Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-18
IN BEHALF OF CLERKS
Campaign Planned by Commit
tee of One Hundred.
POPULAR IN THE COUNTRY
Many Letters Received Supporting
the Movement.
AT WORK ON PUBLIC OPINION
Efforts to Get the Cabinet to In
dorse and Congress to Authorize
Pensions and Increased Pay.
POPULAR IN THE COUNTRY
AT WORK ON PUBLIC OPINION

A strong effort to have all the cabinet
officers include in their annual reports
recommendations for the increased pay
Of the government clerks and pensions
to permit the retirement Of superannuated
employees will be made by the committee
Of 100. which is planning a campaign
which. it is hoped, will result in better
conditions for the civil service employees
Of the government before the adjournment
Of the next session OF Congress.
Members of the cabinet are already on
record in favor Of paying the clerks bet
ter salaries and providing q system OF
pensions. permitting the retirement OF
faithful clerks without working hard
ship to the employed
Anxious for Cabinet Support.
But members of the committee feel
that the coming winter will see crisis
in the fight for the improved conditions
desired for the clerks, and they are anx
ious to have the support of the Presi-
dents advisers. President Taft has al
ready shown himself in favor of such
plan to better the clerks positions.
With the exception of Postmaster Gen
eral Hitchcock, all the members Of the
cabinet are out of the city at present.
Mr.. Hitchcock has already expressed
himself several times in the last year as
strongly favoring better pay for the
clerks and retirement system. Secre-
tary of War Stimson and Secretary Fisher
Of the Department of the Interior, the new
members of the cabinet. have yet to make
their position known on the proposition,
but 1t Is believed that like their col
leagues in the cabinet, they will advise
an increase In pay for the clerks and a
pension system.
p. B. Chase, chairman Of the commit
tee of one hundred, is expected to return
to Washington in a few days and it is
probable that he will call meeting Of
the committee early In October, when
still further plans VIII be made in the in
terests of the clerks.
Letters Supporting Movement.
Former Senator Charles Dick of Ohio,
the managing director of the work OF the
committee. has sent out letters to many
prominent citizens in every state and
large city in the Union urging that they
give their assistance in influencing pub
lie opinion. and. through 1t, members of
Congress, for the increased pay of the
government clerks Already many favor
able replies have been received by Sena-
tor Dick.
No Particular Bill Favored.
1t was explained today that the com
mittee does not intend to urge Con-
gress to enact into law any one bill
In other words, there will be no com
mittee bill. but the committee will ad-
vocate the legislation desired from the
viewpoint that Congress itself must
settle the details Of the law. The COM
mittee stands for the broad principles
involved. There Is at present before
Congress a number Of bills providing
for q retirement system and better pay
for the clerks.
The Contributory Plan.
The belief is gaining ground that
Congress will decide upon a retirement
system involving contributions from the
clerks to make up the pension fund.
This plan, 1t is said, has been found to
work well in England, where for number
of years 1t has been in use. England for
merly had system of retirement for It's
civil employees which provided for pay
ment OF the pensions by the government.
1t was found, however, that the clerks
preferred the establishment of a contrib
utory plan and this was finally adopted
When the government paid all the pen
slons the clerks considered that the pen
| sions were in effect deferred pay, and
as only about one clerk in every seven
was in the service long enough to OBJ
tain the pensions. six out of every seven
never received this deferred pay
II the contributory plan is adopted by
Congress 1t is believed that the pay Of
the government clerks will be increased.
The fact that the clerks must turn back
part OF their present salaries to the gov
eminent Will appeal to members Of Con-
gress as good ground for increasing the
pay OF the clerks. 1t is said The in
crease 1t Is believed. will be greater, once
Congress determines to make an increase,
| than the amount which the clerks will
| be asked to contribute to the pension
fund.