Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-11
Approves the System.

IJO YOU pSitSNc III d IetlIEulSll SS o
tenn for the civil employees OF the gov
ernment. with proper provision for the
employees after retirement" Secretary
Wilson was asked by reporter for The
Star.
i Il do answered the Secretary. Men
and women who have faithfully served
the government and who have pas Ell
the age when they cannot do the wo. k
required of them should be cared for by
the government to which they have given
the hest years of their lives.
Why added the Secretary, emph IT,
cally, II would not turn out an oil. en-
ploye upon the world withou, v..ible
means Of support any more than l would
turn out an old and faithful horse. l
would put the old horse-as I have done
In the past--out in a pasture with the
colts. and let him kick up his heels and
enjoy life
Undecided as to Method.
Secretary Wilson said that he had not
yet made up his mind whether the re-
tirement and pension system adopted by
the government for the clerks shoull be
, straight pension, paid out Of the fed
eral Treasury, or whether 1t should be q
contributOry system. whereby each en-
ploye should be taxed Il certain amount
of his salary each month to maintain the
pension system.
Both of these plans have been sug-
gested and both have been tried with
success In other parts of the world said
Secretary Wilson. But you may say that
am heartily in favor of the pr ncipie
| involved and hope to see an adequate re-
tirement and pension system adopted.
| There is one matter to which / have
given considerable thought-the care of
the government employees by the govern
| ment while they are on the active list l
mean that the government should ar
range to receive such money the employees
wish to turn over to 1t for safe keeping
and for Investment This money should
be invested by the government, and in
terest be paid the employees on their in
vestments.
Il believe that the government has the
power to make the necessary arrange
ments to handle the money OF employees
who wish to have 1t invested for them.
i believe these arrangements should be
made immediately.
Improbable Investments.
There are hundreds of employees of the
governments at present who lose their
| nloney-of:en hard earned-by invest
ments in mines or industrials which are
utterly unreliable. When their earnings
are swept away in this manner the clerks
are left without any means of subsis.-
ence when the time comes for them TO
leave active work.
Secretary Wilson, again referring to the
proposed retirement system for employees.
declared that II would be Of much as
sis ance to the heads of the department 8
and would tend 10 strengthen and make
more efficient the government service.
I'VE take care of our old employees the
best We can he said. 1T would be
heart.ess and unjust to old men who had
given the best of their lives to the gov
ernment service to dismiss them when
they had no means to support themselves.
We do not violate the law in retaining
these clerks. but I am frank to say that
we stretch the law as far as possible for
| their benefit. Often when an old employe
can TO longer do the work which has
been assigned to him ! ca.l him to the
office and Explain to him that he should
be willing to accept less work and less
salary. because he cannot fulfill the tasks
he has had in the past
In regard to the rec.assification and in
crease in pay which has been advocated
for the civil employees of the government.
Secretary Wilson declared that 1t ough,
to be a simple matter for Congress to
settle, SO far as the clerks were concern
ed. He said, however. that II would be
| impossible to classify many of the EN-
! . Dyes Of the Department of Agriculture
| because they were scientists specializing
along certain lines
Paid for Work They Do.
1--WE pay our scientists for the work
| they do. If they do exceptional work
| they get increases in pay. Congress has
! permitted me to name the salaries which
are paid to these scientists. and when
advances are warranted ! ask Congress
. to make the increases"
| Secretary Wilson said he did not intend
to make any recommendations in his an
nual report in regard to the proposed re-
| tireinent system for the clerks because he
| believed 1t was a matter which should
! originate in Congress.
when congressional committee takes
up the matter II will undoubtedly cali
| upon the officials Of the government. and
then we can give our ideas and our facts
| in the case, said the Secretary
LEGAL TERM TERRIEIES.