Evening star., 1915-05-22
PLANO RETIRING
FEDERAL CLERKS
The Star Offers Opportunity
for Employees to Express
Their Views.
MANY REPLIES TO QUERY
ON SYSTEM OF PENSION
Government Employees Record Their
Preferences Between Straight Plan
and Contributory Method.

How vitality interested the civil en-
ployes of the government are in q re-
tirement and pension system is clearly
Indicated by the hundreds of replies
which are pouring into The Star daily
under the poll which The Star has un-
dertaken. to develop the sentiment in
regard to this question.
Repeated statements by members OF
congress and strong intimations from
persons close to the President that civil
service retirement is to be considered
at the next session of Congress has
focused attention upon this issue at the
present time.
Through the poll now being taken.
The Star Is offering the thousands OF
civil service employees in Washington
an opportunity to register their desire
for a retirement system, and also their
preference of the kind of system which
should be adopted.
Do you desire the establishment of a
retirement system? If so. which shall
1t be-a contributory plan in which the
employees and the government VIII both
contribute to the retirement fund, or a
straight pension plan? ...a
Coupon for Each "Voter."
Voting coupons are being published
in The Star daily. The government en-
ployes are urged to cut out these cou-
pons, answer the questions and send
them to the civil service editor OF The
star as soon as possible. All coupons
must be In by June 1 to be counted
They should be signed in every case,
the understanding being that the
names will not be published
Many letters commencing The star
t~t RhOWn
cause of the employees have been re-
ceiyed Some of them add suggestions
for the development OF retirement
system One of the employees ados.
..Why should the government system
not retire all civil service employees
when they arrive at the age of super.
animated disability? Are the ofncers OF
the army and navy entitled 10 any
Clerks They are paid by the gov
ernment while at school learning 10
become officers When they arrive at
sixty-rwo years of age they go on tho
retired list and live on easy street.
Suggests Retirement Plan
Another suggestion from one of the
employees is as follows:
TT seems to me Congress might as
well give a straight pension as to pay
increased salaries and then assess the
increase of salary from the clerks
Without an increase of salary the
clerks can i'll afford ITO be assessed for
a contributory plan. But I will sup
port any plan"
The last sentence isdndicative OF the
ideas of large number OF the en-
ployes They are willing to support
any plan. Many of them would prefer
a straight pension paid entirely by the
government, but II they cannot have
this from Congress they are willing
and anxious to get contributory plan.
What they want is a system established
by the government which will assure
them a competence in their old ago
after having given their lives to the
service of the country.
Speculate Regarding Congress
There seems to be strong opinion
among>the employees, Judging from their
replies, that Congress will pass law
providing for a contrfbutory plan. but
that IT will not agree to a straight PEN
sion.
My suggestion for retirement is
this" writes one clerk: Let Congress
provide a horizontal increase of at
least 20 per cent for all salaries below
$500, and then retain per cent of all
salaries for retirement iuno. and
carry the plan into effect. The coun-
try would not disapprove this plan,
because il would prove a double bless
ing-a blessing IN the matter OF eff
cheney and economy TO the government
and blessing to superannuated en-
ployes"
4 tabulation has been made of the
coupons received in the early stages of
the ppll and will be published in tomor-
cows Sunday Star
The voting coupons will be published
daily in The Star UP to and including
Nav 81 All answers must be sent to
the Civil Service Editor by June l.