Evening star., 1915-05-21
straight civil pension paid wholly out

our association be affected or the use
fulness of it's work be interfered with
entangling alliance with the straight
civil pension advocates
The adoption of the resolution pro-
Vlding that the association should sup
port any reasonable COMPENSATION law
proposed in Congress without actually
Joining forces with the straight pen
sion advocates was taken AS peace
overture. similar to that made al the
sociation of Civil Service Employees.
which has advocated = straight PEN
sion plan in the past, when that asso-
citation adopted a resolution providing
that 1t would support retirement
plan even if it meant compromise.
Commends The Stars Polling Plan.
The poll which is being taken by
The Star to determine the majority
sentiment of the civil employees of the
government in regard to a retirement
system was highly commended by
various members of the association. \
resolution was adopted thanking all
the Washington newspapers for the m
lerest and support which they have
ployes.
Addresses were made to the dele
gates by District Commissioner Brown
low, William F. GUIDE. former president
VI ,ht nDei OF ana MAJ.
X W. Pullman. superintendent of the
metropolitan police. The speakers
urged the necessity of the government
employees getting together behind some
proposed retirement Legislation and
urged that they do not go to Congress
with divided front All of them
declared their belief in an adequate
pension system for the government en-
ployes.
we boast of our great country" said
NJ fa 20
eign countries in the matter of caring
for our aged civil employees. Ger
many. France, Great Britain and other
countries all have pension systems of
one KIND or another. ! hope that you
viii help Congress select an equita BILE
system that will be just to all parties"
Mr. GUIDE said that Washington was
to have next fall the encampment of
the Grand Army of the Republic. The
members of the G. a. r.. he said, were
entitled TO pensions by law, and right
fully. He added that some effort would
pc made while the q. A. r. was here
TO get the organization to so on record
IN favor of d retirement system for
the civil employees of the government
To my mind" said Mr.. GUIDE. the
men and women who labor faithfully
years of their lives are just as much
heroes as those men who go to the
front in case of war.
Mai Pullman told the delegates of
HIS deSiTeS 10 OBTAIN an adequate pen
sion system for the police and firemen
of the District, and declared that he
believed the government employees
should be properly cared for when they
reach old age through a pension sys-
TEN.
Reports of Officers.
.ceived by the convention and approved.
81,
Goldschmidt, Secretary Llewellan Jor-
dan and Treasurer r. Stone Jackson.
The report of the committee on Gre
dentials, showing that delegates hold
ing proxies for approximately 5000
votes were properly present. was ac-
cepted, as was the report of the ex-
ecutive committee containing many
recommendations.
In his report President Goldschmidt
declared that the association had stood
always for an unselfsh, businesslike
proposition for the retirement of the
civil employees of the government. He
referred to the contributory plan
worked out by the Taft commission
and the benefits which 1t offered. The
contributory plan, he said, had been
worked out just as are the plans of in
surance companies and annuity COM
panies. He suggested, too, that the
government clerks were entitled to an
increase in their salaries.
Miss E. L. Dorsey Of the patent Office
urged upon the convention the advis-
ability of standing for the contributory
plan. saying that it is the only plan
which the employees can hope to get
through Congress. She predicted that
the contributory plan soon would be
sel-supporting. She told how the
National Soldiers Home and the
Daughters of the American Revolution
had been built up through. small as
sessments constantly repeated.
In submitting his report, showing the
work which the association has done
during the last year. Dr. Llewellan
Jordan, secretary, who has labored for
years in the interests of a retirement
system for the employees, said that in
the last two years, under the present
been agitated over the question of per-
manency of their Jobs. Aged men and
women. he said, had been dismissed
from the Post Office Department. from
of the government service, showing
strongly how much retirement sys-
tenn is needed.
DR.. Jordan said that 1t has been re-
would make special reference to the
need of a retirement system for the
clerks in his next message to Congress.
He urged the association to continue
its efforts in support Of a pension sys-
tem
The report of the treasurer. Mr.. Jack
son, showed that nearly $4,000 in cash
was on hand.
Revises Constitution and Bylaws.
The convention adopted a revised
constitution and bylaws after long de-
bate. An effort was made by some of
the delegates from New York to have
incorporated in the constitution a new
provision dealing with the matter of
voting proxies at conventions and in
the election of officers. The fear was
expressed that under the present sys-
TEN, if some check was not placed upon
it. single man, or a group of men,