The Washington times., 1919-01-27

I
Section IL provides In certain spei
ned cases for the return Of the dedue
lions from the basic salary, pay o.
compensation with interest at PEI
cent per annum, compounded on Jun'
80 Of each fiscal year.
Section 12 provides for the admin
istration Of the act by the Director o.
the Bureau OF War Rlsh Insurance.
Section Is provides q proper
method OF paying annuities so tna'
the Government may be fully pro-
Section IA provides that the secre.
tary OF the Treasury shall keep All
needtul tables, records and accounts
required for carrying out the pro
Visions OF the act, including OATS
showing the mortality experience OF
the onicers and employees and the rate
OF withdrawal from the service ano
the like and requiring him to make
detailed comparative report annual
ly to Congress.
Section IS provides that none Of the
moneys mentioned in this bill snail
De assignable in law or equity and
that they shall not be subject to exc
cutlon, levy, or attachment, garnisn-
ment, or other legal process.
Section 16 authorizes the aDpropri-
alton Of the sum OF 100000 for the
purpose OF carrying out the pro-
visions OF the act.
Section IL repeals all laws in con-
flict with the act, @
In FaVor o9 Retlremenf.
During a period OF more than
thirty years the question OF making
adequate retirement provision for the
superannuated and disabled civil
service employees has received the
serious consideration OF executive and
administrative officials OF the Gov
ernment.
Recommendations Of Cabinet Of
1cers, bureau chiefs, and supervisory
officials OF every executive depart
ment OF the Government urging re-
tirement legislation have been In
/'orporated In their annual reports to
the Congress, OF to the President. In
1912 President Taft gave his unQuali-
fed appoval- of a retirement. plan
and made a special recommendation
to Congress. urging the enactment
of a retirement law. The COMMITTEES
has been assured that President VIII
son Is in favor OF the enactment Of
an equitable retirement law for
superannuated civil service employees
Of the Government.
Both Paroles Committed to II.
The Republican platform Of 1912
contained a provision on the subject
as follows:
We favor legislation TO make
possible the equitable retirement
OF disabled and superannuated
members Of the civil service in
oruer that a higher standard Of
efficiency may be maintained
The Democratic platform at St
Louis in 1916 contained q provision
on this subject as follows:
An equitable retirement law
providing for the retirement OF
superannuated and disabled en-
ployes of the civil service, to the
end that q higher standard Of ef-
hciency may be maintained.
The first civil service retirement bill |
was introduced IN 1883. and since that /
date more than 100 retirement bills at /
1ecting the Federal civil service have
been introduced either in the House or /
the Senate. Some OF these bills con- 4
tempIated that the entire cost Of paying i
the annuities or pension allowances
should be borne by the Government
These bills are known as straight civil
service pension plans. Other bills have
provided that the cost Of retiring those
llready eligible for retirement should
De borne by the Government. but that
hose to be retired after thu approval
II the act should contribute from their
,alaries a certain percentage Of the
,ame for the purpose OF creating indiv-
Ial retirement funds. The sO-called Nc
Heating bill, which forms the
Jubject Of this report, Is the first at
empt to provide plan the cost OF
which shall be borne equally by the
and its employees upon the
,asis OF the half and half principle.
Hearings On RetIrement BiIIs.'
Exhaustive hearings have been held
n the past by committees in Congress,
acts and figures have been marshalled
! support Of various plans and a great
mass of matter has been contributed
" competent actuaries and students
Il the subject The principles OF the
IcKelIar- X eating bill were carefully
considered at hearings held upon the
ill by this committee and the Com
nittee on Civil Service and Retrench-
nent Of the Senate. Senator McKellar
md Congressman Heating held numer-
,us conferences with representatives
II the various civil service organiZa-
ions Of the. country and the bill was
indorsed by these rep
before its introduction in
he House and Senate.
The principles OF this bill were
indersed by the Ameri-
an Federation Of Labor In its last
.nnual convention and subsequently
lave been indorsed by practically
III national and international labor
A Business Proposition. Al
'Tt is conceded the Govern
nent is now maintaining, by indi-
'ection at least, a costly pension
ystem, by retaining in the public
ervice aged employees long beyond
heir period Of usefulness, and whose
ervices will net be dispensed with
N humanitarian grounds. A report
ecently made on the civil service
covering the subject Of inefficiency 4
Iue to approximation demonstrated
that the annual loss TO
he Government on this account was
approximately three million dollars.
Industrial corporations and busi-
less organizations throughout the
world have adopted retirement sys-
ems, or pension plans, for their aged
employees, based solely upon sound
business reasons. The adoption cf
uch a plan by the Government OF the
United States would be in line with
he trend OF modern times.
VIII II Pays