The Washington herald., 1910-05-29

The United States Civil Service Com
mission estimates the annual resigna-
tons and dismissals from the service as
per cent. and in its reports deplores this
tendency of interrupted service. There
is every reason 10 believe that an as
surance OF deferred pay upon reaching
old age would tend 20 diminish this de
fection and strengthen the service.
Testifying before the royal commission
above referred TO. an official of the Lon
don and Northwestern Railway Company
Of England. which company has had IN
existence for over sixty years a system
whereby the employe receives at sixty
years Of age a gratuity from the COM
pany of 25s per cent Of his annual sal
airy for each year Of service, plus 2lL
per cent withheld by the company each
year. the whole compounded semi-annu-
ally at 4 per cent interest. the railroad
official expressed himself as follows:
"The superannuauon fund IS the great
thing that has kept the designations and
dismissals so small"
Aged Employees Retained.
In these considerations II may be fairly
demonstrated that each year the gov
ernment. under it's present policy, pays
to many aged employees full salaries and
in return accepts service which is but
70 per cent or less of the standard From
the governments reports Of investiga-
ton on this line 1t appears that super
annuated employees in Washington re-
ceived a total salary payment Of $.977,-
$50. Twenty-Five per cent OF this sum-
or something over 100000 annually
formed a total loss from the standpoint
Of efficient end economic service, and
outside the District OF Columbia, calcu-
latlons on the same basis added SS0O.o0O
more to this sum. An annual economic
loss of $l.9C0.0OO thereby having been
made clear, II prompts the query, Why
not retire the public servant when ne
service calls for virility and stamina IN
his place and his worn powers demand
restY Eliminating the consideration Of
whether a government owes anything
20 an employe who devoted the produc-
tive years Of his life to loyal service, or
whether it does not owe anything 20
him. the clear inference IS that il is poor
business 10 pay him a salary for inefi-
cient work-for services he does not per
form. The government clearly should
be served by the superior employe dur
ing the period Of his full powers-any
other view from the government stand
point IS retTogresslve-and a proper sys-
ten should be arranged for the auto
matte retirement Of the superannuated.
Hesitate to Dismiss Men.
In a feeble and abortive way govern
meut regulations do empower heads Of
departments 10 cut on the dead timber.
But It has been found impracticable in
its operation. The responsibility Of con-
signing 10 possible hardship and penury
an aged and helpless fellow creature by
ruthlesSly severlng him from service and
salary VIII not be assumed by many full
blooded department chiefs while a lin
gering excuse may be offered I'm extenua-
ton and the sacrifice thereby avoided
The department head Is a fellow en-
ploye not a headsman.
In the consideration Of an old en-
ploye for decapitation Of this kind. a
certain bureau chief testified before a
Congressional committee that. urged by
every regulation as 10 his duty in the
matter. the ineficiency Of one OF his men.
due 10 decrepit old age after long serv-
ice, demanded his immediate discharge