El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-14

minister for the clerks. paying them
four percent interest thereon. Every
clerk viii be compelled to retire at
the age OF 20, and VIII be paid a Ger
tain amount, in monthly instalments,
during the remainder Of his life This
amount will be determined by the
length of his active service
The basis proposed IS that of I y per
cent of the full salary drawn by the
clerk from the time he enters service
until his retirement. In other words, a
clerk who remained in the service LOT
so years receiving an average OF ST.
zoe a year during that time. would have
received in the aggregate $4,000 With
a retirement pay OF j. , percent his
annual retirement salary would be
$500, or three-fourths of his regular
The Average Pay.
The average pay Of the government
empIoye in the United States Is $g4A
The emplOye in Washington draws an
average OF S10I9, while the one outside
of the District OF Columbia gets SszS-
The advocates of this system insist
that the clerks are unable 10 save
anything out Of these salaries Wneh
managing their own finances, out
believe that If the government mace
their savings compulsory. they could
rise to the occasion and find their old
age provided for.
Would Cost Millions.
1t is to be noted, however that II the
United States finally decides TO adopt
a system Of retiring the superannuaIeu-
the federal treasury viii have TO meet
the OUTLAWS hereunder until such a
time as the funds collected from the
clerks are sufficient TO meet the an
nual demands upon the retirement
funds According 10 the figures pre-
pared the deductions from the salaries
Of the clerks would not be sufficient to
meet annuities until after 1870 Prior
to that time the federal treasury would
have to make an annual contribution,
beginning with about three-QuarterS OF
a million dollars. for the year the law
became effective, increasing year oy
year until it reached Sl.f5O,OoO. and
I then declining again 10 nothing IN a
! little less than 20 years Inc total
helm the clerks would get in this way
would amount TO S65,0Oo,OOu, nesldes
the several million dollars IL WouIu
cost TO administer the funds.
Many Ould Take Jobs
Despfte the fact that those who are
in the government service Leei mat
they are undergrad, and that their Dat
tie with the high cost of living is an
ureIual enc. a feeling that is certalH-
justified il the case of the man IN the
! service who has TO support a Ianlly IN
I V-ashfn gt0u. there are always a plenU-
fr1I -un1hcr of others who would be
giad TO take their places There are
i've. eIigibleS for every appointment
made During a recent year the civil
service commission examined 1880 {
anDlfcants for civil service appoint
ments Senators and representative
are being constantly besieged by con-
stftuenrs who would Ike TO get into
the Government service, so much so
that il is not improbable that the day
will come when congress viii enact
law fOrbidding any OF It's members 10
fntercede in behalf of anyone for ap-
pointment 10 the classified federal SER
Have Curtaued Examinations.
The civil service commission is
now pursuing the policy OF holding
only such examinations as are required
for the needs Of the service F'orsnerlF
examinations were held more frequent
IL and the result was there were nearly
50 600 more examination. papers a year
TO be gone over BY the commission unan
necessary for the maintenance OF SUI
ffcient list Of eligibles- This results IN
those who succeed. being advised Of
their ratings much earlier. and IeWeF
Of those who are eligible decline ap-
poincments than when there is delay
in announcing the result Of the eNannin-
Demand for Experts
The character of examination IS grad
ually broadening Many new lines OF
activity on the part Of the federal gov
eminent have resulted IN oeIllail ~ ~ ~
expert employees Of many kinds Among
these may be mentioned agricultural
assistants banking economists. foresl
/ engineers, grazing fee collectors on
inspectors, wireless engineers, tooe-CU
experts. landscape gardeners sclen
tfcic assistants in basket willow cul-
ture and engineers Of tests the
civil service commission must plan eN-
amfnatfons which viii serve 70 test 10
a thorough and practical manner the
special qualifications or the appll,
DIfcants for the proper performance OF
the duties OF the positions they seek 10
fin. The wide range Of the activities
OF the federal government may be IN
ferred from the statement that approx
i-nateIv 500 different kinds Of eXamlna-
tions are held annually by the civil ser
vice commission. OF which 800 are filled
, bv educational tests.-Copyright, 1912
by Frederic J. Haskin-
rEditor's Note.-This is part of q
cbaDter on The Civil Service. from the
I book THE American Government b.
! Frederic J. Haskin. which now is Of
fered to the readers Of The FL PasC
/ Herald on most advantageous terms