The Washington herald., 1910-01-02
America Only Power Failing
to Retire Clerks.
REVIEW SHOWS GOOD RESULTS
Great britain, Germany, France,
Austria, belgium, Denmark, Italy,
the Netherlands, and Norway Have
Adopted schemes to Care for super
animated Civil Servants.

=
reports of the United States Civil Service
Commission reveal the fact that America
is the only world power which fails to
make provision for the retirement on
pension of its supeTannuated employees.
The following extracts were taken from
an essay on this question written by
Joseph F. Scanlon. of Boston.
Great Britain.
After ten years service civil servant
is entitled to a pension Of ten-siXtieths or
his salary With the same provision the
pension increases one-six;leth for each
successive year up TO a maximum of
two-thirds of his final salary. Retirement
at any time upon satisfactory proof of i'll
health. on attaining sixty years OF age
he may retire. and at sixty-fve his retire
ment is compulsory. Pensions are paid
out OF the national exchequer.
Germany.
IAN official who has served the State
for ten years may be retired on pension
az the age of sixty-five, or previously in
case Of disability. Ten years service en-
year of service adds one-siXteenth Of the
the last active salary. and each additional
year OF service adds one-sixtieth of the
amount of the annual pension until
maximum OF forty-fve-sixtieths is at
tanned"
France.
ITO provide a pension fund an assess
ment Of ; per cent is levied on all
annual salaries. In addition 10 this, each
official is required to contribute one
twelfth of one years salary upon enter
ing the service and one-twelfth Of
each subsequent annual increase. The
age Of retirement is for Group !. sixty
years. and for Group II. fifty-five years.
The amount of the pension Of an en-
ploye is, for Group L one-sixtieth OF the
average salary for each year OF service.
and for Group II, one-half Of the aver
age salary plus one-fftieth for each
additional year of service beyeGd twenty
FIVE. No pension may exceed three
fourths Of the average salary.
An conditions of age OF length of
service are dispensed with in the case Of
employees incapacitated in consequence
of an act OF bravery. or devotion. or of
an accident incurred in the immediate
discharge of their duties. The present
law regulating pensions has been in force
for more than fifty years.
Schemes of Other Lands.
Other countries, including Austria.
Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Neither
lands Norway, have all adopted similar
pension schemes of retirement for their
superannuated civil servants.
Australia. to prevent retention In the
public service Of superannuated en-
ployes, requires all such employees be-
fore permanent employment to take out
deferred annuity policies with a repu-
table private company.
Canada passed an act IN 1895 making
It obligatory for public servants to con-
tribute ) per cent Of their annual sal
aries, to be refunded to them with per
cent compound interest at the time Of
their retirement
From information furnished by United
States consuls To the Civil Service Com
mission, and published in the eleventh
report in respect TO Retirement with
pension for length of service or infrm-
ity, the following is enlightening:
Number Of countries heard So
Number 81 countries having pension Provisions. 3
Number Of countries not stated........-...-.-...
Numb5r Of countries having pension provision. 8
The countries in the last category are
Bolivia, Colombia. Haiti Venezuela, Vic
toria, and the United States. Victoria
has since adopted the deferred annuity
plan alluded TO in the foregoing para
graph.
Makes Service Attractive.
Employment in the civil service in
pension countries is made attractive.
Applicants are presumed TO make the
service a lifelong profession, not
handy makeshlft while preparing for law,
medicine. &C.
Entrance into the service is effected
through comprehensive and rigid exam
nations. designations are rare, retire.
ments systematic, and enough Of selected
chosen to maintain efficiency,
vitality, and activity Employees are ex-
pected to, and do, devote their best ener-
gies to their chosen profession on the
sure expectation that their government
viii assume responsibility in case of dis
ability through no fault of the employe,
and a reasonable competence in their de-
Ginning years.
Finds Valuable Data.
From hearings before the Committee
on Reform in the Civil Service, OF which
Representative Frederick H. Gillett is the
chairman. much interesting and pertinent
information was brought out concerning
the manner in which the large corpora
tons of the country meet tie difficulty
The data showed that more than
eighty of the leading corporations, in
Guiding the principal railroads In the
United States and Canada, street rail-
ways, steamship companies. banks. man.
ufacturing and industrial companies, and
trust companies have IN operation sys-
TENS of equitable retirement. The annual
reports of all these corporations prove
that the adoption Of this progressive pol
ley is a sound business proposition bene>
fetal to employer as we'll as employee
Cities Have Pension Systems.
"A number of cities have inaugurated
pension systems for their police and fire
departments, as well as for their public
school teachers. Some of the prominent
cities include New York, Chicago, Phila-
delphia. and Boston
1T is evident from the statistics pre-
scented, from the methods adopted by all
civilized governments, from the example
and testimony of our leading corpora
tons. that the problems Of superannua-
ton and disability in the civil service call
for legislative solution"