Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-03
ASKS COOPERATION
IN ADMINISTERING
RETIREMENT LAW
Luther Steward Hopes There
viii Be Harmony in En-
forcing Enactment.

Closest cooperation between fed
eral employees, the pension bureau and
Congress is being worked out in or
der that the retirement Legislation
may be put into operation with the
least friction and in the most salts
factory manner as soon as it is made
law by the Presidents signature.
An appeal to the great mass OF
government workexs..to the pension
bureau. which will handle the law.
and to Congress-, which passed it, and
where it is now in conference. was is
sued today by President Luther Stew
ard of the National Federation OF
Federal Employees.
In his appeal Mr.. Steward asks for
cooperation on the part of all con-
cerned. so that the retirement legisla-
ton may be Of the greatest good to
the government and the employees OF
the government. 1t is pointed out
that all federal workers will benefi,
! by the retirement law, be they young
or old, newcomers to the service. OF
men and women who are ready to re-
tire.
Called "Flrst Great Step"
This is the first great step in the
securing of a real employment policy
for the government" declared Presi-
dent Steward today. referring to the
or old newcomers to the service OF
tirement legislation. THE second viii
be the Nolan minimum wage bill.
1.-The retirement legislation takes
care of the government worker at one
end of the scale and the minimum
wage bill will take care of the worker
at the other end Of the scale. One is
OF equal Importance with the other :
Mr. Steward instanced the long bat
tie that has been waged toward a bet
ter employment policy for Uncle Sam
pointing to the various recommends
tions Of the reclassificatiOn commits
sion which were made to Congress
last March. The reclassification re.
port strongly recommended upon Con
gress the adoption Of civil service re-
tirement legislation.
1t is generally felt throughout the
government service here that the re-
tircment legislation. once in opera
ton, will constitute one of the greatest
steps for good in the history OF the
federal service. Carrying it into ef-
feet however. will bring some delicate
problems. and closest co-operation
will be required on all sides. it As felt
Cites Two FrOllcDak.
Two delicate problems already have
presented themselves. In the prelim-
Of what will he necessary In carry
ing the retiYement legislation into
effect. First comes the problem of the
superanpIat ted employe. who still
feels that "he is just as good man
as hn ever was" 1t is felt that there
. may be number Of these cases which
may combine pathos with other quail
tiles and which will merit careful
handling. But the general opinion is
that if the retirement law. is to live
up to it's name and be of greatest
service to Uncle Sam and the great
mass Of federal workers it will be
necessary to make retirement mean
retirement.
Another delicate problem. but one
which is not expected will cause any
real trouble. is the spirit which may
be shown by some OF the young em-
ployes who must begin to pay a small
part OF their monthly salaries into
tie retirement fund. saving against
their old age.
What Levy Will Menn.
1t is hard to make a young man.
II is declared. feel that some day
he will be old and will retire from
work And the retirement levy will
mean something to the young gov
ernment clerk who enters the serv-
ice at $1,000 year, for instance. and
instead of getting 500 every month
will get but $97. so.
But only a little argument is be-
Heyed to bc necessary in the case of
any employe who shall manifest re
luctance to pay some of his monthly
salary into the retirement fund. TIE
class of "kickers" is expected to be a
very small one. which may be entirely
eliminated by cooperation on the
part of all. ;.
one OF the greatest "eliminators"
is expected to be the statement made
today by President Steward. showing
how the retirement legislation takes
care of the employe when he is old
and ready to leave the service, and
the minimum wage legislation when
he is young and enters TIE service