Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-18
False Economy and Cruelty.

Sixty employees of the pension ONCE
have been dropped from the rolls OF the
government service and 100 others have
been reduced in salary. 1t is explained
that this action is taken because the
pending Legislative" appropriation bill
reduces the pension Office force by 14o
clerks.
1t is impossible to estimate the distress
that this action will cause. Following
the line Of least resistance. the office ad-
mnistration is compelled to comply with
the prospective new law by dlsmssing
and reducing those clerks who have the
lowest efficiency records and Who per-
haps, have the least claim. political or
otherwise for consideration. The blame
for this wholesale custer and reduction
does not rest upon the pension office au-
thorities. but upon Congress in proposing
% large a shortening Of the force and
curtailment Of the cost Of administration.
This situation can still be remedied.
The legislative bill is now in process OF
enactment. and 1t is to be hoped that the
Senate will so amend it as to restore the
appropriation for clerical service in this
branch of the government and thus OBJ
viate the necessity of reductions and dis
missais which are not demanded in the
interest of governmental economy. but
which, on the contrary. are directly at
variance with the requirements Of the
service
1t is idle for Congress to preach econ
omy and to practice it in picayune fash
ion by department cheeseparing when
it is appropriating public money SO lib
orally for works and objects Of no par
,fA f,l1
requirement. The total amount saved by
these administrative economies is
trifing when compared with the ques-
tionabie allowances made for rivers and
harbors. for public buildings in small
towns and other works confessedly of
the .log-roiling'' order and designed
strictly for local political effect.
The government work is not on SO cur
rent a basis that 1t is possible to dispense
with the services of 145 clerks in any one
bureau at a single sweep. If the pension
sfice work were up to date and clerks
were sitting idle. if there were an obvious
overplus Of service for the tasks in
hand, there would be Justification for
some curtailment But this 10 not the
case. There 10 no slackness Of work. On
the contrary, the force is running under
pressure. 1t is doubtless possible in the
course of time to reduce the pension Of
nee force materially as the work will
naturally diminish with the passing of
the veterans of the civil war. But these
reductions of the force should be &C
complished gradually. effected by failing
to fill vacancies as they occur through
deaths and voluntary designations. and
not by ruthless swinging of the ak.
which must necessarily find victims i'll
prepared for decapitation.
Whether this wholesale dismissal and
reduction Is due to shortage of govern
ment funds or siackness of government
work. it cannot fail to impress the coun-
try as a cruel disregard of justice in the
treatment Of those who have spent many
years in the faithful performance of diff
cult duties. Apart from the question of
the retirement OF veteran clerks. the ne
cessity for which is SO emphatically dem
onstrated anew by this sacrifice. there is
a duty for Congress now to perform, to
meet the emergency created by its own
thouShtless attempt at petty economy.