Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-11-07

ment to give such a pension. For if
the pension is desirable from q senti-
mental point of view. it is twice as
desirable. from the cold practical view
Of economy. There are new hundreds
q. aged people in the government who
are unable to perform their work eff
ficiently. but who retain their posi-
tions because few heads of depart.
ments like to take the responsibility
of discharging them, They have
worked or small salaries all their
lives, from which it has been next to
impossible to save anything. If turn
ed out of their Jobs they would be.
destitute and SO they continue to
stay ON in the government and handi,
cap it's efficiency because there is
nothing else to do with them.
Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo,
in a recent report to congress-; called
attention to the great number of
superannuated employees in his depart
:ment. and urged that body to take up.
at one the question of a just and
equitable retirement law. According
to the chief clerk of the treasury de-
partment, it would be possible to
make a lump sum of all the salaies
paid to aged and inefficient employees
that would permit the department to
pension them and at the same time
to hire new employees at fairly good
starting. salaries. This means
says the chief clerk, that under the
present system tile department is los
ing money"
The war department is no less en-
phatic in its denunciation of the pres
ent system in vogue which makes it
practically impossible to get rid of in
efficient employees. Not long ago the
Wal department had 207 persnos, who,
without exaggeration, might be term
ed superannuated. Sixty-two of them
averaged around "A years and SO OF
them were unable to fulfill a good
days work, and four of them did alb
~splutely nothing. Their salaries rang
ed between $1,000 and $1,40O. The
total amount of their combined sala
ries was $4,000. IF i had been al
liberty declared the auditor of the
war department in discussing this
situafien, II could have pensione6
these Iepoie at $500 a year. and would
not have had to expend all the left
lover balance for employees able t.
work cut Of that saving"
If anyone doubts the truth Of thes,
statements all he has to do is Il
stand out in front of one of the gov
eminent departments 1T 4:2l i'll til,
atternoon and watch the exodus o
employees from its doors. Old ladie
hobbling along on canes, and oil
men, bent, bleary-eyed and seltte, ma,
be seen in large numbers among til,
crowds Of youthful war workers.
There are several very efficient oil
people, in the government service
There is an old lady in the treasur.
department. for instance, who is al
expertA money-msnder and could no
easily be replaced. The war depart
ment also has for an assistant chic
clerk IN old man 83 years Of age
who Is just as capable as anybody 4
performing duties Of the highes
class. But these are the exception
rather than the rule. For the mos
part the departments are WaitinI
eagerly for the passage Of the M
IEKellar bill.
So far only q small degree Of Of
position has been encountered by til
measure, n this was due to the 3,
lief that Il might prove strain .
the nations treasury III time Of wa
fTlais war quickly dispelied when
was shown that tie governner
would take III over { 5000. 900 NOR
than ii paid 6ut IN The first year. 81
Iy 100 aged employees win have |
be retired ii. the first year az anse
pssnse 81 $g, BOZ, 900; while the amour
collected from governInent eniploys
Iduripg That period VIII be $9,0o0,0o