Jasper County Democrat, Volume 16, Number 100, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 March 1914 — WANTS TO EXTEND PENSIONS. [ARTICLE]

WANTS TO EXTEND PENSIONS.

Congressman Peterson Would Place Civil Service Employes O» Government Pension List.

I P in Lake county there is an organization 0 known as the Lake County Association of Civil Service Employes. Similar associations are organized all over the country, and at a recent meeting of the Lake county branch, held for the purpose of informing members what was being done at Washington to “take care of the old and faithful civil service employes,” in the movement being made to pension such employes, a” letter was read, according to a Hammond democratic paper,® from Congressman Peterson favorable to the movement, and the speakers referred to the good work being done in their behalf by Mr. Peterson. Now The Democrat does not believe that the people in general— or even a small per cent of them outside of those directly interestedfavor t?he granting of pensions to government employes. As a rule, the government employes are well paid, anti under the civil service rules they have a position that cannot be taken from them as long as they fulfill its unties. The fact—if fact it is—that some of them or many of- them may be profligate and do not save any of their salaries is no fault of the government or the people who must fray these pensions Mr. Peterson has no more just grounds for assisting and working tor the pensioning of government employes, if as much, as he would have for favoring a scheme to p'-.n-sion the farmers, farm laborers, tile ditchers, or any class of artisans. Positions under civil service are iu great demand, and young mmi will forsake the farm, the counter, th : professions and the workshop to secure almost any kind of a job in the civil service. r ’• . ■ Only last Saturday, in R» n:u elaer, there were 28 applicants who W»ok the examination for the position of rural carrier on route No. 3 out of this city, a position whidh now pays 51,100 per year and only requires a few hours each day to do the work. Civil service employes work short hours, are granted annual vacations with full pay, and are not required to work on mest holidays. The less favored individual who desires to take a » ication or celebrate hny of the holidays must lose* his time when not ■at w ork, and The Democrat doubts very much if Congressman Peterson’s efforts in behalf of extending our pension system to civil service employes will be very warmly received by his constituency of this congressional district,