact that dis
charge meant suffering and poverty.
The chief after a protracted mental
struggle, where an inclination to retain
was pitted against orders to discharge
finally determined upon a day when the
man should be severed from his income,
aud then, in last moment Of remorse.
he withheld action temporarily The fol-
lowing day. as he relates. this employe
dropped dead on the way to work. Had
action been taken as planned, the plain
Inference would have laid the death at
the bureau chiefs door, and who can
blame the instincts Of heart which in
that exigency withheld the hand.
Find Ii Paying Investment.
II Is not reasonable TO assume that the
many Industrial organizations heretofore
noted pay pensions merely through hu-
manitarian motives. Their business is the
accumulation Of assets for stockholders
who figure the per cent returns on in
vestments. We have yet TO note a with
drawal on the part Of any corporation
OF note that has embarked on this policy
and the consensus Of expressed opinion
Is that IL is simply a good business ar
rangement. 1t tends 10 insure the loyalty
Of the employe, increases the measure Of
his daily service because he IS more
closely identified than If like a squeezed
lemon he is to be cast aside when he IS
unable to return quid pro quo: Il encour-
airy rewards in old age are held valuable
and not lightly relinquished-it enables
the force 10 be replenished with new
blood by the automatic retirement Of the
inhrm at a stipulated age, and II enables
the corporation 10 do a needful thing in a
merciful way without subjecting itself 20
the reprOach (Which IS likewise a busi-
ness debit that II remorselessly con-
signed its worker 10 poverty after years
OF service.
This is the viewpoint OF the employer
What OF the employe, He is selfishly
concerned also. He recognizes the con-
slderate employer by returning better
service during his virile years-working
with most enthusiasm for the higher re-
ward Of salary plus old age provisions he
refuses 10 cut adrift from the certainty
Of comfort IN age, estimating at its proper
worth independence from charity doles
in those declining years.
As these facts are brought home 10 the
citizen as voter or as legislator, he sees
the desirability Of placing upon the stat
ute books a law 10 effect the end How
ever. ways and means az this 5uncture
assume formidable proportions. and a
brief consideration Of this phase Of the
matter is highly pertinent.
A Congress which has appropriated and
now IS paying millions each year 10 its
war veterans, and which must devise
revenues 10 meet the standing budget an
nually looks c0ldly sleptical az any
measure that involves a continuing year
ly drain OF this kind. Logically, Con-
gress must face the problem squarely
very soon. and. too. Il must solve II
either by assuming the full burden OF
paying such expenditures from the public
funds or by inauglIrating a system
whereby the civil employe provides for
Lis own retirement by contribution from
his salary in sums sufficient by the IN
crement Of compound interest 70 accord
living annuity at sixty. sixty-fye, or
seventy years Of age.
Since small consideration would now
attach 10 a proposition to saddle upon