Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-04
PLAN TO GET VOTES'FACTS ON PENSIONS
Committee of One Hundred
Soon to Issue Pamphlet.
CLAIMS HELD TO BE JUST
Statistics Quoted to Show Federal
Employees Need Higher
Compensation.

charge the movement OF citizens OF
Washington to obtain increases in the
compensation paid employees of the ma
tional ard District government. and an
adequate and fair retirement or super
annuation law, have in press and will
soon issue a pamphlet setting forth many
facts Of interest in connection with tho
work OF the committee. and also con-
siderable information about the civil pen
sion systems Of foreign governments AMI
the various similar systems maintained
by public and private corporations i'll the
United States
Interest i'm the committees work IL
widespread. as is shown by the names OF
the full committee published for the first
time, embracing men from every state
in the Union. former cabinet ministers,
senator's. representatives and governors.
state officials, college presidents. prom
inent business and professional men and
labor leaders. all of whom have eX resse1
their sympathy with the efforts OF the
committee.
Pensions the Rule in Europe.
According to q member OF the commit
tee practically all European countries
pay civil pensions to government en-
ployes who have reached the age OF re-
tirement. or who, from other disability.
are compelled to leave the service. In
these countries a man enters government
employment as he would enter any other
profession, with the expectation OF de-
voting his entire life to the service. Foiti-
cal parties may rise and fall. but appoint
ments to civil Office are permanent AMI
q man who receives q government APP
pointment knows he can continue in the
service as long as he desires. AS a further
inducement to attract TO the public serv-
ice men of the highest ability a pension
is promised those who devote their lives
to the work.
Under the ''spoils systef" which pre-
vailed SO long in the United States there
was little permanency of tenure in ap-
pointments and there was no occasion
for civil pensions With the passage
the civil service law In ISIS and tie ex-
tension of the merit system to nearly
every branch of the federal service, there
Is said to have arisen a steadily increas-
ing need for some legislation which will
care for superannuated clerks in federal
to say they should be turned out of office
when their day of efficiency has passed
but such course is so contrary to the
humanitarian spirit of the age that no
cabinet officer can harden his heart to
adopt such a course. and such reluctance
is entirely commendable and natural Tne
result is many aged and incapacitated
men and women are continued on the
to their desks. whether capable Of render
ing much or little service. In many cases
1t would be cheaper 10 A. these en-
ployes on two-thirds ~ .egular pay
than to retain them in y service.
Held to Be Logical Plan.
A civil pension is held to be a natural
and essential feature of the civil serv-
ice law. 1t is the logical apex or cap
sheaf Of the system, It is contended, and
the enactment Of some provision of this
sort can only be question of time This
conclusion is strongly supported by tho
review of civil pension systems set out in
the committees pamphlet. 1t has been
impossible to obtain complete data as -
civil pensions paid employees of privat F,
concerns in foreign countries. but SUI
railway companies pay approximation
benefits, many banks in England do tn ,
same, and II is believed the scussom is
very common among industrial concerns
In the United States a steadily in
creasing number Of municipalities. rail-
roads and manufacturing establish
ments pay approximation benefits.
Just how many such systems there are
cannot be told from any statistics which
are available. but the total number
Same of the largest Corporation
made provision for their own employees
before the year 1899. In that year the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company in
augurated the first approximation
system for all its officers and employees,
the entire expense of which is borne
by the company Most of the large
railway systems and many industrial
concerns have followed that example,
and this step has been taken not on
philanthropic or charitable grounds.
but because it works for economy and
efficiency and actually saves money
Organizations of working men are in
augurating the system at their own
expense.
Clerks Expenses Set Forth.
An interesting feature of the pam
phlet is the itemized budget Of expense
Of a clerk in one Of the departments in
Washington, who draws a salary OF
$1,000, on which he supports a family
Of three. The statement goes into the
greatest detail as ito what 1t costs to
clothe and feed his family, and shows
how impossible it is at that salary 70
lay aside much for the proverbial
rainy day." When IT is remembered
that a twelve hundred-d dollar salary is
considerably more than the average
earnings of government employees in
budget is a strong appeal for an in
crease in salary.
The pamphlet closes with quotations
from government officials favoring
some system for the retirement Of gov
eminent employees. President Taft, in
two messages addressed to the present
session OF Congress, and every cabinet
officer in his last annual report. has
strongly recommended such legislation.