Evening star., 1911-08-20

line with a measure introduced last May
by Mr.. Hamill providing for the pen
sioning of superannuated and disabled
clerks.
The giving out of a statement yester-
day by NJ. +. O'Donoghue for the United
States Civil Service Retirement Associa-
ton, of which he is national director. re-
viewing the progress that has been made
in the effort to provide for the retirement
of aged clerks, aroused no little interest
supplementary to that taken in the Ham
ill bill. Mr.. O'Donoghue expressed the
opinion that the retirement of disabled
federal employees is in sight.
Provisions Of Hami1l Bill.
The Hamill measure for increasing the
compensation Of clerks has been re-
ferred to the committee on appropriations.
1t provides that the salary of every grade
of the classified civil service employees
shall be increased to an amount computed
to the nearest multiple Of 81 that will
be equal to 1oO per centum of the present
salary.
Justice. humanity and good business
demand both the increase and the pen
sion," said Mr.. Hamill last night. speak
ing of the bill for the increase in pay.
be done.
Congress recently increased the sala-
ries Of It's members 80 per cent. The
salaries of the judges Of the Supreme
increased 80 per cent. The pay has been
increased in the army and navy.
There was no general increase in the
salaries of the civil service employees.
Senators Bacon and GalIinger, in discuss
ing at the time the failure OF Congress
n q IN ffHyi os1n.
ployes. decided that a 20 per cent increase
should be the least granted.
IAN increase Of 30 per cent. coupled
with. q civil pension, would be equivalent
cent. or one-half Of the increase given to
Congress and the higher officials Of the
government.
Increases by Private Firms.
There have been continual increases in
wages outside of the government, accord
ing to Representative Hamill. The Penn
sylvania Railway Company, he said. has
Increased the salaries of its employees %
per cent in the last ten years. Congress,
he added, has overlooked a class OF men
who are doing the actual work Of the
government. but who are not permitted
by executive orders TO plead for an In
crease in salary.
for the retirement of superannuated and
disabled employees of the government is
a straight-Out pension for employees who
have reached the age of sixty. after thirty
years or more OF service. 1t provides
that the pension shall be 30 per cent Of
the average annual pay received during
the five years just before retirement.
Fer employees who have reached the
age OF sixty-two years, after twenty five
to thirty years of service q pension of
4 10 x1yGf1 fnr
who have reached the age OF sixty-five,
after from twenty to twenty-five years
OF Sc. vice. the bill gives pension OF 40
per cent of the average annual pay for
employe, 1t is provided, shall be kept in
active service after reaching seventy
years Of age.
Total Disability.
The bill also provides for total disa-
bilty pensions for persons FIVE years or
more IN the service, as follows: Service
of from five to ten years, 80 per cent o.
the average annual pay fer the five years
previous TO retirement; service of ten to
twenty years, 40 per cent Of the average
annual pay; service of twenty one years
and over. JJ per cent of the average an
nual pay.
According to the statement issued
by Mr.. ODonoghue, the fact that the
retirement OF superannuated govern
ment clerks appears to be in sight is
due largely to decade Of education
and organization, brought about by the
United States Civil Service Retirement
Association.
Mr.. ODonoghue reviewed the vari-
GUS bill that have been introduced in
Congress providing for the pensioning
of federal employees. 1t was no sur
prise that the Gillett bill failed to pass,
nj hn vx,h0 1e.
cost on the employe. The Perkins bill,
he asserted, proposing that the gov
ernmeSt pay back the annuities of the
aged employees. was found to be un-
an unexpected burden on those in the
service and would be a deterrent to
those entering the service.
The only objection made to the Goulden
bill. which was straight civil pension.
the government paying 30 per cent of his
salary to the retiring employe for life.
was that 1t was alleged to be expensive,
according to Mr.. O'Donoghue.
Half and Half Principle.
''Other schemes have been proposed"
he continues. 'One is making the gov
ernment pay half the cost OF the pension
and the enploye the other haif.s Half and
half measures are seldom successful. The
expedient would have all the drawbacks
of the contributory system. without the
full merit Of the straight pension. An
other is to increase all salaries 15 per cent
and then deduct a monthly percentage of
about 10 per cent for retirement Inc
latter is a legislative impossibi1ity.
1.-THE employees are entitled to a so
per cent increase in salary on the basis
established by Congress in increasing
its own salaries and those Of other pub
lie servants. When the increase comes.
and come 1t will. II should be at least
20 per cent, unemasculated by any
drawbacks for contributory retire.
ment."
The contributory system. in the opin-
ion of Mr.. O'Donoghue. would be an
expensive one. requiring a bureau and
an investment board. with a large corps
of clerks to operate 1t. Contributing
out of a meager salary. he asserts
would not give satisfaction but would
breed discomfort.
Insures Better Service.
"The pension system will attract better
men to the service concludes the state
ment. They will give their whole time