The Washington times., 1919-06-16
NEW PENSION
BILL OFFERED
BY STERLING
Chairman of Senate Civil SerV-
ice Committee Introduces
New Measure for Clerks.

The hEht for the retirement and
pensionIng Of civil service employees
took definite shape in the Senate to
day with the introduction OF q new
bill by Senator Sterling. chairman Of
the Committee on Civil Service and
Retrenchment.
Drafted with the cooperation OF
various civil service organizations,
Senator Sterling's bill follows closely
the general terms OF the hekellar
bill but differs materially from 10 IN
some Of its features.
Senator Sterling announced that his
committee will take up the measure
this week with q view to an early
report on It.
The bill, Il Is understood. not only
meets with the approval OF Senator
Mcclellan, but also embodies the gen
eral views Of the committee mem
bers.
Retirement Age g.
The Sterling bill hxes the age OF
retirement for classified civil service
employees at IS years; for mechanics
and letter-carrierS at Sixty-two years,
and for railway postal clerks at
sixty years. The employees will be
divided into six classes, instead OF
three classes. as in the McKellaE bill,
as follows:
Class a." employees with thirty
or more years service, whose annuity
will be 90 per cent Of their annual
basic salaries for ten years; maxi
mum annuity $40 q year, minimum
1850.
Class 'B," employees Of twenty
seven years or more but less than
thirty years service, 81 per cent Of an
nual salary for ten years: maximum
annuity S64S, minimum 1924
Glass &C." employees with twenty
four years or more but less than
twenty-seVen years service, 4s per
cent OF salary for ten years: maxi
mum annuity $576, minimum $2Ss.
Glass 3D." employee with twenty
one years or more but less than TWEEN
ty-four years services, a per cent OF
salary for ten years; maximum an
nuity 1904, minimum 1852.
Glass e." employees Of eighteen
years or more but less than twenty
one years service, 50 per cent OF
salary for ten years; maximum an
nuity 1892. minimum S216
Glass "F," employees with fifteen
years or more but less than eighteen
years service; 80 per cent OF salary
for ten years; maximum annuity $500;
minimum $50.
q. 8. To Contribute HaER.
When the law goes into operation,
II Is expected the Government will
have to contribute so per cent or more
OF the sum required to pay the an
nuities; and to'help defray the ex-
penSes, every employee will contribute
"a per cent OF his salary toward a
permanent annuity fund. The Gov
eminent burden Of expense most
gradually would be decreased. The
fund must be placed with the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury with interest
compounded upon 1t at 4 per cent
Tn law is to go into effect ninety
days after its approval by the Presi-
dent, and Is to be under the opera
ton OF the Commissioner OF Pensions.
In addition to old age retirement,
the Sterling bill provides for the pen
sioning OF those totally disabled In
the Government service through no
fault Of their own To enjoy the
benefits OF the act, however, they
must have served at least fifteen
years.
Compulsory retirement Is met by
the provision that IL the employee is
in fit condition to continue work AZ
ter reaching the age Of retirement he
may be retained in the service for =
two-year period after undergoing an
at the end OF each per-
iod.