The Washington herald., 1920-07-10
Employees RAP
RETIRING ACT
Score Monthly Deduction
From Their Salaries for, {
Pensions.
GIRL CLERKS OBJECT
Practical Operation Of Civil
Service Bill Puzzles
Pension Bureau.
GIRL CLERKS OBJECT

Following a recent decision of the
Comptroller of tho Treasury. ga
per cent of the salary of each Civil
Service employe deemed to come
within the purview OF the Civil
Service retirement act will be de-
Quoted in a lump sum from tho en-
tire appropriation for civilian sal
aries for the current fiscal year.
Objections to this are being made
by many employees, especially the
younger clerks, who do not expect
to serve the government until they
become eligible for participation In
the benefits of the act. To them
the operation of the law means
solely that 2ia per cent Is being
withheld from their salary and ap-
Piled to q purpose which will bring
them no immediate benent. A girl
OF IS, for instance, feels that she
must serve the government fifty
two years before receiving any re-
turE from the monthly outlay.
1t is acknowledged that the pro-
vision for n refund of all accumu
lated monthly deductions, plus in
te-sst at 4 per cent, as provided in
the act, upon resignation from the
government service or upon trans
fer TO an unclassified status, Is
equitable and just, but many clerks
raise the objection that more re-
munerative Investments offer them
selves, many OF which guarantee
more than 4 per cent.
From conservative estimates of
the number of employees to be re-
tired within the next ten years, II is
fel: that the fund derived from
monthly contributions from in
dividIal salaries will BE greatly in
excess OF the amount required.
In the Navy Department, which
now carries 2.22T employees upon its
classified rolls. il is stated only
seventy will reach the age OF re-
tirement within the next ten years.
The remaining 2.157 will pay a
monthly contribution of 2ia per
cent OF their salaries toward the
pensions of these seventy.
Practical operation of the act
brings up many knotty questions
for decision by the Pension Bureau.
When Is q clerk not a clerk, but a
mechanic. and just what Is the
definition of a mechanic arc queries
which are now perplexing those
charged with carrying out the pro-
visions of the act.
Whether an employe is classified
as clerk or mechanic means a diff
ference of five years in the time
he must wait for retirement.
Whether he is a mechanic, coming
under the pension privilege of the
act, or a helper. doing practically
the same work. but excluded from
the benefits. determines whether 2h
per cent of his monthly salary is
deducted to be applied toward his
pension.
Each day indicates that the prov
ince of the act has greater ramifi-
cations than was first thought, and
many unexpected questions have
come up for decision.
According to Census Bulletin IL,
of 1904. 1913 definitions are given
Of positions classified as "mechan-
ic." and one department has sub
mitted to the Pension Bureau thir-
ty-five definitions of the position
of mechanics helper" In navy
yards, and other departments where
knowledge of a trade is a pre-
requisite to appointment as helper,
II Is felt that helpers should re-
ceive the same privilege under the
act as classified personnel. In many
cases helpers must have almost the
same knowledge of the trade as me-
chanics. Experience has shown in
the navy yards that accidents are
prevented only when Intelligent
helners are employed,
Mechanics are entitled to retire
ment with pension upon reaching
their sixty-hfth year. but helpers.
as unclassified personnel. do not
share in the benefits of the act. II
Is hoped to secure a ruling from
the comptroller which will admit
the helpers to the class of bene-
6ciaries. gto