TABLE III.-Age and salary of all city letter carriers over 60 years of age at first and second class post offices Sept. 24, 1914.

These old men have given all the productive years of their lives to the Postal Service at a salary that would not permit of saving an amount to provide a competence for them in their few declining years. The salary of these employees prior to July 1, 1907, was $850 per annum in cities with a population of less than 75,000, and $1,000 per annum in cities with a population in excess of 75,000. Since 1907 the employees in second-class offices can be promoted each year until they reach a maximum salary of $1,100 and $1,200 in first-class offices. For information of the committee, regarding the cost for maintaining a family of five, I submit herewith copy of a report of the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor:

FAMILY OF FIVE NEEDS $1,100 A YEAR IN MANHATTAN.

From $1,100 to $1,300 income is necessary to enable the average family of five persons to maintain, unaided, a normal standard of living in the borough of Manhattan-to live, that is, " in such a way as to preserve health, mind, character, self-respect, and proper conditions of family life."

Such was the announcement of the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, in connection with the first report of its home hospital, an experiment in the combined treatment of poverty and tuberculosis.

The figures of the association were got from its experience in caring for 27 families in the hospital in the Vanderbilt tenements. The daily budget for the average Manhattan family would work out, at that experience, about as follows:

The families included in the investigation were allowed to buy all they wished to, and in some cases were encouraged to buy more than they would have done. According to the report "the total living expenses of the 27 families in the hospital during the first year amounted to $15,776.99. The average living expenses per family of five individuals, or 3.3 units, for 233.37 days, the average residence in the hospital during the year, was $548.33, making a daily expense per family of $2.499, or $912.50 a year. As these figures are exclusive of the cost of administration and supervision, and as the living afforded had not the least semblance of luxury, the association believes they furnish a fair basis for computing the cost of maintaining a decent home and providing a comfortable living for an average family of five persons-father, mother, and three children under 14—in New York City at the present time.” In the association diet kitchen the meals were provided at 15 cents per male adult. In the experiment it was found, it is stated, that cooperative buying will save households about 20 per cent on the cost of living. The association has organized a bureau of food supply to study and suggest plans for a more economical distribution of food and to guarantee quality and quantity.

This report appears in the hearings before the Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Sixty-third Congress, second session, on H. R. 7217:

According to this report the actual living expenses of a family of five amounts to $1,082 per annum. These figures do not provide for any of the ordinary luxuries that a family should have in order to enjoy the blessings of life. As letter carriers are paid only for the actual time they are employed, it will be seen that in order to keep out of debt they must live frugally and maintain good health and not be subjected to the ordinary ills that humans are heir to.

This subject of providing annuities for superannuated employees is by no means an innovation, nor is it in its infancy. At the sixteenth annual meeting of the National Civic Federation, held in Washington, D. C., January 17 and 18, 1916, an address was made by Hon. William R. Willcox, chairman of the pension department, on the subject of "Pensions for Federal employees." In dealing with the subject, Mr. Willcox stated that "many corporations have introduced the straight pension or service-annuity plan," for retirement of our superannuated employees. He further said that "to-day great corporations, such as the American Telephone & Telegraph Co., the Edison Co., the American Tobacco Co., the American Sugar Refining Co., the International Harvester Co., the United States Steel Corporation, and others in many lines of industry, paying higher wages than the Government to the same classes of men, give a free pension after a certain number of years of service."

The address of Mr. Willcox shows a careful study of the problem of pension, and with permission of the committee I would like to insert it as part of my remarks.

If the committee would like to have that, I have a copy of the hearing containing a great deal of valuable data on this whole subject. Mr. PAIGE. Mr. Chairman, I move that the names of these corporations that are granting pensions be inserted in the record, without any other matter in regard to it, simply the names of the corporations that are granting pensions to their employees. I think that will be sufficient, as far as this bill is concerned.

The CHAIRMAN. It is moved that so much of the address of Mr. Willcox as includes the names of the corporations private corporations granting pensions to employees-be inserted in the record. All in favor of that will please signify by saying "aye."

(The motion was agreed to.)

(The names of the corporations referred to are as follows:)

The American Brass Co., Waterbury, Conn.

American Express Co., New York City.

American Sugar Refining Co., New York City.

American Telephone & Telegraph Co., New York City.

Armour & Co., Chicago, Ill.

Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Co., Chicago, Ill.
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co., Baltimore, Md.

Jos. Bancroft & Sons Co., Wilmington, Del.

Blount Plow Works, Evansville, Ind.

J. G. Brill Co., Philadelphia, Pa.

Brooklyn Rapid Transit, Brooklyn, N. Y.

The Cincinnati & Suburban Telephone Co., Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Crane Co., Chicago, Ill.

Cumberland Mills, Westbrook, Me.

Deere & Co., Moline, Ill.

E. I. du Pont de Nemours Powder Co., Wilmington, Del.
The Equitable Life Assurance Society, New York, N. Y.
First National Bank of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.

General Electric Co., Schenectady, N. Y.

General Fire Extinguisher Co., Providence, R. I.

B. F. Goodrich Co., Akron, Ohio.

Gorham Manufacturing Co., Providence, R. I.

F. C. Huyck & Sons, Albany, N. Y.

International Harvester Co., Chicago, Ill.

Lehigh Valley Transit Co., Allentown, Pa.
The Midvale Steel Co.

Morris & Co., Chicago, Ill.

Murphy Varnish Co., Newark, N. J.

National City Bank, New York.

New York Central Lines, Cleveland, Ohio.

New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad Co., Cleveland, Ohio.

The New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Co., New Haven, Conn.
New York Railways Co., New York.

North Star Mines Co., New York.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Co., Philadelphia, Pa.

Pittsburgh Coal Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.

Prudential Insurance Co. of America, Newark, N. J.

Public Service Corporation of New Jersey, Newark, N. J.

The Pullman Co., manufacturing department, Pullman, Ill.

The Rhode Island Co., Providence, R. I.

Simonds Manufacturing Co., Pittsfield, Mass.

The Standard Oil Co., Neodesha, Kans.

Talbot Mills, North Billerica, Mass.

Chas. H. Tenney & Co., Boston, Mass.

United States Steel & Carnegie Corporation, New York City.

The Van Brunt Manufacturing Co., Horicon, Wis.

Vermont Marble Co., Proctor, Vt.

The Virginia Bridge & Iron Co., Roanoke, Va.

Washington Railway & Electric Co., Washington, D. C.

Wells Fargo Co., Chicago, Ill.

Western Electric Co., New York City.

Westinghouse Air Brake Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.

J. H. Williams Co.

Winchester Repeating Arms Co., New Haven, Conn.

The CHAIRMAN. You have looked through this paper. What proportion of those companies have adopted the contributory plan?

Mr. CANTWELL. There is not one of this whole list here that I recall. There are some few of them that have part contributions and part appropriations by the company.

The CHAIRMAN. They are very few in number?

Mr. CANTWELL. They are few. Nearly all of them are straight pension.

Mr. PAIGE. Not 10 per cent, are they?

Mr. CANTWELL. Oh, less than 5 per cent.

Mr. PAIGE. That is what I thought.

The CHAIRMAN. Do you know what age most of them retire their employees at?

Mr. CANTWELL. Sixty-five years approximately is the retiring age, and in nearly all cases they must retire at 70.

The CHAIRMAN. I notice in this address that the State of Massachusetts is spoken of as having a retirement system.

Mr. CANTWELL. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. Do you know anything about the retirement act of Massachusetts of 1911?

Mr. CANTWELL. No; I am not familiar with it. To the best of my information, the cities, or certain cities in the State of Massachusetts voted on this subject in the last election, did they not, Mr. Paige?

Mr. PAIGE. Yes.

Mr. CANTWELL. According to Mr. Willcox's statement, the State of Massachusetts has made a general provision for retirement of State employees. Eight States-Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island-have established pension systems for judges; fifty-eight cities having a population of less than 25,000 have pension funds of one sort or another; and 228 cities with a population of more than 25,000 have pensions of some kind for their employees.

A list of 55 railroad companies and industrial corporations is compiled from data furnished by employers showing the regular and disability pension plans in force in each.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Co., as an example, provides for the retirement of its veteran employees on a pension, and in doing so it instills a sense of pride in the employee by placing his name on a roster termed "The railroad roll of honor." The retirement plan was established on January 1, 1900. The report of the company to February 29, 1916, shows the following statement of facts:

Amount paid since retirement plan was established, $12,349,513.99; total number of employees placed on the roll of honor to February 1, 1916, 9,250; roll of honor employees who have died, 4,695; total number of employees on roll of honor February 1, 1916, 4,555.

The Pennsylvania Railroad was the pioneer among transportation systems of America in establishing a plan for retiring and pensioning all employees of whatever rank upon equal terms. All must retire at the age of 70. All may retire at age 65 or over, if unfitted for active work.

I also submit for information of the committee a statement prepared at the office of the Pan American Union showing the pension. systems in force for civil employees in Latin America.

PENSIONS FOR CIVIL EMPLOYEES IN LATIN AMERICA.

Argentina has a general civil employees' pension system. This system is regulated by the law of September 10, 1904, which provides in detail that civil employees are entitled to a pension and fixes the amounts to be granted.

Although the employees of Argentine Government railroads have been inIcluded in the general pension system of 1904, a special law was passed by the Argentine Congress in 1913 providing a railway pension for all employees and permanent workmen of all railroads, including private railway companies.

Other countries of Latin America seemingly have no civil employees' pension law, but the following have special pension laws:

Uruguay has a law of 1896 granting pension to retired teachers, and a law of 1892 granting pensions to retired members of the police and firemen forces. Chile issued in 1896 a law granting pensions to retired teachers. Colombia, by a law of April 22, 1905, provides a pension to all civil employees who during the term of 30 years have held an official position." Venezuela, by a law of June 25, 1910, provides for civil pensions, which may be granted by special legislation.

I also submit the names of foreign governments that provide for retirement on annuities of their civil servants: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Australia, Canada. Cape Colony, Natal, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Russia. Getting nearer to home, I would like to call the attention of the committee to the fact that retirement allowances are made to our Federal judges, the employees in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, the Life-Saving Service, and the Revenue-Cutter Service.

The military appropriation bill reported by the Senate committee to the third session of the Sixty-third Congress contained the following provision, which was inserted by the Committee on Military Affairs:

Provided further, That the Secretary of War may grant a furlough with onehalf pay to any clerk, messenger, or other classified enployee who is over sixtyfive years of age, or who has been employed for twenty-five years or over in the civil service, for any period during which such clerk, messenger, or other classified employee is incapacitated for the performance of his duty; and the one-half salary not paid such clerk, messenger, or other classified employee during said absence may be used, by authority of the Secretary of War, for the hire of a clerk, messenger, or other classified employee at not to exceed the entrance grade established for the bureau or office concerned: Provided further, That upon the death, resignation, or discharge of an employee furloughed on half pay, the amount of such half pay will revert to the appropriation from which payment was made to such employee for the fiscal year in which said employee died, resigned, or was discharged, and such amount shall be used to make promotions to the grade vacated by such employee when furloughed on half pay, any amount remaining after said promotions have been made to remain in the credit of the appropriation concerned for use, under authority of the Secretary of War, for the employment of clerks, messengers, or other classified employees at the entrance salary: Provided further, That the provisions of this act authorizing the granting of furlough on one-half pay to clerks, messengers, and other classified employees of the Army at large shall apply to all clerks, messengers, and other employees in the classified service of the War Department.

While this amendment was ruled out on a point of order, it nevertheless represents the sentiment of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs who had this bill before them for their consideration. I also wish to insert as part of my remarks extracts of reports of Postmasters General and their assistants on the subject of superannuation in the Postal Service:

EXTRACTS OF REPORTS OF POSTMASTERS GENERAL AND THEIR ASSISTANTS ON THE SUBJECT OF SUPERANNUATION.

The Postmaster General's report for 1909 states:

RETIREMENT OF SUPERANNUATED EMPLOYEES.

In recent years the subject of making provision for the retirement of superannuated employees in the civil service has received much consideration. It is believed that the interests of the employees and of the Government alike demand legislation to this end.