The sun., 1915-11-15
5000 ASK PENSIONS
FOR US. EMPLOYEES
Great Gathering at Hippo.
drOmc Urges Passage of
the Hamill Bill.
MANY NOTABLES THERE

A little white haired man. erect and
soldierly in spite OF more than rs years,
stood on the platform OF the Hippodrome
yesterday afternoon and the 5000 odd
people in the auditorium chcered him
Cor five minutes. The man was Sergeant
/ Frank Scanlon. civil war veteran and
for forty-fvc years n postal employee
dismissed from the civil service because
he fell III and could not report for duty
now dependent on the support OF mar
ricd daughter.
| The occasion was the retirement rally
of Branch ., National Association Of
| civil Service Employees, held to plead
| for the passage OF the liamll bill for
pensioning superanruated Federal em-
ployees Collector of the Port Dudley
! Field Malone, who presided. introduced
Sergeant Scanlon as a victim of a sys-
TEN in which this country is behind tho
nations of Europe and the majority of
the much maligned corporations. which
| have already seen the advantage Of
| taking care OF faithful and outworn en-
/ ployees.
! Every seat in the huge Hippodrome
was filled and there We're three or four
rows of standees in the rear, besides
about 500 guests and speakers gathered
| on the stage apron and the united New
| York and Brooklyn letter ctIriers' bands,
which led the programme with a concert.
William ]. Donovan, chairman Of the
! committee on Hrrangcm"uts introduced
| Collector Malone.
| IN the customs service OF this port
there are 3.100 men - years or over
who have been employed for more than
| twelve years said Mr.. Malone. rs
| there n thoughtful citizen who will say
| Il is not the duty OF the Government to
take care OF the declining years Of these
men who in their lifetime served the
| Government wcllo To my mind the only
efficient system IL one of civil service
under which no official dare think OF
the creed or politics OF his employees and
under which faithful service is ade-
quately rewarded"
| Andrew Mckee, president OF the Ma
tional Association Of civil Service En-
ployocs. termed civil service door to
which every opportunity OF entrance Is
afforded. but whose only exit is the
grave or state Of dependency. En-
ployees making $500 "a year, he said
could not be expected to save enough
from their pay for their old age.
president Wilson told me when I
called on him that he Is heartily in
| favor Of "A retirement pension he said
land NE told me that the day Congress
| u
sign IL without delay"
Assistant Corporation Counsel John
| i. O'Brien took the stand that retire.
ment pensions are "a duty when gov
| erument does not pay "A living wage
TO its employees.
Congressman Walter NJ Chandler
I added thee opinion that "a private
/ family that would employ n servant for
thrty-hve years and then turn him out
]
| ernmont that would employ a man for
the best years OF his life. underpay
| him. and then turn him out in tho same
manner would be n disgrace TO the
world"
| r. l.. Sylvan ~ the American Tcle-
phone and Telegraph Company. which
| long ago adopted the pension system
| for its employees. told OF the workings
! Of the system naugurated 10y President
| r y. Vail and said I'VE have been
| regulated. We corporations, To death.
! We have been told how to run every
detail OF our business. II IS high time
that Uncle sam turned his vision in
ward and cleaned his own doorstep, so
| he may cease to he the laughing stock
OF those same soulles@ corporations and
! the other nations OF the world ahead OF
! him in humanitarian progress.'
! Among the other speakers were Con-
Gressman j. \. IIamill, father of the
pension bill: Mgr Francis ii. Wall OF
the Church OF 81. Charles Borromeo
| Secretary OF state Thomas F. Martin
Of New Jersey; ex-Postinaster William
! J.. Kelly of Brooklyn, Congressman
! Thomas L. Reilly OF Connecticut and
Congressman Daniel J. Griffin of New
| York.
| Resolutions advocating the passage
of the lIamill blll were passed and
ordered sent TO President Wilson and
| Concress.