Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-19

would be advisable to have non-parti-
san central retirement board to pass on
all cases brought up for retirement.
Gen. Mccain advocated straight
pension plan. based on the average sal
airy paid over a period of ten years be-
fore retirement. He concluded with
statement that he would rather see
some system, even II 1t were contrfbu-
tory. adopted than to go on as at pres
ent.
Commissioner Ewing told the COM
mittee that in his office there were 952
employees, of whom seventy are over
sfxty-hve and forty -four over seventy
some of these old employees are very
efficient and would be hard to spare
he said. Others could be retired with
great benefit to the government" He
advocated the establishment of CEN
trail retirement board for all depart
ments. such as suggested by Senator
Smoot. Mr.. Ewing said he had no
made any decision between a contrib
utory plan and a straight pension. but
that he felt the government should
provide for taking care OF the super
ANIMATED employees who would be i'm
fnedfaeely subject TO retirement. He
said that old people In the departments
not only cannot do their work, but be-
cause of the manner in which they
must be treated they break down dis
cipline.
Straight Pension Favored.
Mr.: satterheld said the employees of
the Department Of Justice favored a
straight pension plan. Speaking for
the Attorney General. he said Mr.. Greg
ory was in favor Of as liberal retire.
ment policy as could be obtained.
my own view" he said. lis that
with salaries on the present basis the
employees could not contribute much to
a retirement fund without hardship"
C@3 az
statement of Con. Mccain. and Capt.
Bailey said that the quartermaster gen
eral favored q retirement system. Both
favored straight pension plans.
In his testimony before the commit
tee Commissioner Galloway said that
he favored a bipartisan retirement
board, and that he believed the retire
ment age should not be fixed arbi-
trari1y
Miss Florence Etheridse OF the In
dian bureau urged the enactment into
law of the Heating bill. which she
characterized as temporary war
measure. She said that of the employees
Of the government in Washington 10
per cent are more than Go years. Thou
less than 472o 4 year. and promotion
for them II very slow.
Herbert E. Browns Plan.
Herbert E. Brown, chief Of the bu-
reau Of efficiency. advocated a schetnt
Of retirement which he said would cos
tho government about 100000 II put
into effect this year. This yearly ex.
penditure would be increased gradu.
ally until at the end OF about thirty
years II, would have reached the maxi.
mum Of $6,080.0e0. At that time II
would fall of rapidly until no further
expense would have to be borne by thu
government.
The committee seemed much inter
ested in this plan. which involved tn,
payment by the government OF sucf
pensions as could not be taken care Of
by q maximum deduction Of per cent
from the salaries Of the individual EN-.
ployes concerned. Mr.. Brown said thai
it had been estimated that the rate t.
be charged an employs just entering
the service Of the government as {
young man would be between 2 and
per cent . year.
others to appear before tho com.
mittee were Mr.. Neagle, law clerk OF
the Navy Department; Mrs. r. F. Halas
president Of the post ofdice clerks Of
Chicago, and Mr.. Fitzgerald OF the blu.
reau Of the census. All expressed them.
selves as strongly in favor Of retire.
ment system in one form or another.