The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-07-26
WILL WORK FOR
RETIREMENT FUND
Federal Employees Say There Should
Be Provision for Old Age and Dis
ability-Meet Tonight,

! A call has been issued to all federal
employees to attend q meeting Tuesday
1evenfng, in G. A. r.. hail, for the pur.
pose Of boosting the proposed National
Civil Service Retirement association
The committee In charge, Edward
Brown, Chris Longheed, Frank p. 10
rang, Tom Shanahan and Peter Wig
gle, expects that among the speakers
Will be Senator julius G. Burrows and
Postmaster Homer Warren.
The National Civil Service Retire
ment association is planned by the
federal employees of the United States
for the purpose OF providing for old
age and disability. Just now the postal
and other federal employees have no or
ganization of the kind-no provision
Of any sort being In force for the time
Of retirement
I'VE are sadly In need OF a retire
ment fund.-" said Frank p. Lorang.
In the postofice, Tuesday AT the
present time We have nothing to offer
old employees who should be retired.
The only thing to do for them is 10
give them an easier position as they
grow old. But the service Is getting
too large to provide all who are get
ting up In years In the service with
such positions Consequently we must
do something to provide a retirement
fund for them. We also need a fund
for disability purposes. II one OF our
mail carriers or any other employee
were to fall and break leg or an arm
there Is no financial help for him from
the postal officials at all. That is not
right and the matter ought to be RENE
died without delay.
There are now two bills before
congress for the establishment of a
retirement fund. These bills will come
up for passage in the next meeting OF
congress and In the meantime we want
to do as much missionary work as
possible. We are bringing the mat
ter before the politicians In the hope
that they VIII do all In their power to
help the cause along. In asking the
politicians to interest themselves in
the matter we are not violating any
federal regulation, for We have Presi-
dent Taft's permission TO get the poll
ticians' help"
One of the two bills before congress
Is known as the Gillet bill. To this
there are some objections. Among
the distasteful features are deductions
In the pay Of the employees for the
maintenance Of the fund. The bill
proposes that assessments, ranging
from $3.50 to SIS a month. out OF a
salary Of $1,000, be levied. The en-
ployes say that such assessments are
ont OF the question; that they could
not afford the minimum amount sug.
gested.
The other bill Is liked better. 70
provides, among other things, that the
government shall foot the retirement
bill, which the employees think the
government should do. The bill pro-
vides that any federal employee who
has served for 30 years and has
reached the age OF so shall be permit
ted to retire on rs per cent of his
average annual salary for the five
years preceding his retirement: that
any employe In the service for from
25 to 80 years who has attained the
age Of 81 be given 80 per cent OF his
salary; that an employee OF 20 to 25
years, who Is IS years old. shall re-
ceive 40 per cent OF his pay, and that
no employee shall be retained after
reaching the age OF 20.
For disability the bill also makes
provision, the scale of pay being in
accordance with the time OF service.