ARTMENT HEADS FOR RETIREMENT.

letter Secretary Lansing said, in part: I am heartily king, of an equitable retirement law for the benefit of s of the Government. I have not, however, given the ation, but will be pleased to do so when opportunity

vs, in his last annual report, the recommendation of equitable retirement law and states his conviction that t is and should be a model employer." In conclusion law would be to give an assurance of a competent and would relieve the employee from the fear of loss of ihood, would further inspire him to loyalty to the yer, thus improving the general quality of the service : employees, although that is already high, and would of some employees in the various departments who y served the Government and reached venerable but having had an opportunity to accumulate any com· retirement can rest."

es an exceptionally strong plea in his annual report for ncludes by saying:

of the executive civil service is seriously impaired by ted employees, and that the prompt enactment of some ment law is one of its greatest needs, are facts conceded as who are at all familiar with the problems of the e and justice to employees demand a comprehensive, tive scheme of retirement pensions, the advantage of d more widely recognized by progressive commercial foreign governments. While doubtless the cost of a cheme would for a few years add to the expense of the be a good investment, and in a short time the service additional outlay many times over by the saving it The standard of efficiency would be raised, the work force, and this would be accomplished without heartmployment men and women who for decades have given e Government and who have no means of subsistence ing salaries."

in his last annual report, devotes considerable space nnuation and emphasizes the necessity for early enact. The following is an excerpt from his report:

- of the department attention was drawn to the diffitive officers of the Government impelled in the interests

e necessity of legislation looking to the retirement of these ervants. In the employ of this office are many male and fem: anging in age from 60 to 80 years, and it is cbvious that their se S valuable as would be the services of younger persons. Their e ecreases as age advances, and this fact is particularly observabl acturing establishment such as the Government Printing Office. T apacity of the office can, in my estimation, be materially increa re found whereby these worthy employees can be retired upon asis of pay and younger persons employed in their places."

[From the Federal Employee for March, 1917.]

Mr. Ben G. Davis, chief clerk of the Department of State, says: “(1) I believe very earnestly that the establishment of a civil ment system is sound from an economic standpoint. This has trated by the action of great business corporations in adopting Host men look forward with more or less apprehension to the in advancing years, and such apprehension unconsciously affects a ability for the complete performance of duties assigned to them. a reasonable assurance of being cared for in his declining years w ately increase a man's mental and physical effectiveness in his ye and vigor.

W

"(2) Undoubtedly the efficiency of all the departments would be the retirement of the superannuated and disabled employees. there would be an actual ultimate saving to the Government in th of administration would depend, in my judgment, upon the plan adopted.

"(3) I believe the humanitarian factor should enter very lar consideration of a retirement law. It is not unreasonable to expe ened Government to lead in all those broad principles making fo betterment of mankind. Our Government is constantly extendin and engaging its activities in this direction."

Mr. James L. Wilmeth, chief clerk of the Treasury Departmen forcefully states his opinion as follows:

"My judgment leads me to believe that from an economic stand be well for the Government to establish a system of civil service "Undoubtedly the efficiency of the service would be promoted, ant saving to the Government.

"It would be difficult to eliminate the humanitarian factor in tion of this question. My judgment is, however, that this should b consideration. The humanitarian side of the question appeals but the efficiency of the service should receive major consideration Mr. George C. Havener, chief clerk of the Department of Comm "In my opinion the absence of some equitable system for the pensions of superannuated employees is one of the weaknesses o

The Treasury Department bears upon its rolls a large yees whose efficiency is gradually waning. The introproved methods of performing the constantly increasing e department has served to emphasize the need for for the older employees who is unable to keep step with em humane or fair to discontinue arbitrarily the services oyees who have given their entire energies and spent lives in the service of the Government. To do so would e employees without any source of income and result in reduce aged employees does not entirely meet the needs the employee still on the rolls of the department. enactment of an equitable retirement law for superanployees of the civil service in the Treasury Department economies and increased efficiency in the handling of the ment, and I therefore recommend this subject to the consideration.'"

Civil Service Commissioner:

ommission has expressed itself publicly more than once n of contributory retirement legislation. This, in part at f the provisions of the bill referred to in your letter." ate Commerce Commissioner:

vor of making proper legislative provision for the retiremployees of the Government."

rozier, Chief of Ordnance, United States Army:

e to examine the details of the various bills before Conore, not in a position to give an opinion as to the merits re which you bring to my attention, but my experience not have full efficiency in the Government service withm of retirement."

1, Chief of National Operations, United States Navy: t proper for officers of the Army or Navy to be taking ›r privately, to influence legislation, except when called regular processes of hearings before the committees of opinion is that some form of retirement or pension is ly efficient civil service."

en, Hydrographer, United States Navy:

vith the endeavor and recognize it as one of the coming

or for the Interior Department:

sal of the Wadsworth bill (S. 281), I am of the opinion itable, and it will enure to the efficiency of the service, ill benefit by the passage of this or a similar act. I eartily in favor of the same, and will do all I can in its

rom expressing an opinion regarding them unless I should be pon to do so."

John T. Doyle, secretary-treasurer National Assembly of Civil issioners:

"I wish to congratulate you on the many excellent features of D. N. Hoover, jr., Acting Supervising Inspector General, Steam ervice:

"It has been my opinion that the Federal Government shou ensioning its superannuated and disabled employees without n the way of contributions from the employees themselves. ver, it may be that the retirement of civil employees can not unless the civil employees themselves show a willingness to assis ng the pension fund, and for this reason-and this reason only am in favor of the Wadsworth bill."

Luther F. Speer, deputy commissioner of Internal revenue:

"Your letter of the 17th instant, in which reference was made vorth bill, providing for retirement of superannuated and disable employees, I desire to state that this is a subject in which I hav nuch interested. * *I do not think the present proposed enough, but it is a foundation stone from which can be built structure of laws which experience will show to be necessary." Charles E. Stewart, chief clerk, Department of Justice:

"I have looked over the synopsis of the bill, and for this ki hat is to say, a bill in which it is provided that the Federal en selves contribute to the sums to be provided for the retirement employees-I can see no objection to it. I have always taken the f Congress is to pass a law for the retirement of Federal emplo ernment itself should furnish the money, and not levy a tax upon of the Government, most of whom, in my judgment, are already u David D. Caldwell, attorney, Department of Justice:

"I have received your letter of the 20th instant, relative to t bill (S. 281), and also the copy of the bill which you sent me. I it carefully, and think it is an excellent measure. It is not e would have liked to see go upon the books, but I think it is a s nation of the contributory and straight pension methods, and that can not reasonably object to the small contribution exacted, nor th object to the obligation to pay the balance necessary to maintain fund."

James L. Wilmeth, chief clerk, Department of the Treasury : "I am in favor of any equitable system of retirement for Go ployees, and believe that the present bill, which provides for 2 form of retirement is fair and equitable. As I read it, the co per cent, with the proviso that the total annual contribution of shall not exceed $50. To be sure, the annuities on the basis of s tribution would have to be small, but I should not condemn th

hieve this aim. The bill, calling for but 2 per cent of and not more than $50 per year, is reasonable and reasonable men. It is a fair compromise between the Pomerene bill, which we believe calls for too high a

Federal Employees' Union, No. 15358, Omaha, Nebr.: to get most any kind of a bill through for retirement, n bill O. K., so far as it goes. We feel that the main ent bill passed, and then in the future get it amended

esident Federal Employees' Union, Philadelphia, Pa.: e with great pleasure the receipt of your letter of the g copy of the Wadsworth bill (S. 281). A reading e that as an initiatory plan nothing better could be

x Bureau of Chemistry:

erest the Wadsworth bill (S. 281), which you sent me While I have not given this bill careful study and do self in reference to every detail, I will say that I am rovisions of this bill. * * * I believe that any bill, of passing, should eventually become self-supporting. rnment should contribute funds to retire immediately tirement age at the present time and to require those vice to contribute only a pro rata of the remaining retirement age. After that, however, it seems to me re deductions that will make it self-supporting.' clerk of Operations, Navy Department:

in question with care and much interest and have no it has my hearty support. If enacted into law, it oward the mutual advantage of the clerks and the

k Interstate Commerce Commission:

d with the provisions of this bill and sincerely trust to law at the present session of Congress."

lerk United States Patent Office:

responsible to their constituents, but I am sure that ed in an equitable manner and that they will deal nuated. I feel that the surest plan is to leave to rovisions to be put in force."

puty Commissioner of Naturalization, Department of

entry into this service are high. The personnel of tly, the highest to be found in the Federal or any ficiency is at its maximum. It can only be maintained