Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-17
URGE PENSION FOR
FEDERAL WORKERS
Banquet at the Washington
Follows Meeting-Mayor
HaussIing Present.

Strong Endorsement of the "EIamill
bilr' came from the several hundred
men and women employees of the
Federal government at the rally meet
ing held in Wallace Hall last night
The "Hamill bill' calls for the PEI
sioning of old and disabled employees
of the government after they have
served a certain number of years.
Among the prominent men present
that spoke in support of the bill were
Mayor Jacob Haussiing, Congressman
| Thomas l.. Reilly, of Connecticut, the
father of the eight-hour day bill for
letter carriers; Congressman Eugene
| f. Kinkead, of Jersey City: A. V.
Hamburg, president of the Board of
Trade? Rev. w. w. Giles, of East
Orange, and Postmaster Frank J.
Book.
The meeting was opened by Post
master Book, who made short ad-
dress. He spoke of the efficiency of
| the postal employees and said he
| thought it only fair that the govern,
ment should do something for their
| employees when their days of useful
ness were past.
ut would also be a great thing for
the government from an economic
| standpoint" he said when the en-
ployees are old and not capable of
| further work they would be retired
on half pay, as the 'Hamill bill' calls
! for.
Now when the men grow old do
we prefer charges against them and
| have them dismissed from the service
because they have become incom-
petent? No, sir; we don't. Why?
The answer is simple. The reason is
| that there is nothing lert for them to
do after having served thirty or forty
years IN the employment of this great
government end we haven't got the
| heart to let them 60"
| Teiegrnms of Regret.
! kilograms were read by Postmas-
! ter Book from Governor James f.
Fielder, Edward c. Stokes, Repub,
! liean candidate for governor; Con-
| gresham James A. Hamill, Congress-
men Walter l. Mccoy and Z. w.
! Townsend, Senator William Hughes,
| Senator Boise Penrose, of Pennsyl-
vania, and several others, all of whom
! expressed their regrets at their In
/ ability to be present at last nights
meeting and pledging their support to
| the measure
Mayor Haussllng made only a
brief address, but was high in his
| praise of the federal civil service en-
ployees, especially those in the postal
| department.
''The mail carriers are the minute
men of the country today, and the
average man can set his watch by
| them so regular are they in, their du-
ties. There arc good workers in the
/ factories and in our municipal plants
| and offices, but none of them are
more steady or harder workers than
| the postal clerks, and If there is any,
thing I can do to help you in your
| fight for a retirement law, / want
to say I am with you heart and
soul"
Cong. KinIEead Greeted with Cheers.
Just as the mayor was concluding
his address Congressman Eugene r.
| Kinkead, of Hudson county. made
his appearance on the platform and
| was greeted with cheers from all
parts of the hall. Three cheers for
| Kinkead," some one shouted from the
back of the hall, and Immediately
the place was rent with hearty cheers
from the audience. After the demon
stration had somewhat subsidized Con-
gresham Kinkead was formally In
| troduced by Postmaster Book.
The congressman, whom Rev. Giles
referred to as "as handsome as Apol-
10 and as effervescent as Apolinaris,
got into his stride the moment ht
| assembled the platform.
For more than twenty minutes OF
| the half hour taken up by Congress
man Kinkead he spoke on the subject
| of the day in Jersey-politics. he
| argued the merits of the "Hamil
| bill'' and closed with his pledge OF
its Endorsement.
1.-THE reception that you gave Con
gresham Reilly when he entered
said Congressman Kinkead, re
minded me of the reception given g
regular Democratic candidate In the
horseshoe section of Hudson county
II the ocean had separated me from
this meeting and you people tonight
instead of the Passaic river I would
swim the ocean to have been with
/ you. I notice that my colleagues are
| absent, but in a way / am selfish
enough to be glad of that fact They
are taking care of your interests al
Washington while I have the pleas
ure of being with you.
| Happy Smile.
"Of course, you notice the happy
| smiles on Congressman Reilly s ano
my face. Easily explained. We are
| not running this year. Good rea-
| son. isn't it?'' And the audience re-
sponded with a laugh. Il want tc
say that Governor tleluer WOuiC
have liked to have been with you
this evening. but owing to strenuous
campaign duties he was unable to be
present. However, l will say fol
him that he is with you in your fight
for the retirement bill, and will dc
all in his power to put it through
The congressman then took up the
subject of the election-next year
when he said he knew the people
would vote for their choice, and the
best man, whether he were Demo-
crat or a Republican, as long as
they were worthy. candidates and
would take care of the peoples in
terests. II am regular Democrat
In closing he said: There wat
never a more intelligent body of mer
than the federal government en-
ployees, and there was good rea.
| 81 ~