Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-04
TAFT TALKS.
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TAFT TALKS.
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appointment under the civil service,
attacked the Democratic House of
Representatives for attempting to linn
il the tenure of government employees
and declared, that so long rs he has
the power no old government clerk
need fear discharge unless the United
States has provided a system of civil
service pension to keep him from want
in his old age. Tie President spoke in
Faneuil hall, the cradle of liberty. to
several hundred post office employees,
now in convention here. He said that
the job of President in these days is
not a thing of joy when appointments
are considered, but the times of Lin
coin. he added, must have been a
perfect hell" More than anything
else he has encountered in the White
House. Mr.. Taft said, the filing of
vacancies that are not under the civil
serVile has proved irksome and dis
tasteful to him, and three times he
has urged Congress in special mes
sages 70 extend the blanket of the
civil service to all government en-
ployes.
The President motored in from Bev-
erly three hours before his train left
for Washington, tonight. to speak to
the clerks He limped into Faneuil
hall with his right foot in bandages
and wearing on it a loose felt slipper
instead Of a shoe. The foot was in
jured several years ago while Mr.
Taft was playing golf and. late yes
terday, he strained it again. He was
able to stand without aid tonight, and
did not use a cane in walking. 1t was
expected that he will be able TO go out
on the links again when he returns to
Beverly Saturday. The President left
for Washington at O'Clock, to keep
an engagement there, tomorrow, with
the International Association of APP
piled Chemistry.
The President was mildly cheered
when he entered Faneuil hall. Con-
gresham Green of Massachusetts had
preceded him and had praised the
President for his veto of the legislative,
executive and judicial appropriation
bill when it contained provision TO
limit to seven years the tenure of civ
il scr"iee employees.
Congress tried to put Mr.. Taft in
a hole. said Mr.. Green. He's a pref
" big man and it takes a pretty big
hole to put him in
The President began by praising the
Faithful. skillful. intelligent employees
of the government, who have built
up the machine of government in 1925
years, so that no matter what Presi-
dent or cabinet officer or bureau chief
leaves Washington for a vacation, the
public business goes on and the gov
eminent wheels still turn.
THE charge has been made" said
the President, with a bang of his fist
on the speakers table, that govern
ment employees are overpaid. That is
not true. | know hundreds of men in
Washington who are not compensated
within five or even 10 times what they
would have received under modern
conditions in other lines. l do not
mean to say that / favor an advance
in salary of five or 10 times what they
get now, but the government should
assure these men of permanence of
tenure and that they will be taken
care of in their old age"
The President explained that once
he favored a system of straight-out
pensions for government employees.
After observation of the working of
this system abroad, however, he had
come to the conclusion that it was
not the best and that it made for
smaller salaries and less rapid adj
vancement for the worthy And
now" he continued, 81 believe in a
system that might be called an EN-
forced system of pension where the
government pays part and the EN-
ployes contribute as we'll"
Mr. Taft gave his reasons for the
veto of the legislative bill. He said
that not only did he oppose it because
it was unfair and because it was
placed before him in an improper
dress, but because it would have ac-
eomplished nothing but made the life
of Congressman and Presidents con-
cerned in reappointments unbearable.
The bill would have accomplished
nothing good" said the President 1T
would be just like beating the devil
around the bush"
With picture of how many APP
pointments were made in the days be-
fore civil service. the President con-
siuutu HIS duuTeSS- 1t nave
been a perfect hell in those days, he
said. II speak with emphasis because
/ do not know anything connected
with the government that so interfere
with the administration of the office
as the applications and pressure that
are brought to bear to fill those offices
that are not new under the civil ser
vice
Before boarding his private ear for
Washington the President was a
guest at dinner of Congressman
Weeks of Massachusetts,.