Evening star., 1914-05-22
Real Question at Issue.

outside Oh the fact thaS such miSlead-
ing statements would tend to bolster up
the impression which certain men are
seeking to create. that the war veterans
are being singled out for removal, it does
not matter really whether one or six or
eighteen are veterans in the public service,
10 far as it concerns bringing to the fore
the question of what shall be the relation
of the government toward men who have
grown too old to render the necessary
service. The exact facts, without the IN
jection of thoughtless eXaggeration or
bitter prejudice, are sufficiently important
to make every good cltZen pause anu
think on the subject.
Something can be done, and something
should be done, in this matter. and
have given as much publicity TO the post
Office situation as departmental policy
permits, in the hope that it may lead TO
such a determination of the matter as
seems wisestk Congress.
Three Lines OF action.
Three lines of action have been sug-
rested. One is tenure of office, say
seven years, at the end of which period
every employe must take his chance of re-
employment as the result of a new civil
service examination. The best that can
be said for such a policy is that IT would
result in continuous infusion OF new
and young blood into the service and
would give every employe knowledge in
advance that he must lay something aside
for the day when he will have to step
aside for greater efficiency, exactly as in
private service.
Another suggestion is that an age
limit to public service be fixed whereby
at a certain period an employe auto
matically retires from the public service.
For the exacting and grinding require
ments of post Office work such limit
should be set nearer to sixty than to
sixty-five years. The best, perhaps. that
can be said for such plan is that
1t would caution employees In the public
service to lay up something for the days
when they must automatically make way
for younger men and women. Ihis would
be kinder to the employe fhan TO let
him hold on under the belief that he can
draw his government salary to the end
of his days, regardless of his capacity
to earn il, and II would be fairer to the
public than pensioning on salary an en-
ploye long after he has passed the period
when he can honestly earn that wage.
Contributory Pension.
THE third and more widely discussed
plan In that of a contributory pension.
whereby an employe contributes part OF
his wage to a fund out of which the
government pays iiiiu a pchSAoi4 dt d
ixed period Of retirement.
Amy of the three plans mentioned
would be more humane to the employe
and more honest to the public than the
existing condition of letting superan-
nuated employees. by sufferance hang on
to a practical pension greater than the
average wage in private employ for a
high degree Of efficiency. Personally,
would like to see a contributory pension
law enacted: however, not for one class
nation. l cannot see the fairness of ap-
plying such law TO a limited number
OF the nations millions.
1T should apply to all-whether they
are In the classified service or in pri-
vate walks of life The man or woman
who renders his civic duty as he sees
it, who raises young men and women to
citizenship, renders great a service 10
the republic whether he draws his wage
from the public treasury as does the
government employe on the classified
list whose position, as long as he is
efficient and necessary. is safeguarded
| to him by law.
such a pension system should be vol
| untary. To protest against that would
| be to protest against thrift. 1t is true
| that this will be nothing but a govern
ment old age insurance plan. That is
all that any contributory pension plan
Is, whether it be compulsory or volun-
tary. But whatever pension plan is
adopted, il should be open to all Ameri-
can citizens and not be the exclusive
privilege of a comparatively small num-
ber of people-Government employees who
| are secured by law in the enjoyment
for rSany years Of higher wages than