The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1916-06-17

The Federal Employees Union, COM
posed of about five thousand Govern
ment workers in the District of Colum-
bia and vicinity, at the regular meeting
of its membership on May 10, 1916,
adopted the two following resolutions:
Whereas, There are employed by the
United States several thousand workers
who have devoted their whole lives to
the Government service and are now
superannuated; these workers are un-
able, on account of their age, to render
the degree of service which they former
ly did and of which younger employees
are capable; the salaries paid to these
workers have been and are so low that
they have been unable to accumulate
any savings to sustain them in their old
age; they are carried on the rolls for
purely humanitarian reasons few Of
ficials of the United States are so hard
hearted and nconsiderate of the well
fare of people who have devoted their
lives to the service as to discharge them ;
it has been estimated that these en-
ployees are costing the United States
two million dollars each year; and
Whereas, The United States Gov
ernmcnt is one of the few in the world
that makes no provision for the retire
ment of its aged civil service workers,
resulting in this condition: men are
heartessly dismissed after years of
faithful service on meager salaries, or
they are retained on the payrolls when
no longer able to render efficient serv-
ice; and
Whereas, The Executive Council of
the American Federation of Labor, in
accordance with resolutions adopted at
the last annual convention of the Fed
Grafton, has referred the matter of the
enactment of satisfactory retirement leg
islaton for Government employees to
the Legislative Committee of the Fed
Grafton with request that it do all in its
power to secure such legislation; and
"Whereas, soldiers, sailors and other
groups Of Government employees have
already been provided with retired pay
many railroads and other industrial
trement for their superannuated en-
ployees not only for humanitarian rea-
sons but as good business; hundreds
of millions Of dollars are now being APP
lpropriatcd by the Congress of the United
States for military and naval purposes
those millions may be absolutely wasted
employees Of the United States. on the
other hand, are constantly performing
useful service of solid, substantial
nature and the whole country is being
benefited thereby; and
"Whcreas, Congress has been urged
time and again by the President by
members Of his Cabinet, numerous othel
administrative officials and others in
tercstcd in the welfare of the civil brancl
of the United States Government to en-
act satisfactory form of retiremen
Legislation. The expense of such re
tirement in actual dollars and cents, viii
probably be less than the United State
is now losing by the payment of salar
les to superannuated employees. There
fore, be it
"Resolved That all labor organiza
tions and the members thereof be earn
estly requested to urge the members o
Congress from their districts and tn
Senators from their States to enact a
this session of Congress satsfactor
: form of retirement legislation for Gov
ernment employees which will not caus
, them to suffer reduction of wages, !
order to relieve conditions now eXistin
), in the Government workshops and OF
fees, and to care for the aged employee
, who have devoted their lives to the serN
ice of their country at mcager wage
and are no longer able and should nC
h be required to labor for their dali
breach
Yours fraternally,
8 II. \. SPrLMAN,