Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-12-30
100000 TO SHARE
OLD ACE PENSION
Legislation Eventually Ger
tain, But Not Likely at
This Session.
MOVE GROWING In FAVOR
Taft Likes Contributory System for
Benefit of Employees of the
United States.
MOVE GROWING IN FAVOR

eral government will enjoy pen
sion for age if congress adopts the
recent recommendation of President
Taft.
That eventually there will be such
legislation is not doubted. Nothing,
however, is likely to come at this
session of congress. A presidential
campaign is approaching and both
parties are anxious to make a record
for economy.
But the movement having this end
in view is growing stronger. Any
one watching the trend of the times
must see that the day will come in
the United States, as it has in Eng
land and in other countries of
| Europe, when there will be a gen.
eral system IL pensions for old age,
whatever the employment of the
beneficiary
! The senate will pass this winter
the McCumber bill as a substitute
for the Sherwood bill, which passed
the house of Representatives some
days ago. Both of these measures
are for the benefit of old soldiers
The Sherwood bill would have in
creased the annual expenses of the
government by $75,00O,0OO.
WOULD HAVE FORCED A VETO.
This tremendous cost would have
forced veto by the president. The
McCumber bill will provide for the
first year an added expenditure OF
$l7,000,0O0 and Senator McCumber
is confident it will never reach the
figures of the Sherwood bill.
With the veterans taken care OF
administration and congressional
leaders believe legislation can be
enacted for the benefit of federal
employees. The two questions to be
considered in. this connection are
: should the government bear the en-.
tire expense or should it be shared
by the employees? In his latest spe
cial message to congress the presi
dent advocated contributory civi
service pension and retirement plan
After considerable reflection" h,
said, 81 am much opposed to a pen
button from the employs"
The Presidents advocacy of tn,
contributory pension plan has stir
red employees of the government
particularly those in the lowe
grades who draw small salaries an,
who have to support families. Thes
persons require every dollar the,
20 80
be hardship for them to be force,
to surrender the smallest Fraction
of their stipend. Their objection t
the contributory plan probabl
would be removed if it should b
made voluntary-that is, If the bill
enacted should permit employees hav
ing money for the purpose to TAX
advantage of the pension plan.
EXPERT PREPARES ESTIMATES.
In order to determine the cost O
the various plans proposed, Presi
dent Taft has secured estimates fror
Herbert q. Brown, member of tn
committee on economy and effici
ency. Mr.. Browns estimates var
from mere cost of administration
amounting to approximately $4,000
annually, under the French plan, [
an aggregate cost of $130,5S1,27:
exclusive of administrative expense
spread over three-quarters of a Ger
fury, under the most expensive plaI
proposed by Senator Perkins of Ca
ifornia.
Should the entire cost fall upo
the government the aggregate CO.
under the Gillett bill, the gener.
principles of which have been il
dorsed by President Taft, would |
$S7, O55,2S0 spread over IS years,
, an average of little more than 81
s 100000 a year.
: The presidents Endorsement
the Gillett bill was contained in h
: annual message of 1910. The pr,
$ ject was to have the federal govern
: ment pay all employees now in Il
classified civil service on arrival
the age of 20 an annuity equal
IL per cent of their salaries Z,
er each year of service prior to Il
Oh enactment of the law. and from tn
or time on the employees would provit
- hACii ONh d COL
Up pulsory savings plan.
n The presidents suggestion of
h. contributory pension system involv
w an amendment of the Gillett bi
TO which provided that the governme
:" itself should furnish the pensie
ne fund of those employees SO advanc,
IS in age that their personal contrib
"a lions would not be sufficient to CT
10 ate their annuities before reachil
al the retirement age. In the judgme
g. of the president this provisi,
should be so amended as to pay Il
: annuities of superannuated employ
from the salaries appropriated Z
the positions vacated by retireme
and the difference between the a
b nuities granted and the salari
Il should be used for the employing
B of efficient clerks In the low
q grades.
B RAISE MONEY As IN FRANCE.
& To put the plan in operati
b without cost TO the government OF
81 er than administrative expen
q would be to follow the practice
a the French government in raisil
n the money to defray the expens