The Washington times., 1911-05-10
UNCLE SAM BEHIND
IN PENS|ON|NG HIS
FAITHFUL WORKERS
Representative Hamill's Bill
Provides for Straight
System.
SOLVES THE ISSUE
IN MANY NATIONS
Even Industrial Corporations Find
1t Proper, Says Mr..
Hamill.


behind other nations and scores of in
dustrial corporations in pensioning
faithful employees who become super
ANIMATED in the service, Representative
Hamill of New Jersey has introduced in
the House bill providing for straight
civil pension for Government employees.
Representative Hamill does not be-
lieve this Government should ask its
employees to contribute toward fund
for their retirement. His bill proposes
that when an employe becomes super
ANIMATED the Government shall retire
him at an annual average of one-half
the pay he received for the preceding
five years.
An employe who has served thirty
years is to be retired at sixty, upon the
above basis. After a service Of twenty
five to thirty years, retirement is to be
made at the age of sfxty-two, on As
per cent pay. Those in the service be-
tween twenty and twenty-five years
may retire at sixty-fve, on 40 per cent
pay. No employe is to be retained after
reaching the age Of seventy.
y In Other Nations.
In support Of his assertion the United
States has Jagged behind other nations
in providing retirement for its faithful
employees, Mr.. Hamill said:
Germany has retired its civil en-
ployes on this basis for 100 years.
England has retired its civil en-
pIoyes on this basis for fifty years.
"One-third of the municipalities In the
United States now provide outright for
the pensioning of police, fremen and
school teachers.
During the last ten years there has
been an increa sing tendency on the part
of our city and State governments, as
we'll as public service corporations and
Industrial establishments, to provide for
the retirement of superannuated and
disabled employees.
Fifty per cent Of the men now en-
ployed upon the railroads of our coun-
try are pensioned after faithful service,
without deduction from their salaries.
The International Harvester Com
pany, with 5000 employees, provides an
annuity without contribution from his
salary, to every employe who has reach
ed the age of sixty-fve and having
served twenty years or more.
twenty-five of the leading railroads
of the country maintain pension funds
without cost to the employees. Among
them are the Pennsylvania and its
branches New York Central, New York,
New Haven and Hartford, Southern Pa
cifc, Union Pacific, Delaware, Lacka-
wanna and Western, and Baltimore and
Ohio.
"Other Industrial and mercantile con-
Germs providing in this manner are the
United States Steel Corporation with a
retirement fund of s12,000000. Edison
Electric Light Company, Old Dominion
Steamship Company, Bank OF New
York, New York City, First National
Bank, Pittsburg, Pa, and Merchants
National Bank, Baltimore, Md
A Business Proposition.
"As a business proposition. retirement
on these lines is indorsed by the finan-
cial officers of every institution which
has put it to the test, and. although the
cry of cost is raised. it is readily proven
that it is in the end less expensive than
a compulsory contributory plan, with its
added measure to increase all salaries.
But where justice is concerned the cry
of cost should not be raised. p
THE army, navy, Marine Corps, and
Revenue Cutter Service are now retired
on a direct pension after thirty years.
George w. Perkins. one of the lead
ing financiers of the day, and for years
associated with the firm of j. Pierpont
Morgan & Co., in recent interview on
the question of retirement, made the
following comment.
The day a civil pension Is author
lied, that day the officials of the several
departments in Washington will be in
position to reorganize their departments.
to nut them on a real business basis. to
demonstrates that a civil pension system
is real economy, and that it will be
worth millions of dollars to the Govern
ment annually"