The Washington times., 1912-05-17
RETIREMENT BOARD
STRONGLY OPPOSES
F|VE-yEAR LIMIT
Association Goes on Record
Against Proposed House
Action.

That amendment to House of Repr.
sentatives bill 24o2s, containing a Ave.
year tenure Of office clause for Gov.
ernnent employees. was assaulted Wig
orously at mass meeting of the United
States Civil Service Retirement Asso-
citation held last night in the @. A, n,
Hall In Pennsylvania avenue northwest.
Caustic speeches featured the gather
ing, and at times wordy battles were
fought between men who differed only
slightly in their Views.
Hardly had the meeting been called
to order by Col. Solomon e. Faunce,
when Harry r, Myers, postoffice clerk
In the New York office, chairman of
the committee on resolutions for the
association. arose and offered resolutions
placing the association on record as be-
Ing opposed to the amendment In ques-
tion.
Text Of Resolutions.
The resolutions read:
Whereas grave and serious condition
confronts the employees OF the Federal
civil service on account Of the clause
which limits the tenure of office Of en-
ployes of the District of Columbia to
fve years service. ..'s.
And whereas such clause would abb
solutely nullify the civil service law aud
endanger the efficiency of the service
through the substitution of inexperi-
enced and untried for experienced and
And whereas the acceptance of such
clause without protest from civil
service employees throughout the
country might eventually include them
Be It therefore Resolved, that this as
ISOLATION herewith register its protest
AGAINST any legislation which will re-
& establish the "spoils sSstem" and I'm.
and further in the interest Of civil SER
vice reform we invite the attention Of
all civic bodies to this retrogressive act:
o,Eton. gG Il fqtther Resolved that ] these res,
this meeting and that copy thereof
be sent to the press and all represen-
natives of civil service organizations
throughout the United States, request
Nesting against such legislation.
Before the vote was taken on the res
olutions arguments were heard. But
one man lifted dissenting voice. He
said the association should 60 slow, and
not antagonize the Democratic members
OF the House by passing resolutions that
rrtght offend them. At this tuncture
Oscar Nelson, Of Chicago; president OF
ths National Federation Of PostSffice
tion was raised to the resolutions spoke
In favor of their passage. arose and in
- stirring talk said the clerks present
political standpoint: that they should
hit while the iron is hot, and by their
actions should show to members OF Con-
Eress that they are In earnest in their
demands. He drifted long enough from
his subject to score Government clerks
for their lack of interest in their. as
sociation. He said that when Congress
men found out that the members OF the
ha6 ~ ht,t
year for its upkeep and that the at
tendance at meetings was small, that
II would be almost enough to convince
the lawmakers that the clerks are not
the ameltoration Of their positions. The
resolutions passed with but one dissent
Ing vote.
Urges Strong Union.
DR.. Llewellyn. Jordan, of the Treasury
Department, secretary OF the associa-
ton, in his report urged that the clerks
OF tie country yet together as strongly
as have the labor unions OF the country.
He said the time had come for the
fedora ton Of the Government employees.
To this end, 1t is hoped to eventually
merge all associations Of Government
workers into one big body. and thus
In union ask of Congressman consdera-
tions believed to be Justly theirs.
The question OF the retirement Of
superannunted employees came up, and
Oscar Nelson, of Chicago. made the
principal speech. lie said Government
clerks should favor retirement pro-
vidinG an increase in calary Of Is per
cent to the person drawing less than
1900 year is given. but Unless this
increase in salary is afforded they
should fignt il to the last. He predicted
that without the. proper increase in
salary tn Offset the amount taken out
lv the Government each month on each
Individual retirement fund the accociu-
tion of employees all over the country
would be split to pieces.
= Discuss "Gag Rule"
The gag rule" recently killed by the
AOuse Of Representatives was discussed
IN an indirect way. when Mr. Myers
presented paper from the executive
committee placing the association on
record as fayoring a body OF board of
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