The Washington herald., 1915-05-30
Clerks Pension System.

Editor Of The Washington Herald {:
Thor. are said TO be excellent prospects
for securing some action for the retlre-
ment of aged and inCapacitated employees
at the next session of Congress But no
retirement measure which bears the ear
marks of raid on the Treasury Tor the
benefit of n privileged rev mas the shSh'-
est chance of success.
Appeals TO Congress must b" made on
the basis of the public welfare and the
betterment Of the service. From TINS
viewpoint the case for retirement is a
strong one. Uncle Sam Is too humane
to throw out into the street aged en-
ployes who have given their best years
to the service of the government. But.
on the other hand. the government loses
nv continuing on duty men and women
who are no longer able to render effi-
Cient service.
The civil service employees who are or
ganized in behalf of retirement are un-
fortunately divided into two more or less
hostile factions. II these two factions
would get together and agree to support
any req sonabIe and practical measure
which Congress may see fit to adopt the
chances for success would be greatly
improved.
No advocate Of the contributory plan
will object to the straight pension plan
II II STdl ne ltdSiple, Jul We oNs ~
to have sufficient imaginative power to
put ourselves in the place of the average
Representative. nine tenths of whose con-
stituents are wage-workers or farmers
with annual incomes running from $500
to $500 These wage-workers and far
mers naturally object to being taxed to
pay old-age pensions to government en-
ployes whose annual incomes have been
about twice as large as their own.
Some day We may have a system of
universal old-age pensions, but in the
meantime We need not be surprised or
disappointed If Congress shall continue
10 oppose q civil pension list. This would
mean the contributory system or nothing.
Actuaries and accountants have work.
ed out elaborate details for a contrib
utory system, but with a view to econ
omy in operation the system should be
made as simple as possible. Perhaps as
good a plan as any, would be system of
deferred payments whereby or per
cent. or whatever percentage may be de-
cided upon. should be regularly deducted
| in the payment of all salaries Of $3.50 per
annum and upward: the amounts thus
retained to be placed to the credit OF
each employe and to be either returned
to him with interest if he leaves the
service before the age fixed for retire
ment. 10 be paid to his heirs in case of
his death, or to entitle him, after Inc
age of retirement, to a fixed .nnual in
come during the remainder of his life.
This system would be ultimately self
supporting but owing to the large num-
her of aged employees now in the service.
appropriations by Congress- decreasing
in amount from year to year, would be
necessary for several years to come, in
order to get the system well started.
Owing to the high cost Of living in
Washington and other cities, no deduc-
lions should be made from salaries OF
less than 500 per annum.
On the part of the younger employees.
affections more or less reasonable are
frequently raised against the contribu-
tory system. To meet these objections.
II can be said in the first place that the
retirement of a large number of elderly
employees would certainly give the young
er people q. better chance of promotion.
Then a compulsory saving Of a small
mixed evil For reasons which may not
be explained, few government employees
save money unless they ere compelled
to do so. But 1t Is necessary to look at
the question from q higher viewpoint
than that of Immediate personal advan-
tage II the se-:ice Is made more EN-
Gent, with more In II of the humane and
brotherly sririt. we shall all be gamers
In the long run. The writer stands
about midway between the young clerks
and the euperannuated ones. but he be-
lieves in the principle Of each for all
and all for each" Whatever 10 best for
all Of W win not seriously injure any Of