Evening star., 1918-08-08
REPRESENTATIVE SIMS SURE
f RETIREMENT BILL WILL PASS
= t....~ ..s.
Convinced by Arguments of Advocates and
2 Predicts Enactment Into. Law by
/. Congress Of Pending Measure.

That the house will pass the Nc
kellar-Keating bill for retirement
and pension. of superannuated civil
employees of the government before
the end of the present session of
Congress was a prediction made by
Chairman Sims. of the House inter-
state and foreign commerce commit
tee at the close of day of hearings
on that measure before his committee
yesterday afternoon.
= The arguments presented by the
advocates of the bill were clear and
convincing to me-" said Mr.. Sims,
"and I presume they will be to the
other members of the committee. and
that the bill will be favorably re-
ported. After the House resumes it's
regular sessions again and a quorum
of the committee is available sup
Elemental hearings will be given.
Not Privileged, But Important.
dict what the legislative program of
the House will be for the remainder
of the present session of Congress
II this bill is reported it will not
have privileged character, but 1t is
OF SO much Importance that 1 believe
1t win be passed by the House before
the session ends"
day afternoon under the auspices of.
the joint civil service retirement COM
mfttee, of which Robert H. Alcorn is
chairman. Those heard at the after
noon session were Gilbert E. Hyatt,
president of the National Federation
Of Postal Employees: DR.. Lewellyn
Jordan. secretary of the United States
CIvil Service Retirement Association.
NJ. T. Finnan, assistant secretary of
the National Association of Letter
tary of the United National Associa-
tion of Postal Clerks; DIR. James D.
Maddrtll, bureau of efficiency; Mrs
Ruth 6. D. Hayens of the Treasury
DEPARTMENT: Edward ]. Gainor.. pres
ident OF the National Association of
Letter Carriers: Thomas G. Allen of
the United States Civil Service Re-
Iirement Association. Martin F. Duff
neid. Columbia Lodge. No. 174. Inter-
national Association of Machinists.
vergil G. Pittman. president Interna-
t1onal Moulders. Local Union, No.
2l5; DR.. E. c. Eder Reed, secretary of
the Joint retirement committees of
,ne naval gun factory, and r. H. Al
corn. president of the joint retirement
committee.
; Arguments of M. I. Finnan.
Mr.. Finnan. urging the passage of
the pending bill, said that it had been
announced that the heads of the de-
pSrtments will not throw out of en-
pioyment the aged employees, but that
facts. 'i.e
The aged letter carrier when his
Gay or usefulness is over is let out of
the service" he said. He gave the fol-
lowing reasons for the passage Of the
Notwithstanding bill:
The enactment of q retirement Iaw
viii insure a more efficient service
oy substituting a young and vigorous
employe for the superannuated man
Ihe enactment of retirement law
VIII not grant permanency of tenure
to fncompetents or retain unouaIified
persons in employment, but will act
as an incentive to retain in the sery-
ice the most competent and efficient
employees
The salaries paid to government
employees are not sufficient to main
tain their families and enable them
TO save enough to provide for old age.
1T will prevent the present prac-
tice of, removing employees whose
emeiency has become impaired on ac-
count of old age.
declining years in peace and content
n1ent and without fear of being
thrown on the charity of the world
after their usefulness has come to an
end.
"a retirement law win attract a
class of men to the public service that
will keep its efficiency at a high
standard, as it will be an inducement
for them to make the service their life
work"
passage of the law retiring the old
employees was up to Congress. and
that all the political parties had
planks in their platforms supporting
such a measure,
Poem Is Read.
Mrs Ravens read to the commit
tee a poem. entitled THE Curfew."
relating to the old clerks, and then
presented an argument in favor Of
the bill, in which she said last July
the Associated Press had recognized
the justice of old-age pensions and
adopted such a plan for its super
annuated employees.
"And Congress-" she said, has been
considering the question of retiring
the superannuated employees of the
government for the last twenty-five
years War now emphasizes the need
for a retirement system. The cost of
living has gone up 100 per cent and
many of our incomes have been re-
'duced.
Children are getting higher>wages
today than many women who have
given faithful service to the goyern-
ment for twenty-five years. I am
proud that England and France have
adopted retirement systems for their
aged workers, and when think that
Germany has old-age pensions for all
dts aged citizens I hang my head in
shame"
Letter Carriers Want Legislation.
Edward ]. Gainor told the commit