Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-21
Only Remaining Hope for
Clerks to Keep Positions.
APPEAL TO RESCIND ORDER
Suggestion at Joint Meeting Of
House and Senate Committees.
NO CONGRESS ACTION NOW
Members, However, Apparently in
Favor of Some Pension Legis-
lation in Near Future.

To the President and members Of the
Senate and House committees on the civil
service today shifted the burden of pro-
vioing for the several hundred veteran
government clerks who are threatened
with dismissal July I.
Hope of federal help for the go or more
clerks whom old age and long service for
the government have incapacitated for
further efficient service. through the Sem
ate and House civil service committees,
was practically killed this morning. The
remaining hope. suggested by the men,
bers of those committees, lies in action by
the President.
To the President, it was suggested, an
appeal should be made to have him re-
scind the order dismissing the veteran
clerks and issue an order continuing them
on the government pay rolls. in their pres
ent capacities or wherever they can be
provided for, until some definite retire.
ment plan can be approved and estab-
lished by Congress.
The Senate and House committees In
joint session heard representatives OF
the Association of Citizens in Behalf of
the Interests of Federal and District
Employees Its plan for having Con-
gress make temporary provision for
the retirement of 500 employees during
the coming year was briefly outlined,
but the associations representatives
emphasized, instead. the need for some
emergency measure, and expressed the
Willingness to let Congress frame the
exact form it is to take.
No Action Possible This Session.
In reply the members of the commit
tee declared that it is an impossibility
to get Congress to act upon any retire.
ment measure during the remainder OF
this session. Even a temporary meas
ure of relief, 1t was suggested. will
meet opposition on the ground that 1t
would be an entering wedge. Prefer
ence was expressed for having the
clerks who are threatened with dis
missal continued on the pay rolls until
some retirement plan Of comprehen-
sive character can be acted upon by
Congress- and in that connection the
2 Following the public hearing the COM
mittees met in executive session. 1t was
formally decided that nothing could be
done by the committees this session.
The one encouraging feature OF the
however. was the evident desire
Of the members Of the committee to reach
some compromise on a retirement meas
ure that can be presented at some future
session of Congress, probably the next.
While the committee decided against
making any formal statement to the
President regarding its position. he will
be informed that the committees are
working in an effort to reach COM
promise agreement at the earliest mo-
ment.
1t was urged that the committee make
some definite statement to the President
as to what Congress will do toward the
establishment of civil service retire
ment system. But the committees de-
cided that they had no authority to
make any promises; and the President
will be only informally told that the COM
mittees are making efforts to agree upon
some plan.
Gen. Harries Appeals.
Gen. George H. Harries. president Of
the Board Of Trade and q member of
the ways and means committee of the
Citizens Association. opened the hear
ing. He presented the emergency created
by the orders dismissing about go clerks
from the government service July 1, en-
phasized the long and faithful service for
the government performed by these vet
eran employees who are to be cast out
without means of livelihood, and asked
that some means be provided by Congress
to insure an income to these faithful
clerks in their old age.
''You have asked the President to send
q special message to Congress on this
matter, have you not?" he was asked.
"Yes," replied Gen. Harries.
What kind of measure will he
tavor?'