The Washington herald., 1919-06-26
BAKER ENDORSES
Retirement OF
U.S.EMPLOYES
Secretary of War Urges
Bill as Tending to At
tract Better Workers.
OFFICIALS MAKE PLEA
Real Measure of Economy
For Government, Sallz-
gaber Says.

Secretary of War Newton d.
Baker came out strongly for a re-
tirement bill for government en-
ployes yesterday at the hearing on
the Sterling retirement bill before
the Senate Committee on Civil
Service and Retrenchment.
Il have a very strong feeling.
he said. that we should do every
thing We can to make the govern
ment service dignifled so it will at
tract the best and most competent
class of employees. If the public
service is put on a dignified basis
it will mean not only a just COM
pensation during the period of ac-
tive work. but an annuity which
will enable the employees to live
modestly during the rest. of their
lives. The good of the service both
in getting and in retaining the best
type of employees dictates that some
kind of a retirement measure should
be passed"
The Sterling bill. which has the
Endorsement of the National Fedora
tion of Federal Employees. was intro
duced by Senator Sterling. chairman
of the Civil Service and Retrenchment
Committee.
other Supporters.
G. NJ Saltzgaber, Commissioner of
Pensions; Charles NJ. Galloway, of
the Civil Service Commission: z. J.
Ayres. chief clerk of the Interstate
Commerce Commission; Col. H. B.
Tersey; f. B. Libbey. chief clerk of
the Department of Commerce: r. s.
Regar appointment clerk of the Post
ufice Department; Window B. Brown.
attorney for the Rural Letter Car
riers' Association. and F. B. Bying-
ton, chief clerk of the Pension Bu-
resu. all urged the bill be passed.
1t could be mathematically dem
Orstrated." Mr.. Saltzgaber said.
that a retirement measure would
be a real measure of economy. Out
OF SIS employees we have about
90 veterans of the civil war; % Of
cur employees are over so: SO are
between "a and so; 1O4 between 20
and 81. and Ss between 65 and SO.
making a total of 3O3 over IS. OF
these. 295 would be eligible for re-
tIrement. We are required to re-
port the number below FAIR and
reported twenty-three last year,
but they are still continued on the
rolls. There are fifty who are OF
practically no value and $50 who
are of but little use If retire
ment law were passed the govern
ment would be paying them smaller
sums as annuities."
Says War showed Need.
Mr.. Galloway declared the in
creased demand upon the personnel
of the civil service by the war have
given emphasis to the need of a
retirement system. 1t is too costly
to continue the aged and infirm in
positions requiring alertness and
vigOT. he said
Mr.. Libbey said college graduates
today hesitate to enter the govern
ment service knowing that the top
of the service is cloGged with dead
wood.
Employees Representatives..
Those representing the Federal en-
ployes at the hearing and who urged
the passage of the bill were: Archie
f. Luther. secretary treasurer of Dis
trict No. a. International Association
Of Machinists; Frank w. Lee, repre-
sentative District No. a. Machinists
Association; ROlla 8. Sexton ana
Henry Sterling. legislative represent
atives of the American Federation of
Labor: w. NJ. Collins. Industrial Sec
retary. Railway Mail Association; e..
NJ. White. Binders Union: Gilbert h.
L.
Grafton of Postal Employees; w. W.
Foster. legislative representative. Fed
eral Employees Union Local No. =;
]. W. Starr. fourth vice president.
Federal Employees Union; DIR. Z. f..
Connor. OF the Interior Department: /:
j. ]. Cox. of the Library of Congress,
and Miss Gertrude NJ. McNally.