Evening star., 1915-05-31
Final Opportunity Given Clerks
to Register Views on Cues
tion of Pension Plan.
OPINIONS ON RETIREMENT
FOUND TO DIFFER WIDELY
One Correspondent of The Star Cites
Advantages to Young Workers
of Contributory System.

Today is the last on which The Star
will publish the voting coupon contain
ing questions regarding a retirement
system for the civil service employees.
All the employees are urged to make
use of this opportunity to express their
views regarding this important ques-
tion. Replies to the questions in the
coupon must be in the hands of the
civil service editor not later than to-
morrow night to be counted in the final
tabulation of votes
In this contest The Star has given its
support to no side of the retirement
question. The poll is being taken with
the purpose Of giving all the employees
a, chance to say whether they desire a
retirement system. and also what kind
OF q system, If any. 1t is believed that
Congress will give it's attention at the
next regular session TO the question of
civil service retirement, and for that
reason the friends of the employees be-
iieve 1t is important that the employees
congress. The poll conducted by rhe
Star is intended to ascertain the feel
ing of the majority of the employees.
so tnat they may get together in sup
port OF the wishes of the majority.
Why Loan Sharks Exist.
One OF the questions contained in the
coupon published by The Star asks II
the clerks believe there should be a
general increase of salaries in justice
TO the employees. In this connection, one
OF the employees sending in his coupon,
said.
The much-talked-of loan shark is
product OF wage conditions, as many
OF the men are utterly unable to meet
the exceptional obligations due to sick
ness"
This employe also suggested the es-
taonsnment OF a government commits
i respectfully submit" he said, that
IN thirty five years the rate of pay has
remained unchanged, whereas the cost
OF living has increased from 70 to 12O
per cent. The revenues of the govern
ment also have increased A man who
was underpaid thirty years ago is to-
day in the same position, underpaid; !;
therefore the interest on the money
saved by the virtual reduction Of salar-
les up to date should be sufficient to
pay the pensions on about the same
basis as the army"
Said another employe in regard to
reclassification and increase of sala-
ries:
Il have worked in division where
from twelve to fifteen clerks worked
on the identical kind of work, and had
the same amount of work to turn out,
yet the salaries paid ranged from $1,000
to over $1,000 per year. There should
not be such great difference in the
salaries. Twelve hundred dollars
should be the smallest salary paid. A
man with family cannot live on less
in Washington
Cites Need of Pension.
One of the veteran employees now in
the service had this to say:
II entered the civil service in the
War Department over thirty years ago.
and being full of ambition at once be-
gan to work hard to make myself USE
full. did this in various ways till in
1905 ! became chief clerk Of ono of its
bureaus. I continued as such until
1910, whom, having worked 50 hard.
was stricken with nervous prostration.
have tried every means for recovery.
but without any success; on the con-
trary, growing gradually worse. All
this time have been carried along as a
minor clerk. and given a nominal sal
ary but now am so helpless that
cannot get to the once any longer. !
face q resignation, and II don't re-
sign will be discharged.
How necessary in such q case would
retired pay be. During all the years