Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-01
Fair, Square Deal
for the Old Clerk
by Frederic J. Haskin

In one government department in
Washington, until recently an old man
was carried TO his desk every day by his
servant, who deposited him in comfort
able chair where he sat all day long, star
ing vacantly into space until the servant
returned for him.
This man was an cmploye who had
been in the department for many years
and had done good work Old age had
rendered him useless, but he was de-
pendent upon his salary for living, and
no one in authority had the heart To turn
him away.
This man was also one of many super
animated employees, who fill the desks
and delay the business OF the Federal
government. 1t is AS a result Of this con
dition that the retirement OF civil service
employees on n half pension, half insurance
system is now being arranged. bill
containing legislation tn this effect has
been introduced into Congress by Senator
| Mckellar of Tennessee. who declares
that it has the favorable endorsement OF
the President The civil service employees
| themselves also at last appear 10 be satis-
| fed
The Mcclellan bill is only one Of many
bills dealing with the retirement OF gov
ernment employees which have come up
for debate in Congress in recent years,
only To land in one OF those numerous IN
conspicuous pigeon-holes IN the Capitol
that have been labeled by one OF our
representatives, "fhe abode Of things
which do not happen
MOVEMENT 50 YEARS OLD.
For the last half century, government
clerks have agitated the matter OF pen
sions with about the same result that SUI
fraglsts have agtated The matter oi
suffrage. They have commanded, they
have entreated, they have threatened
| And. what is more important, they have
| organized to force such measure. IL ls
estimated by one weary representative
TINT ut least IL different organizations Of
government employees have called upon
him 10 discuss the pension question But
with all this the United States has CON
tinued to share with Turkey, the doubt
ful honor Of being without pension sys-
tenn for its gyed employees.
In Justice 10 Congress, however, It
| must be stated that pension system
might have been enacted before thus II IL
had been possible to get All Of the govern
ment employees To agree on what they
wanted. Many Of them held out IN the
beginning for straight pension, coming
wholly rs n gift from the government.
|
IN nav for the entire pension themselves.
The present bill before Congress, which
is n compromise between both attitudes,
i the only one that has been able -
satisfy all factions All government en-
ploves' unions stand solidly IN back Of i.
THE PLAN DEVISED.
II provides. briefly, that the govern
| ment employe shall contribute two and
one-half per cent Of his annual salary
towards his retirement pension, and that
when the time comes for hlm 10 retire the
government will contribute the rest. Be
| ginning with the first Of the month after
the act goes into effect, deductions wiil be
automatically made by the Treasury de-
partnent, from salary appropriations and
transferred on Its books To the credit oi
SPECIAL fund, to be known as the cIvlI
service retirement fund.
This fund will be increased by four per
| cent interest, compounded annually In
other words an employe whose salary -
$1,000 year will have So deducted
from it and credited 10 his retirement
pension.
At the end Of the year one dollar IN
interest will be added. The next year the
interest will be s204, and 50 on until our
| mental arithmetic Is exhausted.
| q,
| trust bv the government At any time
that an employe leaves the government
service. his share in the retirement fund
is handed over 10 him, but until ne has
served Is wears. the government con-
tributes nothing TO his pension. He gets
only what he himself has saved
RETIR EMENT At o..
The retirement age Of ali employees in
what Is termed the classified service
(Which means all service classified by the
| Civil Service Commission Is IS years
and that for mechanics, city and rural
letter carriers and railway mail clerks Is
% Postmasters are not included this
bill
EMPLOYEES are divided into four groups
according To he number OF years they
have been In the government service. The
first group includes those who have worked
for the government for 50 years or more
who are entitled 10 q pension equal 10 1t
per cent OF their annual salaries. not u
exceed 5000. The second group includes
employees who have been IN the govern
ment service for p years or more, and
are eligible TO a pension equal to 40 pei
cent of their annual salaries, not to exceed
S5i0 The maximum pension for &c
years service, based on 80 per cent of the
| average SdtaFN Is StSO, ana tiiab fGF IFe
fourth group. including employees who
have been IN the serfice for l5 wears. Is
Si20, based on p per cent of the average
salary
The disbursement of the retirement
fund IS placed in the hands of the MaI
Risk Bureau. Sixty days before an EN-
ploye becomes of eligible age, he is to
make application to this bureau for his
pension. If he prefers to remain in the
government. and the head of his depart
ment Is satisfied with his efficiency. he
may be able to remain nj his desk for an
other two years
ANOTHER POINT or VIEW.
While great deal has been said about
the rights of the government clerk to a
pension IN his old age, after spending the
best years Of his lie toiling i'll its service.
It Is only since the Mcclellan bill has come
up for consideration that something has
also been said OF the right Of the govern
ment to give such a pension. For II the
pension ls desirable from a sentimental
point OF view, it IS twice as desirable from
the cold practical view of economy.
There are now hundreds Of aged
people III the government who are unable
to perform their work efficiently, but who
retain their positions because few heads
OF departments like TO take the RESPONSE
bllity of dischaTging them. They have
worked on small salaries all their lives,
from which 1t has been next To impossible