Evening star., 1920-02-22

to have an uplifti influence.
II cannot summSn words too strong
to express my opinion that the gov
ernment should prfvide old-age pen
sions for it's superaS Snuated employees.
Under present conditions. when an
employees usefulness, has passed. he
must be discharged or carried on the
payroll as a pensioner under pretext
that he Is earning a salary. This Is
unfair to both the government and
the employe. ! am firmly convinced
that IL an old-age pension system
were worked out the government
would profit greatly thereby in the
increased efficiency Of its employees
during the years that they are capa-
BILE of discharging their duties. 1t
10 not surprising that the highest ef-
icfency is not obtained from en-.
ployes who have nothing to look for
ward to. If they continue in the gov
ernment service except an old age
Of dependency. or worse STILL Of ac-
tual want.
'The government can and should do
as much for it's employees as does u
great corporation"
y ~
That Mr.. Shouse feels a vital interest
In the welfare of government en-
ployes Is demonstrated by the system
OF personnel service work that Is car
rled on under the direction of Col.
Max r. Wainer, an assistant director
in the war risk bureau. under whose
direction come all matters pertaining
to the personnel. In promoting the
work commonly known as social
service, and which the bureau prefers
to designate as personnel service"
Col. Wainer has had the hearty CO.
operation OF Mr.. Shouse as we'll as
Col. Cholmeley-Jones, director of the
war risk.
AS result Of this cooperation the
bureau which Is devoted to the inter.
ests of ex-service men and their de.
pendents has been able to demon.
strate what one branch of the gov.
ernment can do along the lines Of
social, educational and recreatlonal
work in the interest Of It's employe.
Like Mr.. Shouse, Col. Wainer be-
lieves that after the government em.
ploye Ia well housed and surrounded
by the best possible social atmos.
phere government welfare work
should be carried on by suggestion
only. and not by direction, farther
than for the personnel service work
er to plan and assist in the organiza-
tion Of community activities and help
in working out social problems within
the bureau.
For instance. the War Risk Club
was organized as social and edu.
cational center for the man and wom-
an employees of the bureau. When
clubhouse at 2100 Massachusetts ave-
nue. was turned into q temporary re-
lief hospital for the sick Of the bu-
reau At the suggestion of Col. Wal
ner. With tho assistance Of the pub.
lie health service fifteen beds were
installed, q nurse put in charge and,
owing to the overcrowded conditi0p
of the city hospitals. patients were
cared for who otherwise would have
suffered for lack OF proper nursing.
The expenses of the hospital were
paid by the sale of candy In the bu-
reau and voluntary contributions,
amounting to something over $4,000.
This sum will be the nucleus for
permanent relief fund for the en-
ployes Of the bureau and will aid in
establishing a convalescent home for
girls.
Besides dramatic clubs, athletics OF
all kinds for men and women, Or
chcstras, bands, glee clubs and edu-
cational classes of different kinds, the
bureau has branch Of the Public
Library, containing 500 volumes, open
to all who have cards admitting them
to the use of books in the Pubic Lii
brary proper. fi..; s,i,
Tho potornoi porf,,nno