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If we were to endeavor to do the best things, as is shown by the development of social insurance abroad, we would undoubtedly introduce a plan which would afford service pensions, benefits during temporary and permanent disability and for death if caused by accident occurring while at work, both of these being paid for exclusively by the Government, and benefits in event of temporary or permanent disability by reason of sickness, and pensions to widows and orphans in event of death from causes other than accident while at work to be paid for wholly or in a large part out of the contributions of the employees themselves. If the attraction of such a plan, even though calling for moderate and reasonable contribution were offered to the present civil service employees, the plan would in my judgment when understood by them receive their hearty commendation and approval as affording much the cheapest means by which they could protect their families, and as giving to them in full measure that which no civilized government should withhold from its employees. It is, therefore, not a question of contribution, but of the purpose for which the contribution is required. If required for a purpose such as provision for old age, it will, as regards the vast majority of individuals everywhere be regarded as an extortion; if required for insurance against sickness and death and if the funds be administered economically and equitably, it will be regarded as it has been regarded by the vast majority of individuals everywhere an unmixed blessing.

This, therefore, is my suggestion of "What the Government really ought to do about insurance and pensions for civil-service employees." This is also the opportune time to do it. Not only is the question of retirement pensions now before Congress and the people, but in addition the present Federal Employers' Liability and Workmen's Compensation Commission will be considering and reporting within a few weeks a measure to provide for the employees of the Government as liberal compensation, it is to be hoped in event of death or disability due to accident occurring while at work, as the bill which they have already drawn provides for railway employees to be paid entirely by their employers. This, in other words, is the time to make a beginning, and to begin right. There is no excuse or justification for ignoring the lessons of the experience of other countries, and for going painfully and slowly through the same steps of evolution, experiencing the same failures and hardships, meeting with the same obstacles and difficulties, yielding eventually to the same influences and arguments, and after a term of years during which there has been a maximum of dissatisfaction, arriving finally at the goal of that which was known in advance to be best and which alone, therefore, is worthy of the best people and the best governmental institutions the world has ever known.

STATEMENT BY MR. SAMUEL LEFKOWITZ, NEW YORK CITY POST OFFICE.

Mr. LEFKOWITZ. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen: I am in favor of the contributory plan of retirement as embodied in H. R. 8423, known as the Austin bill; also the bil! which Representative George of New York intends to introduce, a copy of which was given to your committee. I would also favor H. R. 5139, known as the Hamill bill, providing same should be amended as suggested by Mr. Dies of Texas, in order that same would meet certain emergencies; in case such individual was to die within a short period of the time of retirement, that his family and dependents would be properly provided for. I do think that it is to the best interests of the United States Government that we retire all our old, aged, superannuated employees, thereby giving the young element a good chance to advance into the higher positions which will be vacated by the above-mentioned employees. Many railroads, and concerns throughout the country, have retirement features in vogue to-day, as well as many foreign governments, and I leave it to your intelligence to speedily enact some form of legislation to effect same at the earliest possible time. The CHAIRMAN. These are very important questions, and what you have said will be considered very carefully by the committee, and we will have further hearings on the retirement proposition.

STATEMENT OF DR. WILLIAM J. MANNING, MEDICAL OFFICER, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

Dr. MANNING. Mr. Chairman, I desire to speak a few words relative to the subject under consideration this morning, and to mention more especially the need of some such law that will provide for the retirement of aged and infirm employees of the Government, especially those who are employed in a mechanical capacity and who are embraced within the scope of the proposed legislation.

I am here of my own volition and upon the invitation of Representative Godwin and Mr. Russell, not as the representative of the Public Printer, or voicing any opinion that he may have upon the subject, although I am of the opinion, that should you ask him, you will find that this official is only too willing to cooperate with Congress in every practical way for the solution of this perplexing problem.

We employ in our establishment upward of 4,400 persons, and when I state that as high as 5 per cent, in my opinion, of these employees are unable to perform a day's labor, as compared with younger persons upon the same line of work, I do not exaggerate matters in the least.

Scarce a day passes that I am not implored by two or three aged and infirm employees to intercede for them with the different section chiefs, whereby they may be assigned to lighter work, and to the credit of those chiefs be it said that they all, without a single exception-high and low-endeavor to help to the fullest possible extent when such appeals are made whereby assignments to lighter duties are given. Yet it will readily be seen that there must be a limit to this constantly increasing state of affairs, and when foremen propound the following question to you, "Doctor, how am I going to get my work out with a partially crippled force?" you are obliged to turn away your head, for the question is unanswerable, and therein lies the problem.

If you will look about you, gentlemen, and observe the signs of the times, you will note there is an onward march of humanity in dealing with one another, with absolutely no retrograde movement. People are becoming interested in the welfare of one another, such as the history of the world has never known before, and tremendous strides are being taken along the lines mentioned.

My heart, Mr. Chairman, is with the fellow who has not a Government job and who would therefore not be entitled to the same benefits which are urged here this morning, and I would not appear before this body did I think this whole matter is not one of simply giving Government employees that to which they are entitled, and of a surety did I not firmly believe that the issue will become a national one inside of a period of less than a few years, whereby persons engaged in every walk of life in the United States will come under similar protection.

If we view the action taken by the German Government toward its people, whereby an insurance provision is made for their old age, irrespective of their vocation in life, and the splendid results that have thus been obtained not only in Germany (she is stronger and greater to-day than ever before, though the critics claimed the German Emperor would beggar the country when he first urged the law), but in England, where a similar law is in force, and where the results have been equally as gratifying as those obtained in Germany, we can

not but realize that the contentions of the advocates of such a law for this country are completely substantiated.

It would appear only a question of time, Mr. Chairman, when this knowledge becomes known to the rank and file of American citizens or voters, that they will demand a law similar in character. Indeed, so deeply rooted will this matter become in their minds (self-preservation), that one may be permitted to quote from the Bible without irreverence the aphorism "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

In other words, the people or voters will say, "If it is possible for an imperial form of government to obtain and enforce these laws with such beneficial results, and it does not appear possible to obtain such benefits under a republican form of government, then give us an emperor or an absolute monarchy, provided we can have such benefits and towards which we are willing to contribute in our youth.' Human nature is the same, whether it is in Germany, England, France, or America.

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The International Typographical Union over five years ago established a pension system for old and superannuated printers, whereby they are allowed the sum of five or six dollars a week, and to which they are entitled after they have been members of their local typographical union for a period of some 20 years. The upkeep of this splendid exemplification of interest in their brothers' welfare is paid for cheerfully and willingly by those who are still able to work and who enjoy good health, because they feel that the time will come when they in turn will enjoy the benefits or become beneficiaries.

Among the industrial organizations, the International Typographical Union has thus raised a monument to itself in the initiative of this matter, taking personally its own burdens upon its own shoulders and laying down an example for others to follow, even to our great National Government, in matters of this kind. They did not recognize the situation as a theory, but rather as one of an existing condition, and did their best to solve the problem.

Electrotypers', bookbinders', and pressmen's unions, all splendid organizations, are putting into force similar measures. Fine! Humane! Good work! All the outcome of the teachings of Christ 2,000 years ago, slowly but surely disseminated, and that continue to gather impetus from year to year.

As science progresses, with resulting decrease in superstition, and the spirit of Christ manifesting itself in our times, men lose their timidity and fear of death and begin to realize more and more that this present life is but one in an undoubted series of lives. That of a surety they will all live again; that it is only a matter of time when science will prove to their special senses (whereby we come to know or appreciate things as facts in our daily lives) the connection between phenomena in this world and the next, and the state of life through which we have passed in our constant evolution. Men, I say, begin to realize as never before that our complex, chemical (none the less Godlike because it is chemical in origin or that the Creator has thus utilized his elements), wonderfully constructed human bodies or personalities are not made to stumble through this life of sorrow and care-much of our own making-to be finally snuffed out forever with the grave.

We do not appreciate this statement merely because it is not known to our special senses at the present time, but the fact is lying dormant, awaiting exemplification, as were electricity and other now known natural forces until they were stumbled upon by man.

Enough evidence is already presented to us by our special senses to enable our concepts to grasp the idea, and which reflection and deliberation only accentuates, that if the Creator is capable of producing that which we observe about us in this world, the same power is capable of still greater things, the least among which may be the transfer of our conscious or subconscious lives from this world to the next. Have we not even this hint from the Bible-“who seeing, see not?"

Analyze the matter how you will, look at it from every angle and possible vantage ground, one is bound to arrive at the same conclusion because of the ever-constant sum total presenting itself, i. e., that the only rational toll required of us by the Creator in our passage through this life is simply a little kindness shown one to the other with an output of work or energy of a manual or mental variety.

The character of the work required depends on one's inclination, training, and environment; the pecuniary return just what such labor is worth in the worldly market, coincident and subservient to the law of supply and demand. If men designate your work as commonplace, lowly, or menial in comparison with their own particular labor, let their ego evaporate when they consider that which is least may be greatest, or, in other words, "Let him become a fool that he may be wise."

I must say that words of commendation on my part are due to the utterances of Congressman Dies this morning, wherein he stated in the case of the death of an employee at or about the retirement age, whereby a pension would be due him, it should entitle the widow or mother to the receipt of such a benefit.

Indeed, I agree with the honorable Congressman, and would state additionally that these wives and mothers who stay at home and work and help their husbands and share his daily worries could be more properly classified under the caption of "domestic heroines." They work and bear the thousand-and-one cares incident to raising a family or discharging household duties. No one hears of their achievements and triumphs they are not cried aloud from the housetops-they do not seek or sip of the applause of the world. Their wisdom excludes vanity. Their work is well done, and they know it, and they rest content in their knowledge, do our mothers and wives-silent domestic heroines.

I would state further, Mr. Chairman, that I am in favor of the contributory plan of pensions because the speaker believes that this is the only way in which an entering wedge of legislation of this sort can be given an impetus and be fair to the taxpayers.

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I desire to state, Mr. Chairman, that the speaker is not an agitator, and my duties keep me busy caring for those taken suddenly ill or injured in the titanic establishment just below your Capitol, as well as being in charge of the injury compensation claims, and my moments are given over to solving problems in industrial hygiene, and research work, looking toward a cure for tuberculosis, and take my word for it, one is busy.

It was my duty to come here this morning and tell you of what is an everyday experience with me in attempting to keep these old people at work-they all have experienced their financial setbacks coupled with domestic worries and disappointments-and to help them on their way by my feeble efforts, aided by the help given me by their respective division chiefs. A manufacturing establishment is a very different proposition from that of a bureau where purely clerical work is at hand, and the aged or infirm person is rather in the way in such institutions and a detriment to the service, by his or her presence, and as concerns the output of the respective product or manufacture. In other words, there is nothing to which you can assign them, and as I stated before, no one has the heart to order their dismissal after long years of faithful service, because the world grows more humane day by day—and God-fearing.

The committee has heard the evidence of a $1,400 clerk here this morning as to the cost of living as concerns such a person with a wife and two children. What, then, is to be expected of an artisan making but $1,200 a year, and of a skilled or unskilled helper earning only one-half of $1,200? What has he to retire upon when the age of 65 is reached?

Of course, when a fellow's digestion is good and he's "fine, big, and hearty," himself, things of the nature described and discussed here this morning do not leave much of an impress upon him, and he is apt to say to himself, "Ich gebibbel," yet in my experience in dealing with men I have noted, at the bedside, during my professional visits, that this feeling as a rule vanishes, and such a person does a whole lot of thinking when his nervous and general system are sadly lacking in happy synchronism, and as a result he will naturally think along different lines than heretofore, as compared with when his physiological activities were attune and faultlessly playing a symphony, and Hygeia, the Goddess of Health, was swinging the bâton.

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So far as this proposed legislation concerns industrial betterment, let us look at the matter broadly, gentlemen. It is not one of charity, but rather do you make and build for efficiency in our industrial pursuits. The wars of the future will be industrial combats between nation and nation for product supremacy. American brains and sinew pitted against the world. Let us build now by paving the way for industrial retirement for wage earners, and blend efficiency, contentment, humanity, and Christianity into the future make-up of an American citizen.

I thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the permission given me to appear before yourself and this honorable committee this morning.

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