The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-12-28
FOR STRAIGHT
PENSION FOR CLERKS
Secretary of Commerce and Labor Says Any Plan Would
Be Acceptable to Government But Thinks Con-
tibutory Plan Hardship

is sII0.es5.46. of which IS. 100 q IS said 20
be uneaTned.
'.'The following statement is quoted
srom the report Of re Committee Of me
in the Civil Service as indicating the
extent Of approximation in the Gov
eminent service in the District CO Co
lumbia and the consequent amount OF
loss 10 the Government annually.
IN It's report for the year ending June
J. 1906, the Civil Service Commission esd
mated the annual loss OF efficiency n the
executive civil service in the District Of
Columbia from super~=lsztion at S4o0.V99;
Census Bulletin 81. on "a executive clsn
service. shows Government eroploye n
10 De over IS years Of age. whsle the
proportion OF employees over 20 IL large
Employees Over o5 Years.
Il is apparent from the foregoing
statement that 1851 of the Z,254 en-
pIoves were over sixty-ave years OF
age. Assuming that the same peTcen-
tage Of supeTannuation existed IN the
1. 81 cases Just mentioned as Is shown
by the reports OF the burss officers
TO exist in Ike cases IN this department
il would appear that 474 of these en-
plOyeS we're Superannuated-
. Dividing S4O0 COO reported as being Iosi
10 the Government, by the number o.
superannuated employees (474. IL Is found
that each Of them could be paid an an
nuitv Of SS43sS by the Government oui
Of the fund reported as being now
Enthusiastically compulsory retire
meut on account Of age OF disability
should be authorized by law. II IS not
so certain, however, that the law should
absolutely TX the retirement age Tor II
is conceivable that IN many instances
the employees would at the specified pc
Rod show but little impairment OF MS
physical vigOr and might stin retain
more than q, fair degree OF mental ac-
tivity-
"On the other hand. the fact should
not be disreEarded that unless the Law
compelled retirement az certain age
there would be many instances IN which
the element OF human sympathy wou'
control, and thus defeat the purpose OF
the law OF the several plans that have
been suggested for retirement. the so
called -ContrfbutoTy system ana the
straight pension system nave been
given the most conside4 alton
Any System Acceptable.
Almost any system which would re-
tire supsrannuated employees upon a.
equitable basis would be, from tie
standpoint OF the Government. accept
able as a means OF relieving the unfOr-
tunaus conditions which now exist
throughout the service. but the heavy
draft on comparatively low salaries IN
der a COntr1DiuOTy SysuSLl NSu41 %
hardship and might work an injustice q
the employees II salaries srs 70 remain
as they are. Il would seem that the
Government can well AFFORD as strict
! IL economical measure TO provide q
straight pension without contributor
from the employees
As bearing directly on the question
whether the employees should provide
the means for their retirement the 1ol'
{ loving statement is quoted from the re
port OF a bureau officer OF ire depart
nent-
I strongly advocate a plan for ths
cornDuIsory retirement Of employees wher
they have reached a certain age (to %
determined by proper authority 81
when. because Of physical OF menta
stability. they become unit Tor service
before attaining the age limit COincr
dent with retirement for superannua-
ton there should be provided pension
representing an adequate percentage %
/ the salary Of employees at the time 81
/ retirement This pension should bt
given outright by the Government with
( out an assessment levied against tn
/ salary o. active employees Owing 70 TIT
I small salaries paid IN the civil ServiCt
the exaction Of even a small
/ percent age Of the income for a pension
/ FUND would work hardship IN many
] cases