The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-06-25
BOYLE IS MISTAKEN,
SAYS DR.. JORDAN
Asserts t6,O86 District
Clerks Signed Conributory
Plan of Retirement.
DECLARES COERCION
IS NOT EMPLOYED
Argues That Gratuitous Pensions
Means Lower Salaries for
All Employees.

The actual number OF persons in the
District Of Columbia who signed the
petition 20 have Congress enact an
equitable contributory plan OF retire
menJ was 1866. according 10 = state
ment made TODAY BY DIT, LleUellyn JOT-
dan. secretary # the United States Civil
Service Retirement Association.
The figures were given out by Mr.
Jordan as the result Of a letter writ
ten By John Boyle. local representative
of the Wall Street Journal. 20 Senator
CJ,mm lbs. Chairman OF the COMMITTEES
ON Civil Ser,ice and Retirement, IN
which ne atczet that only 1000 sigma
lures had been Obtained out Of total
of Z5.Ug5 to 5000 employees IN the city.
According 10 Dr. Jordan. Mr.. Boyle
made a mistake in confusing the num-
her of outside siEners with those In the
city
Jordan Replies to Boyle
"I'he tact is said Or. Jordan to-
day. that the petitions transmitted TO
the Speaker of the House OF Repre-
Eenta dives by Secretary MacVeagh
contained the names Of 1906 en-
ployes in the city Of Washington
alone. and this fact was made a part
OF tie letter Of the Secretary to the
Speaker. 50 that It Is unfortunate that
Dir. Boyle should have confused the
number Of signers in the city OF
Washington with those outside the
city.
The lists representing signatures
OF classified civt service employees, in
GLIDING postal clerks and letter car
Iiers, IndCrsiIg this petition. which
mas received the support Of the mem
oers Of tine Cabinet and the approval
ot the President Of the United States,
obtained in cities and towns outside
Of Washing ION. ana which petitions
nave been circulated under the aus
Elces OF the United states Civil Sery-
Ice Retirement Association, contain
the names OF many thousands more.
which WI De duly transmitted 10
Congress
No Coercion Used, Says Jordan.
These names, both in the city Of
Washington and throughout the coUn-
try, have been obtained without the
exercise OF duress, coercion, o rmisrep-
resentation, and as far as known. with
out misrepresentation on the part Of the
siE1ers. and in a purely voluntary man
me-.
The fact that chiefs Of divisions and
heads Of bureaIs We're requested 10 sign
these petitions before the same We're
presented 20 the clrks was only natural.
IN view OF the fact that the members
Of the Cabinet and the Assistant SeCre-
taries had given the petitions their in
dOrSement.
The suggestion Of Syr Boyle that only
5 per cent Of the CLASSIFIED civil service
employees IN the city Of Washington
favor an equitable COntributory plan OF
retirement, and tn this proportion IS
restricted 70 chiefs OF divisions and 10
employees sixty ears old and over. VIII
not be borne out D. rigid inquiry into
all the facts should such be undertaken
by the Senate Committee as suggested
il Mr.. Boyle's letter.
Salaries Should Be Higher
- NO one will take issue with the posi-
ton advanced by NIr. Boyle n advO-
eating an increase UI salaries for civil
employees of the GOvernm- INT; II fact, all
viii agree that the salaries OF civil en-
ployes Of the Government should be in
creased FOR the purpose OF coping with
the hign cost OF living, and entirely in
deDsndent OF or without reference 70
the question OF the enactment o. q civil
Service retirement law
The fact seems 70 have escaped the
attention. Of Mr. Boyle, however, tlaS
the history Of other countries snow that
where Ciyil pensions are granted AMI
maid as l)u-e l.ratuiUIes out Of the pDOAc
funds Tor faithful service. rendered that
such pensions, o. retiring alloNahCes,
either on account OF uperannQdllOn OF
disability incident 10 the service, are
always taken INTO account IN fixing sal
aries with the inevitable result tndt JNe
employees are compelled 20 work Tor 2
rnIIch lower wage than they would
otherwise receive Were il not for TIE
prospect Of. receiving a pension. IN
actual operation, however, the SApeLl-
ence of England shows that only CuS
person in seven actually receives the
benefit of the civil pension system OF
tba- country. or, Al least thAt WIS
The experience until the Law was
changed by an act Of parliament pdSseI
on September 20, 1909.
THE significant fact, however, to be
borne n mind is that while only Few
receive the benefit of the law an VINO
were Intended to be benefited by II have
been compiled to work for much less
wages than they otherwise Wouid nave
received.
mentation with various plans, hLly
years Of which have been devoted &c re
application Of the principles OF
straight civil pension, such as Is COZ
templated by the So-calieG So uIdsii -
M. r. 22,776, Sixty-firSt Congress, sec
ond session.. has at last. as the reSuIN
of more than twenty years OF aSlIalloil
on the part Of the civil servants OF tnat
country, SO MODIFIED It's civil pehSisII
system as 10 convert it, to all intentS
and purposes, into a cOntributory sys-
tenn. This is a recognition of the con-
teution made by the civil service en-
plOyes Of that country that pensions
are taken into consideration in hXinS
salaries, and that some adequate pro
vision must be made for the return OF
this withheld or deferred pay
This whole subject is ably discussed
fn senate Document go, SiXty-hr 81
Congress second session, dealing with
the subject Of civil service retirement
in Great Britain and New Zealand, pre-
pared by Herbert D. Brown, under
thedirection OF the Bureau Of Labor.
The committees in Congress which arc
to deal with this subject, at a joint ses-
sion held in this city on June q, made
If plain that they did not favor the
enactment Of any law which contem-
plated the creation OF a civil pension
list to be supported wholly at Govern
ment expense.
therefore it is for the employees to
decide, if they want retirement with
pay, whether they are willing TO aid in
the enactment of a law based upon an
equitable cOntributOry plan, coupled
with a Reconsideration and. increase of
salaries. or whether they desire the
enactment Of a straight civil pension
laU and the continuance Of the present