Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-26
MR.. RALPH URGES
CLERKS PENSIONS
Director of Bureau Tells Sen
ate Committee System Should
Be Inaugurated.
OTHERS OF SAME OPINION

OTHERS OF SAME OPINION
beau of engraving and printing told
the Senate committee on civil service
today that he was strongly in favor of
the adoption Of system of retirement
for superannuated employees of the gov
eminent.
Il recommend that Congress get all
the information it can from all of the
departments of the government in re-
gard to their superannuated employees
said Director Ralph, land that some
plan be established right away where
by a certain percentage of the aged
employees be retired each year.
II realize that with the country at
war and large expenditures necessary
and heavy taxation, it is not a favora-
Bile time to inaugurate a system of civil
service retirement. But something
ought to be done for a start
U. S. Employees Underpaid.
Mr.. Ralph told the committee he be-
lieved the government employees are under
paid and that until their salaries are in
creased materially he did not believe they
should be asked to contribute to the pro-
posed retirement fund. but that the gov
eminent should foot the bill.
He said that he did not think it ad-
visable to establish a hard and fast re-
tfrement age. for many employees are very
efficient at sixty-tive or seventy years of
age. He would have them retire when
they became inefficient.
tn ox,~ 80
tirement law he said, land | have been
led to this position by my experience as
an administrative officer of the govern
ment for the last fourteen years.
One Employe 80 Years Old.
I'VE have in the bureau 147 employees
who are sixty-fve years OF age or over
We have one who is eighty-three years
old. l should say that probably thirty of
these employees are superannuated and
inefficient Some sixty Of these employees
are seventy years old and over
Il am not willing to fix any age for re-
t1rement any more than / am to fix
tenure of office. There are nine employees
in my list who have been in the govern
ment service for fifty years and there are
Superannuation depends upon many
things. If the employe has retained his or
her health, has initiative. then the en-
ploye may be efficient at seventy just as
well as at forty
Mr.. Ralph paid a high tribute to the
bureau force, both as to their honesty
and their efficiency.
Do More and Get Less, He Says.
'My clerks do more and get less nav
than any in the government SERVICE" he
said. He added that the bureau would
produce about $4,000, 600, 900 in money
this year and that it would be done. he
expected. without the loss of a dollar.
II would be very glad to see Congress
do something for the government en-
ployes," he continued. "They are a very
efficient body. and they are under paid
5,402 employees and $500 are women
About 200 of the women resign annual
ly, to get married or to work elsewhere.
Just now, he said, many are taking ex-
aminations for jobs in other depart
ments. He said he was always glad to
see his employees better themselves,
though he was sorry to lose them.
Praises Old Employees.
Miss Cynthia Cleveland. an empIoye
of the Treasury Department, agreed
with Mr.. Ralph that no age should be
fixed for compulsory retirement. She
said that many of the older employees
are much more efficient than the young
er employees. because of their long ex-
perience.
TT would be unjust to many of the
old employees to force them to retire on
small pension" she said. IF COM
pulsory retirement age is to be adopted.
then fifteen years should be allowed be-
fore it becomes effective, so as to give
those in the service an opportunity to
make preparation. Our judges are not
forced to retire at any particular age,
though they are allowed to retire"
Urges Study of Problem.
Lewis Merriam. who has made study
ular reference to retirement of super
animated employees, both here and
abroad, urged the appointment of a
commission to investigate the entire
problem of civil service conditions pc
riodicaliy. On this commission, he said,
should be representatives of Congress-
of the administrative branch and of the
employees themselves.
He told the committee that all the
foreign governments have established
forms of civil service retirement; that
Great Britain has had a system since
1909.
John ]. Deviney, secretary of the Ma
tional Association of Civil Service En-
ployes. said that he believed the senti-
ment of the public was in favor of
retirement legislation for the govern
ment employees. Some kind of legis-
lation is needed Immediately, he said.
Committee Convinced, He Says.
Representative Dale of Vermont said
he had no doubt the committee was
convinced of the necessity and hu-
manity of the proposed legislation.
NO man in the Senate or the House.
he said. could rise in his place and
offer any effective opposition to the
proposed retirement legislation. AS a
matter of fact. retirement system
should have been adopted long ago"
Senator Mcclellan of Tennessee, chair
man of the committee, announced at
the conclusion of today's hearing that
the committee would meet again at
the call of the chair. and that it was
expected the hearing would be con-
cluded at the next meeting.
r. II. Aicorn. chairman of the joint
committee on retirement of the naval
gun factory. who has been instru-
mental in bringing about these hear
ings, said he would urge upon the
committee the need of making a report
to the Senate quickly. SO as to give
the government employees relief at the
earliest possible date.