The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-09-07

WASHINGTON. D. c., Sept. T.
For 80 years Miss Emma A. McCuily
was employed at the Treasury depart
ment, but there is nothing unusual ii
that. There are many still working
there who have been there for that
great length of time, and some few
years longer. The point about her
long and faithful service, brought to
public attention by her death, is that
she was the first Southern woman to
be given an appointment in the Treas
ury after the Civil war. She was a
South Carolian, a relative of disttu.
guished naval and army men, and was
appointed by President Johnson In 1860.
1t is one OF the sad chapters in the lives
of men and women grown old in the
service OF Uncle S: Ii, who has taken
their youth from them and squeezed
their very souls TO get the very last
ounce OF worth, efficient and loyal ser.
vice out OF them that few Of them eau
look forward to a few years OF inde-
pendence and rest from their life Of
toll before the grave Obliterates them.
There is no civil pension roll for aged,
infirm and WORKOUT employees in IN
Gle Sans big establishment. Yet, ne
demands the last ounce OF service lett,
the last expenditure OF nervous force
and brain power, the last scratch ot
the pen that the enfeebled old hand is
able to trace, and then comes the long
long rest for the storm.tossed old
wrecks somewhere on eternity's fur.
therest shore. There isn't big cor
poration or company in the county
that is as cruel and heartless as that.
They all have some plan for providing
for the employees who have grown oil
in the service-a little pasture in tre
meadow by the laughing brookside ly-
ing within the cool shadows OF the hill
for the old horses that have pulled
their last load and earned repose, the'c
keep, and the everlasting kindness and
gratitude Of their masters. To be sure,
Uncle Sam don't go so far in his bru
tally as to discharge them with pass.
port to the pauper's abode of hopeless
despair but he is frequently caught at
the scurvy trick Of demoting them, or
making it harder for them than neces.
sary to force them QUITO surrender.
More frequently he is not discovered
at it-and the unknown tragedies Of
this sort would fill book. Four o'clock
of any afternoon, take stand at tne
Treasury doors and the heartrendinG
spectacle of this cruelty will pass be
fore your eyes. Old men and women
are being helped out to ancient We
hicles or cheap flivvers spinning on the
edge of the taxi-cab game. They spend
considerable part Of their limited
salaries every month in paying to be
helped to and from their work. Why
haven't they saved for the stormy days?
It's very we'll for the corner grocery
constituent to thoughtlessly ask that
of his congressman? He has never
tried living in the Nations Capital,
bringing up family and all of that, on
SIS to 800 a month. Nine times out
of ten he himself hasn't saved any.
thing on that income where living was
much cheaper, and couldn't pay up his
debts If called on to do so at once, eth
er. The wage scale of government
clerks remains on the same basis it
was in 1856. Leaving everything else
out OF 1t, 1t would be the best stroke
for business profit and efficiency ii
Uncle Sam should create a pension
fund for superannuated government
clerks. That's 80 plain 1t would be sill
ly to argue 1t,