The Washington times., 1920-07-17

1t is believed the Bresldent VIII Is
sue an executive order defining the
action the Government departments
shall take and ask that a uniform and
humanitarian system be installed in
the retirement Of employees.
The White House has been besieged
for several weeks by letter and in
person, by Government employees, who.
while they have reached the statutory
retirement age. have not served the
Government the necessary fifteen
years to entitle them to "A pension.
DISCUSSED by CABINET.
1t is understood the Cabinet con
sidered the proposition at the meeting
last Tuesday, but no definite plan was
considered
A committee from the Joint Confer
ence on Retirement, headed by Ed
ward ]. Ryan, called at the White
House this morning and left with
Secretary Tumulty a letter to the
President asking him to intercede in
the behalf of those superannuated en-
ployes of the Government who would
be thrown out of employment on Au-
gust 21 without the advantages of a
pension. Secretary Tumulty told them
that word had been sent from the
White House to the heads of the bu-
reaus of the Interior Department in
the absence Of Secretary Payne, and
that word also had been sent to the
Postoffce Department and other de-
partments of the Government, to take
no arbitrary action until the Presi-
dent got in communication with them.
TEXT OF PETITION.
The petition submitted by the com
mittee from the joint conference on
retirement was as follows:
THE joint conference on retire
ment. representing all existing organi.
cations Of Government employees,
deems il necessary to direct your at
tention to the failure, in certain de-
partments and offices OF the Govern
ment. to administer the recently-en-
acted Civil Service Retirement Law
according to It's spirit and intent.
"In a few of the departments 1t has
been ordered that all employees OF
the retirement age shall be retired
when the law goes into effect on
August u. In other departments ac-
tion has been taken, in accordance
with section @ OF the act, to retain
Efficient employees, and recommends
tions for their continuance for two
year period already have been sub
mitted to the Civil Service Commits
sion.
QUOTE TERMS OF ACT
1t seems to us that this latter
course Is plainly called for by the
terms of the act, a portion of section
@ reading as follows:
provided. That If within sixty days
after the passage OF this act or not
less than thirty days before the arri-
val OF an employe at the age OF re-
tirement, the head OF the department,
branch, or independent office of the
Government in which he or she Is
employed, certifies to the Civil Service
Commission that by reason of his or
her efficiency and willingness to re-.
main in the civil service OF the United
states the continuance of such en-.
ploye therein would be advantageous
to the public service, such employe
may be retained for term not ex-
ceeding two years upon approval and
certifcation by the Civil Service Com
mission, and at the end OF the two
years he or she may, by similar ap-
proval and certifcation, be continued
for an additional term not exceeding
two years, and so on. Provided, how
ever, that at the end OF ten years
after this act becomes effective, no
employe shall be continued in the
civil service of the United States be-
yong the age OF retirement defined in
section l hereof for more than four
years.
Many employees Of retirement age