Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-20
PLEA FOR PENSIONS
Big Gathering at Hippodrome
in New York.
twelve MAKE ADDRESSES
Prominent Men Favor Provisions of
Hamill Bill at Meeting
Attended by 5000.
twelve MAKE ADDRESSES
Special Dispatch to The Star.

NEW YORK, November 20.-More than
5000 civil employees of the government
and their friends gathered in the Hippo
drome yesterday afternoon to give their
stamp of approval to the Hamill bill now
before Congress, providing for a straight
pension for superannuated employees of
the government. Thousands more were
turned away because of lack Of space.
The meeting was held under the auspices
Of Branch . United States Civil Service
Retirement Association.
Twelve speeches, ranging in theme from
optimism to bitterness. were made by
men representing almost every branch
Of the civil service.
Toward the close of the meeting, when
Charles I. Stengle of the civil service pa
per, the Chief. asked for an expression
Of opinion in regard to the Hamlll Dill
the 5000 or more people in the amphithea-
ter yelled themselves hoarse with shouts
of approval.
The speakers included Police Commits
sioner Waldo, Fire Commissioner john
son. Andrew w. Mckee, president United
States Civil Service Retirement Associa-
ton: Thomas L. James. former Post
master General; the Rev. John P. Child
wick, formerly chaplain of the battleship
Maine; Representative James A. Ham1ll,
sponsor of the pension bill: Dudley Field
Representative Riley of Connecticut, and
Miss Elizabeth Allen, secretary of the
Teachers Retirement Association OF New
Jersey. Former Representative Joseph
sion bill in Congress, was the chairman.
Says Bill Is Just.
Mr.. Goulden told of the provisions of the
Hamill bill and styled himself the grand
father of it, He said that the justice of
such bill could not be questioned. He
said that under 1t all employees who, on
reaching the age of sixty years, had been
in the employ of the department thirty
years or more could retire on 30 per cent
of their average salary for the last five
years of their service. Men who had been
employed more than twenty-five years
when they reached the age of sixty two
years would receive fl per cent of their
salary, and men who had been employed
twenty-five years when they reached the
age Of sixty-five years would receive 30
per cent.
He declared the total initial coast to
the government would not be more than
81, 100000. He also declared that govern
ment clerks were the poorest paid men
in the world, and it was the duty of the
government to provide for them in their
old age
Mr.. Mckee declared that the United
States, Venezuela and Haiti were the
only countries which had not adopted
pension bills for their WORKOUT EN-.
ployes. He said:
THE corporation interests of our land,
which have been declared to lack souls
and humanitarianism, are far ahead of
the government in recognizing that
man is entitled to something after his
years of service have been given in one
cause. Twenty-four of our leading rail-
roads and most of our greatest indus
trial businesses have established an old
age and disabled pension fund
Mr.. James Bitter.
Mr. James was bitter in his speech. In
conclusion he declared:
"A government that will commit the
perfidy of discarding employees whose only
fault is that they have grown old in the
service is not fit to be called govern
ment of the people, by the people and
for the people Our government pensions
its butchers; why not it's benefactors?"
Mr.. Chadwick said pension to employees
was not charity, but simply justice to
faithful men and women.
Commissioner johnson declared there
were women in New York who would cry
at the sight of homeless cat, and yet
become very impatient with seventy
year-old letter carrier who was Il little
late with his mail.
Commissioner Waldo declared that a
ice much more efficient. He added:
Young men will not stay in a business
where advancement is practically impOs-
sible. When there is not pension for
aged employees to retire on they stick to
their post through the necessity of having
means of livelihood. Thus the proper
channels of promotion are blocked by men
who should be enjoying the twilight of
their lives in peace, happiness and rest.
Mr.. Stengle said he wished to call at
tention to the fact that in addition to the
Hamill bill there is another before Con-
gress providing for d pension, but also
making the postal employees contribute to
the pension fund. ne said:
THE hackers of this bill declare there
will be a general increase Of Is per cent
in the salaries of all employees when this
bill becomes law. They seem to think
we do not know that the increase in sal
airy would go before different committee
than would the pension bill, and the re-
suit would be that the employees of the
government would be forced to contribute
to the fund and their salaries, already
pitifully small would remain the same.