Evening star., 1915-05-26
Government EmpIoye Says
Pension System Would Mean
Greater Efficiency.
PLAN OF CONTRIBUTION
is GIVEN ENDORSEMENT
Different Views Are Expressed on
the Question in Letters
to The Star.

The government will benefit by the
establishment of a retirement system
for superannuated employees as much
or perhaps more, than will the EN-
ployes themselves" declared one of the
civil service employees who sent In his
coupon today, voting in favor of the
establishment of a retirement system
1t Is pointed out that by an adequate
retirement system the government
service may be made more efficient
that work now done by two superan-
nuated employees may he done by one
younger employe. Regarded from this
point of view. it will be an economy for
the government to establish a retire
ment system.
The poll now being taken by The Star
is designed for the purpose of showing
Congress how the employees themselves
feel about the matter While many OF
the employees have divergent views re-
garding the form the retirement system
should take. nearly all of them an
nounce themselves strongly in favor OF
a retirement system.
The voting coupons published daily
in The Star will continue daily up to
be sent to the civil service editor by
June l,
Endorses Contrbutory Plan.
Sending in his coupon. one of the
employees wrote:
Il hope that the contributory plan
will be unanimously Endorsed. for it
seems clear that he who runs can read
that Congress will give us no relief
on the straight-out pension plan. hence
the futility of pressing that scheme.
] say let US show some practical, COM
mon sense and try to get that which
is likely to be had rather than try
for something that Is evidently not
obtaina BILE.
Another employe takes a different
view. He says
Il am inclined to criticise the use
of the word equitable in question 4.
From my point OF view. no contributory
system of retirement can be perfectly
equitable unless all those to be re-
tired start on the same basis.
In other words, If the old employees
now in the service are to be pensioned.
necessarily without contributing. is
there any way of making such retire.
ments equitable as compared with
those employees who will retire in, say,
twenty years after contributing to
their pensions?
Again, a contributory system in
wolves compulsory payments from. in
many cases, an employees all too slen-
der income.
Lastly, a civil service pension, like
should be straight. in my opinion, but
it should be fully earned by long. con-
tinuous and ecient service
Views of Another Employe.
Still another employe expresses tho
following views regarding retirement:
Il am much interested and not a lit
tie humiIiated by the correspondence
going on in The Star about pensions
for government employees. No one
doubts the sincerity of The Star, but
there are some things / cannot under
stand. What has 'reclassification and
increase in salary to do with pensions.
and why was this query put first on
the list? What connection is there be-
salary that they are grouped to-
gether? If six of US are doing the
same work, and the service is reclassi-
fed. will the upper or middle or lower
lower That would be increase of
salary with a vengeance, or IL the mid
dle-and l am in the middle class
would ! not be prevented from ever
reaching the higher salary? This rule
works both ways.
1T is assumed that the civil pension
would be an expense to the govern
ment. AT the same time your editorial
SAYS:
They must persistentIy bring to the
attention of Congress the facts upon
which the demand for retirement is
based. the showing that II is in the
interest of the government as well as
that of the clerks. that the United
States is actually losing money by not
providing for the humane retirement
Of the superannuated employees and
thereby clearing the rolls in the gov
ernment Offices of those who have
spent their lives in the ranks and are
falling in their efficiency
"Why Not Retire Clerks?"
Vow. II the government is actually
losing money by retaining these clerks
why not save that money by retiring
them, and why levy tax on those in
the service for their support? The
amount that old people could pay in a
few years would not be enough to pay
their rent. much less their board, so
some one would have to be the goat
~ the taxpayer Will save money by re-
iiring them, and that is shown him,
then there Is no kick coming to him
According to the editorial. which is in
accord with leading authorities, II
would be no expense
Next we come to half-and- half
plan. II IL assumed again that tho gov
arnment will pay half What assurance
have We Of that: AS in tho case of re-
Classification. how do we know that
the government Will not dock US for
The entire amount? Probably that is
'rhat will be done
Then the feasibility Is dwelt on.
So ~ Congress will be guided or even
Effected by the opinions of few en-
ploSes in Washington. who cannot take
care of their earnfnRs. but must ask
congress 10 save them from themselves