mere existence for the men who draw them, and there is facing every man who goes into the civil-service system, who goes into the work in any of the Government departments under civil service, merely the assurance of an advancement in salary, with very little prospect ahead of him for his old age.

I personally would like to see this bill applied to every man of the civil service of the Government, and I hope that this is merely an entering wedge for a general bill of this character that will apply to every man of the civil service.

I go even further than advocating the application of that principle to Government employees. I am in favor of a general system of oldage pension. We will come to that in the next 15 years in this country. But anything that leads up to that, anything that shows a tendency in that direction, will always have my hearty support.

I trust the committee will report the bill favorably, and I agree with the prediction that has been made that it will be passed by the House beyond any question.

STATEMENT OF HON. EDWARD KEATING, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF COLORADO.

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chairman, I merely dropped in to move the previous question on this bill. The sentiment seems to be so unanimously in favor of retirement legislation that I think that is all that is necessary at the present stage.

The sentiment of the country and, I think, the sentiment of a majority of the Members of Congress is in favor of retirement legislation. I trust this committee will give the Members of the House an opportunity to go on record on that matter.

I am heartily in favor of the bill.

STATEMENT OF HON. DANIEL A. DRISCOLL, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

Mr. DRISCOLL. Mr. Chairman, many of the people in my district are in favor of what is known as the Griffin bill.

I think, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, that this is a forerunner of a universal reform. It is a reform that has certainly been looked forward to for a great many years, and I want to say I am heartily in accord with it, and I trust the committee will report the bill out and give the men who represent the various parts of the country in Congress, who represent the people throughout the country, a chance to vote upon this legislation.

I trust I may have the privilege of filing a more complete statement of my views at a later date.

Mr. BEAKES. Without objection, that permission will be granted. STATEMENT OF HON. J. G. COOPER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF OHIO.

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Chairman, I am indeed happy to have the privilege of appearing before your honorable committee this morning to say a word in behalf of this measure which you are now considering.

I have long felt and now feel that the Government of the United States ought to take some steps in regard to retiring its employees, especially those in the Postal Service.

In the last 20 years we have seen wonderful progress made along the lines of retirement amongst the employers of labor, the railroad companies and the large manufacturing industries. I believe it is a good thing. I believe it has a tendency to increase the efficiency of the employees.

Ever since I was a small lad it has fallen to my lot to associate with the working classes. For 20 years I sat in the cab of a locomotive on the Pennsylvania lines, and I well remember how happy the employees of that great system were when that company inaugurated a retirement pension for its employees.

I believe I can safely say here this morning to your honorable committee that this retirement pension which this company provided for its employees was the means of increasing the efficiency in the service of their workingmen.

At this time I have in mind one man who lives in the city in which I reside a man by the name of Duffy-who for 20 years carried the mail to one of the residential sections of our city. During that service he contracted a disease of bladder trouble and was not able to go to the place he would like to have gone to secure treatment for his trouble. After he had been in the service 20 years he was not able to fill the position and he has been turned out by the United States Government and thrown upon the scrap heap.

It seems to me after a man has given the best service of his life, whether to the United States Government or to a private corporation, there ought to be some provision made to take care of every man who has faithfully performed service of that kind.

Therefore I say, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, it is a pleasure for me to appear before you this morning and say just a word in behalf of these Government employees who render faithful service at all times of the year, and I, for one, am heartily in favor of having such a measure as this passed.

STATEMENT OF HON. E. H. WASON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Mr. WASON. Mr. Chairman, I simply want to take a moment this morning to say that I appear here with the suggestion that I support a proposition like that contained in H. R. 6915.

I do not know that I would support it on the ground of economy to the Government, but I would support it on the ground of efficiency. A poet once expressed the thought that the best employee was the man who was satisfied with his work and sang while he worked.

A man in the Postal Service of the Federal Government who is perfectly satisfied with his work and is happy as he goes along, especially in the thought that in case of any accident befalling him the Federal Government will take care of himself and his family, can render most efficient service to the Government of the United States. In a word, civil service ought to mean civil pensions.

I thank you.

STATEMENT OF HON. JOSEPH WALSH, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Chairman, undoubtedly you have heard some very strong arguments in favor of this bill from the many Members of the House who appeared before you this morning, and I simply desire to be recorded as being in favor of the proposition.

I think it is significant that this bill is an attempt to take care of the rank and file of the workers in the great army of employees who work for the United States Government. Heretofore, both in the State and in the United States Government the pension system seems to have been begun at the wrong end of the line. The people holding the higher and the more important positions have been given the benefit of retiring upon pensions. While this is not a direct pension, it is a system which, in its working out, I believe will tend toward efficiency, even though not tending toward economy. I think we should not hesitate if we can make any system which will render the service given the National Government more efficient, and I should not hesitate to favor this measure upon the question of expense.

This is a bill which, in its terms and in its working out, I think, will tend to more efficient service, and the provisions of the bill are carefully safeguarded, and I have no doubt it will furnish a plan and a scheme for the further extension of similar provisions for other branches of the service.

STATEMENT OF HON. J. P. GLYNN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT.

Mr. GLYNN. Mr. Chairman, I do not know that I can add anything new to what has already been said.

I have had an experience of 12 years as postmaster, and I realize that a provision of this kind is needed for the employees of this branch of the Government service. I believe it will meet with general public approval.

I will not take up your time any further except to say that I heartily indorse the bill.

STATEMENT OF HON. H. E. HULL, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF IOWA.

Mr. HULL. Mr. Chairman, I will not take much of your time. I can go the last gentleman one better. I have had an experience of 13 years as postmaster. It was while in the service that I realized that something of this kind would tend toward efficiency.

One gentleman said that perhaps it would not tend toward economv. Anything that tends toward efficiency is economical in the end. I have investigated this matter a little. I have been in communication with some of the corporations who have already adopted this system, and you will find this, that every one of those corporations will tell you that it is the best money they are spending to-day; that it tends for efficiency, and therefore is economical in the long

run.

I want to call your attention to this fact, that most of the European Governments before the war-I do not know what they are doing now, but I presume they are carrying out the same idea-I think eight of the European Governments had already adopted this system. It does seem to me that in this great Nation, rich and powerful, we should not lag behind.

It is often said that the farmers are not in favor of this legislation. I happened to be in a campaign about two years ago, and when I said I was in favor of this proposition, some of my city friends said the farmers were opposed to it. I said I did not believe it, but it did not make any odds to me, that I was in favor of it because I knew it was the right thing. I went to the farmers afterwards and told them I was in favor of it, and I have never had a farmer tell me I was mistaken in regard to that matter.

That is all I have to say, Mr. Chairman. I hope to report the bill out. I presume the bill is comprehensive and proper in its wording.

STATEMENT OF HON. FREDERICK C. HICKS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

Mr. HICKS. Mr. Chairman, I merely want to express my hearty approval of the principles of this bill and congratulate the author of it for his farsightedness.

STATEMENT OF HON. B. C. HERNANDEZ, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO.

Mr. HERNANDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I appear before your committee to ask you to take favorable action on the bill which is before you, H. R. 6915.

Some of my constituents in the Southwest have been writing to me and indicating to me in several of those communications that I should appear before you in behalf of this measure. I have read it over, and I think I am safe in saying it is in line with the progress of the times.

I would like to have permission to file a further statement in connection with this matter, and I hope your committee will favorably report the bill.

Mr. BEAKES. Without objection, that permission will be granted.

STATEMENT OF HON. WALTER W. MAGEE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

Mr. MAGEE. Mr. Chairman, I have been requested to appear before your committee on behalf of the citizens in the thirty-fifth congressional district of New York.

Of course, they are in favor of the bill, and I am in favor of the principles of the bill. The sentiment seems to be almost unanimous here that when an employee of the Federal Government who spends the best, substantial years of his life in the Government service becomes physically unfit to continue longer in that service he should not be cast adrift by the Government without any care on its part. With that principle of the bill I agree.

I do not know just exactly what the wording of the bill, in lines 9, 10, and 11, would mean when it says, "who are in the classified civil service who have become incapacitated from performing their duties through superannuation." But I think it is due to the Government and due to the people of this country that a bill of this kind should provide a basis of continuous service for a specified period. This bill may do that. I do not know just what the ages are when these employees take the civil-service examination or the rules and regulations, but I am in favor of the principle of the bill.

I think a man who spends the best years of his life in the service of the Government should be able to feel when he has done work of high efficiency that the Government will do something for him. I think that is a good thing for the Government.

I do not think there is anything that will tend to make the people generally more loyal to the Government than something of that kind.

STATEMENT OF HON. W. C. HAWLEY, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF OREGON.

Mr. HAWLEY. Mr. Chairman, during the past summer I made some investigation as to the matters contained in this bill, and as a result of such investigation I desire to appear here this morning in behalf of the legislation proposed in the bill and in behalf of a favorable report of the bill by your committee.

STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN I. NOLAN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I am not only in favor of the Griffin bill, which is before you, providing. for indefinite leaves of absence for superannuated employees of the Postal Service, but I favor civil-service retirement for all Government employees.

The postal organizations of this country have been actively working for a retirement measure. They are coming to your great committee and asking for some relief along that line by means of a measure that will in a way provide for taking care of the superannuated employees of the Postal Service.

It might be said that it is discrimination to give the employees of one branch of the service consideration in a measure of this kind which does not provide for the employees of any other branch of the Government service. But there is a precedent for that in the matter of compensation for injuries to employees of the Government in the United States. All the classified employees of the Government service are not included in that.

Employees of the Post Office Department and other branches of the Government service are entitled to consideration in the matter of compensation for injuries received while they are engaged in their employment. This great committee has seen fit to give postal employees such benefits.

If we can not secure action in behalf of all the employees on a straight-out retirement bill, this committee, which knows and is