Evening star., 1918-12-04
H||:E|AFOR VOTEON
RETIREMENT B|[[
Senator McKeIIar Pressing
for Decision on Civil
Service Measure.

When the Senate met today It was
the expectation of Senator McKellar.
chairman of the civil service commit
tee, that a vote would be reacneo
before adjournment on the civil serN
ice retirement bill which bears siis
name and which for weeks has beeN
the unfinished business Of the Sen
ate. -
Senator Pomerene OF Ohio. cha'fs
man of tho civil service committee
for two years before Senator Mcketr
lar became chairman. during con
sideration of the bill yesterday after
noon urged the adoption OF meas
ure which was reported by the com
mtttee while he was chairman as
substitute for the McKellar bill The
Ponterene bill provides that the pen
sion fund esta blished shall be coz
trtbuted entirely by the employees o.
the rovernment except that the gov
ernment shall aid in the retlremehl
and pensioiling Of the employees nov
in the service who Will De eAsIpae
Immediately and IN the near ~ -
for retirement. while the Mcheiiaf
blli p1o, ,des that the employees shat
contribute so per cent from .thes :
salaries and the federal governmen"
SO per cent to the pension fnna-
Senator Pemerene Warns Of Cost.
Senator Pomerens warned the, Sen
ate that the operation OF the MCne
ar bill would cost the government hs,Ir
very large sum In its extension over
the years, while under his plan ene
system would be self-suppoEtan6 IN
about sixty years. He declerea Inc
ses 10 the s MSSis Employs %S5s
civil service in the lntersats % the
older persons. In his own Dill, ne
said, each employe praeticaHy matm
tains a separate account with tne sn
ernment In so far as the pension tunu
is conc. rned, and he is paid oHt OF nus
savings when the time comes for hT
to retire. --.-
MT. McKellar Replies. -
Senator McKellar defended his meas,
ure. saying that 1t had been approEeu
by representatives OF all the orsan
liza ations of employees In tne clas1nI 10
civil service Of the government any
had been reported by the civil serves
committee to the Senate by an over
whelhing vote, after a long ana c1'.
full study. ~, ,.,t
of the % salary Of the empioye Is with
held for the pension fund: IN tne
Porerene bill not more than per
cent may be withheld. In the 9Ieat
ma jority of cases the amount 30 Wltns
held would be far less than per cent
Senator Pomerene expressed htmseA
as heartily in favor OF the plan 70 es-
tablish q retirement and pension kye-
tenn for the civil employees OF; the
government. saying he had taken q
keen interest in the matter whfle ne
was chairman of the committee he
said, however. he was convinced -tnat
| his substitute would prove better anu
more equitable. not ouiy for the gov
ernment, but for the employees.
Senator Vardaman in Opposition.
Senator yardan,an Of Mississippi op-
posed any plan for pensioning the su-
perannuated employees OF the govern
ment while the farmers of the country
are not granted an old-age pension.
He said he believed that the more
productive citizens of the country. axe
the farmers. were more entitled 70 an
old age pension than are the employees
of the government. .--.-s -
Senator King Of Utah suggested that
iif retirement bill Is to oe passed
there should be a law to prevent the
covering into the civil service OF any
moro government employees. He sug-
ge sted that if there is to be govern
ment ownership and operation Of the
| railroads and other public utilities,
and their employees were covered INTO
the classified civil service. there
would be millions of persons to be
cared for under the proposed pension
plan.
| Am ndment offered.
| Senator Thomas of Colorado offered
| the following amendment:
| ANY employe who shall advocate.
1encourage or participate in any strike
against the government. or any de-
}partment bureau or commission there-
Of, or who shall join with other en-
ployes in refusing or failing to per-
form their duties as required by law
or the rules and regulations of the de-
ipartments, bureaus or. commissions.
shall forfeit all right to and receive
none of the benefits of this act"
He said he intended to speak to his
amendment today. -