The Washington times., 1913-12-16
CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENTs AGAIN

SlVlL SEKVlCE KE EllREMENIS AGAIN.
1t will cause revival of hope among the civi
service workers in Washington and throughout the
country to know that Secretary of Commerce Red
field has incorporated in his annual report vigorous
demand for the retirement of aged Government
CLERKS, with adequate annuities. More than this, he
attacks the present method of apportionins civil serv
ice appointments among the States in the ratio Of
population, and demands a more rigorous enforce
ment of the merit system in selecting employees.
1t may be said without serious fear of contradic
ton that the Republican party took more friendly
view of the Government employees problem than the
Democrats have displayed. Indeed, it is quite likely
that if Republican administration had continued an
other Presidential term, legislation for retirement
and annuities would have passed. The gravity oi
the situation had been impressed on Republicans be-
cause they had borne the responsibility for admins
trstion. They knew tine weaknesses of the machinery
with which they had to work. The Democrats, moi
having done the work. didn't know much about the
machine.
But with the responsibility for getting results
and trying to economze in the getting, Democrats
are realizing what this civil service condition is and
what it involves Mr. Redfeld is a student and
devotee of scientific efficiency. He knows what II
means in private business, and he knows that the
arguments which commend it there just as favor
able to it in Government affairs.
Secretary Redfeld's report gives hearty ndorse-
ment to the proposals that The Times has for years
urged in season and out, in behalf of the civil serv-
ice workers. Note this extract:
The growing volume of work, the demand for in
creased eciencv, and the introduction OF methods
and ideas require the services OF men and women whose
minds active and capable of development 1t
inconsistent that the Government should eXpend large
sums r attempting to procure properly equipped
9iigibes = enter its employ and at the time
tain OF its rolls those who have long passed their
funess The heads OF bureaus reluctant to dscon
tnue serces of supcrannuated clerks for to do
would in most deprive the latter of their only
OF inco. Demotion is but palliaon, and does
ret meet the difficulties of the II would there
fore he only just to provide in manner for
the retirement Of such employees on annuites at least
partly commensurate with the rates OF paw they have
been receiving In cases the reduction of force
possible through the greater efficiency of Younger
and wcrncn would 90 far meet the cost of these
annuteS.
That states the whole case. 1T WOULD NOT
BE AN EXTRAVAGANCE TO ESTABLISH A RE-
TIREMENT AND ANNUITY PLAN. Rather, it would
be an ultimate economy. 1t would get the Govern
ments work done more promptly and better. AT the
same time it would take care Of the men and women
who have given their years of chief usefulness TO
the service.
The plan of retrementS and pensions is no radi-
cal experiment of phlanthropc but hare-brained ex-
remists 1t is plan tested, tried and demonstrated
in the service of most governments and vast num-
Der of business corporations. That the United States
Government holds back from it is proof, not of safe
conservatism, but of AN unseelng, unknowing, I'M
thinking unle7rning toryism that is unwilling to
change anything
The civil service machine is getting constantly
less effective and efficient because of the increasing
proportion of superannuates in it. Humane execu-
tves will not arbitrarily discharge people to whom
discharge means starvation, or great deprivation
That is the Redfeld view, it the view of the
various Republican officials who reported on the same
problem and who reached the same conclusions that
Mr. Redfelds report sets forth
Ii is high time that narrow partisanship, and es-
pecally any sentiment of hostility toward the civil
service establishment, be laid aside and beginning
made in applying business and efficiency principles
to it.