Evening star., 1915-06-07
John Shelton Williams Urges
Serious Consideration of
Civil Service Retirement.
FAVORS SOME PROJECT
TO MEET PROPER DEMAND
Further Discussion by Government
Employees Of Questions Propounded
in Star Coupon.

'The matter of civil Service pension Is
one for the serious consideration and
attention by Congress"
The controller of the currency, Jonn
Shelton Williams, who SO expresses
himself on the subject of pensions for
superannuated government employees. Is
in favor Of some project that will sat
isfy the proper demand for a compe-
tency in old age for government en-
ployes who have given a life service
to the public, and to improve the pup
lice service by the retirement OF men no
longer fit for arduous work. He has
declared himself in favor of no single
project proposed.
While assistant secretary of the
Treasury in charge of finances Mr.. VIII
liams made an Investigation OF the sub
dect. He gathered statistics regarding
the ages and capabilities of clerks in
the service of the Department of Jus
tice, supposedly with a view to some
recommendation on the subject. His
transfer to the Office of controller OF
the currency halted his Investigations
and took the matter out Of his hands.
Men Who Get Lowest Salaries.
One of the government employees who
wrote to the civil service editor during
the poll taken by The Star on the ques-
ton of a retirement system Tor tho
civil service employees discussed the
matter from the standpoint OF the en-
ployes who receive the lowest salaries.
He said:
THE situation In the government
inf nf a fph
man. skilled laborer, fireman ana
laborer. who receive lower wages than
all classified clerks. indicates that this
class of government employees are
little better than paupers.
"The illustration of the same Is as
follows: These employees receive
monthly salary of $50 to $50 per month
with no prospect of promotion They
generally have families to support,
paying identically the same prices for
the necessities of life as the Nigh
sa1aried clerk does.
"These low-salarted employees render
eight hours instead Of seven hours or
service per day and under present con-
ditions are living like paupers, at the
very gate of the poorhouse. because
on such scant salary they are not able
to save a single cent for rainy day,
nor are they able to engage in work
on the side to earn some extra money,
as clerks are able to do.
Rent takes nearly half 1t costs
not less than $50 to $25 per month for
quarters in the city, or by living In the
suburbs where the rent is somewhat
cheaper they have to make up the diff
ference in paying car fare. Next, they
cannot set the table for small family
for less than 81 per day or $50 to $35
per month-the months salary Is gone.
Clothing. doctors bills. medicine.
life insurance and number of other
items are to be paid out of about $40
as a balance of a moa&hly salary at
the rate of $40. but impossible on $50.
THE writer Is in position to men
tion a number Of government employees
Of this class who wore secondhand
clothing. Pleasure can receive no con-
sideratlon after the days work is fin
ished; the government employe can
only sit down at home with a half
filled stomach like a prisoner in Jail
and probably spend the lonesome even
be well to remember that a number
of outside people who are working for
low wages are very frequently appli-
cants for help from the Associated
Charities
Further would invite your attention
to the fact that numbers of young gov
ernment clerks spend a part of their
Office time in preparation for special
schooling as doctors, dentists. lawyers,
etc, and when their course Is completed
they leave the government service be-
cause Of the very poor inducements to
is we'll enough for the real old en-
ployes. but under present conditions
and inducements the younger class of
employees does not expect to stay long
enough in the service to become bene-
ficiaries of retirement pension. SO
present and tho problem of pension
later on"