The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-06

ments highly qualified experts who are
 easily tenDted to enter into new service
 because the salaries which are paid for
 such service are adequate and In many
 eases very high, Dr. Manning says tha.
 with the marvellous expansion of industry
 in this country and the growing neces-
 sity of science to industry, the scientific
 bureaus of the government have been
 unable to hold their assistants against
 the competition of industry which D
 taking their highly trained men at sala'
 rles which the government does not even
 approach.
 If was an appropriate time for Di
 Manning. in view of his own resigna-
 ton. to call attention to the inadequate
 salaries the government is paying its
 highly qualified experts and the danger
 of the loss of the services of all these
 experts because industry. by the pay
 ment of higher salaries, is able to tempt
 the experts away from government em-
 ploy
 The Civil Service Pension The late Thomas L.. James rQrmeriy
 nosfmaster general in the administration
 of President Garfield and a part of the
 administration of President Arthur was
 the first to establish a civil service sys-
 tenn for government employees. He did
 that when he was postmaster at New
 York, with the approval of General
 Grant, who was then President When General James called upon President Grant so that he might say to the Pres
 ident that it was his desire to establish
 true civil service system in the New York postoffice, but that, of course. he would not do so unless the President ap- proved General Grant replied almost with enthusiasm in his approval of the plan of the New Y ork postmaster. Gen eraI Grant went so far as to say that if el,f aiI Dnt the civil service system which Postmas- ter James had in mind, then it would probably so influence Congress that with in due time a national civil service sys- tenn would be secured by legislation. It was the successful adoption of a civil service system in the New York postoffice which justified General Gar field when making up his cabinet in of fering the Postoffce Department to Gen. eral James. From the beginning of civ service administration of this kind, Gen eral James was certain that if the na- tional civil service system was to be car ried to it's highest development it would involve the payment of pensions to tho employees in the civil service There were many pathetic evidences of the neglect os the government to take reasonable care of civil service employees, and by reason of advanced years and long and worthy service felt obliged nevertheless to con- tinue in employment although this was often done with weariness and in suf- fering There were, for instance, mail carriers who had passed so years of age who staggered along their daily routes because they could not abandon their em ployment. General James was convinced that the day would come when Congress would realize that it would be both eco nomical and meritorious if legislation were adopted whereby civil service em' l ployes were able to retire upon a req. sonable pension after they had reached
 old age or the youth of old age
 At last General James prediction is justified by the event The civil servict employees will hereafter be able to retire upon a reasonable pension, That is what l England does with her civil service em. ! ployes, and the certainty that a pension will be received when a certain age i. | reached and after a term of service O | years, has in England served to promot, l efficiency and secure economy in tn, service.