Evening star., 1922-09-24
NELSON EXTOLS
RETIREMENT Law
Says Act Boosts Efficiency
and Economy in Govern
ment Bureaus.
EMPLOYEES CON1ENTED
EMPLOYEES CONTENTED
iPension Fund Soon to Be 1nde-
pendent of Appropriations,
Representative Asserts.

Declaring that the Civil Service
retirement act of 1920 is doing more
. than any other piece of legislation
TO bring about economy and en1ci-
ency in the transaction of public
business. Representative A. P. Nelson
emphasizes. in a speech In the Con-
Sressional Record yesterday. that in
dealing with the government en-
ployes I'VE deal in human lives and
human souls and not in dollars and
material advantages"
Part of this speech was delivered
on the floor of the House when the
Fairfield amendment to the retire
ment act was passed. doing justice
TO the hundreds Of navy yard en-
marily within a few months of their
eligibility to retirement pensions.
Representative Nelson. who Is one of
the most loyal friends in Congress OF
the civil service employees. supple
1nented his remarks with testimony
regarding the operation of the act.
with comments by the Civil Service
Commission, containing statements
government as to the splendid and
beneficial results Of the operation OF
$the law"
Justice His Plen.
He said he spoke in order that
''justice might be done those en-
ployes of the United States for fifteen
to thirty-three years who. through
request and. demand of the govern
'ment. are now separated from the
. service" He stressed the fact that
when thrown out of their jobs they
demand by the business world which
their long single-track service in the
government has untitled them to
meet"
In discussing the retirement act
Representative Nelson said:
The retirement act itself during
the time that it has been In opera ton
has proven to be one OF the most
effective aids in bringing about In the
various departments Of the govern
increased service. The act has had a
stabilizing effect in all the depart
ments and will increase the spirit of
contentment of the employees by re-
ducing the feeling of anxiety and
uncertainty as to the future.
Economy by Law.
II desire also to call to your atten-
tion that the direct saving to the
government under this law has been
very large, as you will observe from
the reports by tho department heads.
Now, as you know. the government
eInpioyeS themselves con lDulC duou
81 per cent of the retirement fund.
The other part, or S3 per cent, will be
contributed by the government. Most
of the pension funds Of corporations
tand private institutions as we'll as Of
many states and cities, are con-
tributed entirely by the corporation.
the state, or the institution Itself.
Not so with the government under
this law. There are good reasons
why we made the contributions $50
by the employees and los by the
government We made it contribu-
, tory by the employe in order that
Where should be on the part OF the
employe a Jealous desire to do the
largest thing for himself as well as
the best thing by the government.
With respect to the amount of
money in the treasury that has been
put there by the contributions of 2h
per cent of the salaries of govern
ment employees since the time this
bill was enacted the employees them
selves, if they go out. will receive
only 4 per cent on the amount that
they have contributed. whereas the
government at the present time Is re-
ceiving ~. to AZ per cent on that
same money, now loaned out at In
terest.
'.At the present time no appropria-
tion is necessary, because for the
mex. decade or so 1t will take care Of
itself. There is going to be a time
when the contribution will be 81
per cent by the employees and 33 per
cant by the government"