The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-05-11

position of enacting legislation for
the retirement of superannuated Gov
eminent employees was adopted.
In the last session of the U. S.
Senate a retirement bill providing an
annuity of $500 was favorably re-
ported by the Civil Service Commit
tee but was not passed. Following
is synopsis of the Wadsworth-Dale
bill which will come up for consid
Grafton in the present Congress.
The Boards of Representatives of
Federal Employees Union adopted on
the 18th of April the following reso-
lutions which will serve to enlighten
the public on the question:
This is a matter of vital interest
to the civil service and proposition
to recognize long and faithful SER
vice to the government which appeals
to the sense of justice in the people
and particularly to trades unionists.
This would make a good subject
for the consideration of central coun-
ellis and local unions to the end that
they may lend their aid in securing
the adoption of the annuity law.
Synopsis of the Wadsworth-Dale Bill
(S. 2s1, 65th COM
| 1. 1t provides for retirement of
superannuated and disabled Govern
ment employees in the classified civil
service, and may be extended, by ex-
ecutive order, to unclassified posi-
tions.
2. 1t is designed to provide, ulti-
mately, for compulsory retirement
at the age of seventy years, and fol
optional retirement at the age OF
sixty-five years. Certain occupations
are given a preferential age.
8. 1t has a provision for retire
ment on account of disability after
fifteen years of service and before
reaching the retirement age.
4. The amount of annuity is lin
tied to a maximum of 5000 per an
mum and is graduated both in re-
lation to number of years in the
service and average salary during
the last ten years of service. (See
Section 2 and sample table of an.
nuities below 1t is believed that
a very large proportion of annuitants
will be beneficiaries under classes
A and B.
5. 1t provides for deduction of two
per centum per annum from the sal.
airy of each employee, limited, how
ever, to $50 per annum, which be
comes a contribution to the 'civi
service retirement and disability
fund" the Government to make uI
the difference if any. Return OF
deductions will be made in all cases
of separation from the service before
reaching the retirement age.
6. Administration, so far as adiudi-
cation and payment of annuities is
concerned, is vested in the Commits
sioner of Pensions; keeping of official
records and certification of the same
in the Civil Service Commission; and
the bookkeeping, accounting and
auditing, in the Treasury Department
This provides system which will
reduce the cost of administration to
the minimum and which will be in
harmony with existing laws and prac-
tice.
7. Other features of the bill include
payment of annuities monthly, checks
to be issued without requiring separ-
ate vouchers, and a simple method
of transferring funds on the books
of the Treasury Department.
Whereas, 1t is a matter of official
record that the Government service
is seriously impaired because of the
large number of superannuated en-
ployees carried on the rolls, and
Whereas, In view of the great
emergency with which the Govern
ment has to cope at the present time
because of a state of war now exist
ing, it is important that immediate
steps be taken for promoting the
highest degree of efficiency in the
Government service, and
Whereas, We believe that the most
effective means for obtaining such
results would be the enactment of
an equitable retirement law, and
Whereas, We believe that en-
ployees who have spent long years in
the Government service have justly
earend a sufficient competence to
keep them in their declining years,
therefore
Be it Resolved, By the Board of
Representatives of the Federal EN-
ployees Union at regular meeting