Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-29
TALK PENS|ON PLANS
Speakers Discuss Retirement
Before Civic Alliance.
OPPOSED TO CONTRIBUTION
Actuary Dawson Says System Has
Even Proved Failure.
GILLETT DEFENDS HIS BILL
Doesn't Believe Congress or Public
Sentiment Will Approve Placing
Burden on Government.
GILLETT DEFENDS HIS BILL

o"Ap anu tno FuOuc service IN the
United States
Miles M Dawson Of New York city,
an actuary and supposed to be the man
VINO could pronounce final Judgment
upon the practicability of any propo.
sition for civil service retirement on
the analysis Of facts and figures, de-
clared against the contributory plan
OF approximation pensions as some
thing that has failed wherever tried.
he advised for compulsory contribu-
ton, with the government taking ovep
the entire responsibility to pay dam
ages In case of Industrial accident, the
entire cost Of service pensions and or
the fund for sick benefits whether tho
term OF 1ncapacity from work be long
or short
Representative r. H. Gillett Of Massa-
cnusetts. former chairman Of the House
committee on reform in the civil. service.
lnumated that Actuary Dawson, In criti-
c1sang the contributory plan, did not show
knowledge Of the bill prepared by his
committee. and declared that it differed
materially from the form Of plans found
wanting where tried by other nations.
He explained the bill as the only sort of
measure that had any chance in the
present state Of public opinion and Of the
humor Of Congress.
Cost of House Measure.
BY the measure as prepared by the
House committee the cost to the gov
eminent would be only $s7. 00o. 900 in fifty
years, when the governments obligations
would practically end, while straight
| out pensions would keep on rolling up the
expenses Of the government from year to
year until situation would be presented
similar to the pension account of vet
Grams, which had now reached 500 .O00. 900.
more than the cost to pay or the entire
army and navy in the service.
A system Of service annuities should be
put into effect at once. without any re-
gard being paid to elusive hope OF in
crease of salaries. in the opinion Of NJ. f.
O'Donoghue, director of the United States
Retirement Association. He questioned
the constitutionality of any contributory
plan Of pension.
In the argument that followed the pre-
sentiment Of the three addresses on the
subject Of civil service retirement, there
was open discussion Gerald Van Cas-
teel Of New York led, asserting that 1t
was not SO hard to get rid Of the dead
wood in the government service, as had
been asserted, as it was to keep the good
men on the pay rolls. He questioned the
statement that the old men were able to
do only three-quarters OF tho work Of
younger men, and asked what the en-
cheney reports demonstrated in this re-
spect.
DR.. Mary Walker expressed her ap-
prevail Of the contributory plan. where
the payments are to be made as pensions,
when the age limit Of service Is reached,
and the fund not in its entirety paid over
to the beneficiary.
DIT. John Franklin Crowell, president of
the American Civic Alliance, presided
over the sessions, which opened at y
o'clock Maj. w. p. Judson, Engineer
Commissioner Of the District Of Column
bia;; briefly welcomed the visiting orsani-
Terms Plan q Failure.
What Really Should Be Done Con-
corning Pensions and Insurance Of Gov
eminent Employer" was tho question
that Actuary Dawson was expected to
answer after Mr.. O'Donoghue and Rep
|resentative Gillett had spoken. His en-
gagement to speak elsewhere gained him
the right of way and he preceded them.
In denouncing the contributory plan.
|."Compu:sory Savings Bank Plan" as
given by Actuary Manley Of England
whom he complimented as the greatest
authority on the subject Of retirement
worst scheme ever proposed" was Actu-
airy Manley's view, which Actuary Daw-
son reflected In his own opinion Of the
cOntributory plan
old age pensions and civil service retire
ment, he declared, had proven an abso-
lutte failure wherever tried. He urged
the United States not to lose the expert
ence Of other Investigators. by beginning
where they began rather than where they
left off in the evolution Of the right idea
IN retirement system. To try 1t he
It would be opposed by ali employees
except those who are so old that they
are eager to reap any benefits of govern
ment contribution: Government clerks
in Washington. he said. are putting their
| surplus money into life insurance. He
cited Washington as the community hav-
| ing the largest amount Of insurance in
force. per capita, in the United States.
Draws Lesson From France.
The middle class Of France, said Ac-
course Of holding out from the family
earnings to provide for old age. The
spirit caused by this practice. he deduct
ed, was responsible for the decreasing
birth rate In that nation.
| With proper rewards of service and
approximation pensions, said Mr.. Daw-
son, the civil service of the United States
in fifty years would be made the finest
body Of government employees in the
world. Life Insurance. insurance against
are all part of the same subject Of serv-
ice compensation, and should be consid-
cred In the general plan Of service re-
tirement.
If these were added as a proper COM
lpenSation to the wages of the govern
tment servant there would be attracted tc
the service many who now avoid it to
seek better compensation in less desirable
lines Of employment. 1t would cause de-
votion to the service and provide a strong
incentive to remain In government en-
ploy, in his opinion.
Need of EARLY Action.
When Mr.. Dawson retired Mr.. O'Don.
Ioghue read his paper. With other things
he said:
IT wish to emphasize the necessity fol
Immediate action on retirement. Their
are old men and women, many OF whom
have seen better days, lettering in thu
corridors of the Departments. Whatever
differences of opinion may exist as to TIT
best or most feasible kind Of retirement
the demand for some kind Is almost uni
verSal r
II have not attempted to differentiat,
between the employees and the govern
ment as I consider their interests iden
teal In fact the employee is the govern
ment to a large extent. In the Language
of the day, he has to be always On thu
job To be more estheuc, Statesmen
may comes and statesmen may go, but HI
goes on forever
when the survivors of the French
revolution came together to discuss leg
islation, their first question was, 'Whs
has carried on the work of the govern
ment during all this bloody period? o.
/ ~ IA