Evening star., 1920-06-26
FIRST ANNU1lES
WILL BE PAID BY
us. SEPTEMBER |.
Between 1000 and 5000
Persons Expected to Get
Initial Checks Then.

FlrSt payment or annultieS unoer the
retirement law will be made September
1, 1t was announced at the pension bu-
reau today.
The exact number Of annuitants to
whom checks will be mailed on that
date is not known as yet but it is an
ticipated that there will be between
1000 and 5000 persons to whom the
checks viii go throughout the country.
Annuitants under the retirement act
Will be the first persons in the his
tory OF the United States government
who will get such payments upon the
simple signature of their names to
the annuity checks.
Under an order made today by Sec
retary Payne Of the Interior Depart
rnent the checks to annuitants need
be indorsed only by the persons in
whose favor they are drawn, instead Of
having two other persons to act as
witnesses. This order also applies to
all pensioners.
Under the ruling of Secretary
Payne but one signature, that Of the
annuitant himself, will be required
for the superannuates to draw their
money under the operation OF the re-
tirement law.
With Separate Vouchers.
Secretary Payne directs that in ac-
cordance with the provisions OF the
retirement act checks in payment OF
annuities. refunds and allowances
shall be issued and mailed to the last
known address of the payee without
separate vouchers.
"A check mailed on account OF an
annuity shall constitute payment In
case the annuitant is alive on the
date of its issue, but shall be void If
death occurs prior thereto" says the
Secretary of the Interior. i
Annuity checks must show I'm
terror" Retirement" and the number
of the annuitants certificate on their
face and have instructions printed on
their back, as follows:
Important"
This check must be indorsed in ink
by the person in whose favor 1t is
exactly the same rs it Is on the face
of the check.
eff Endorsement is made by mark
(X 1t must be witnessed by two per-
sons who can write, giving their
places Of residence in full.
Pencil Endorsements will not be
accepted"
. This is the first time in the history
of such payments, it 10 pointed out,
that two witnesses are not required
In each and every case 1t is not
that there will be many
retired government workers who will
sign their annuity checks by making
their mark" unless the benefits Of the
retirement law shall be extended by
the President to include unclassified
workers.
BtatH Department Asks Reteat1ons.
All seven of those to be retired at
the State Department have been GER
tilted by the Secretary of State to the
Civil Service Commission for reten-
ton ins the departmental service for
the additional two years allowed by
law. it was learned today.
This action was taken on the ground
that these employees are mentally and
efficient and capable and
their retirement would be a detriment
to the service.
Chief Clerk Davis Of the State De-
sengers ARD Jeligible for retirement
out OF total force OF 500 employees
One Of those eligible for retirement
is seventy-six years old and two OF
them have been in the service more
than fifty years each.
Employees of the dead letter office,
Post Office Department, are split on
the question of whether they want to
retire or not Supt. Marvin w. Nc
Lean declares that one Of his two en-
ployes who are eligible for retirement
wants to retire and the other does
not. Under the recent order Of the
General the super1 ntend-
ent OF dead letters has no choice but
to notify the two employees OF their
separation from the service. ~
~ Eligible In Navy Department.
According to data assembled by
Chief Clerk Curtis Of the Navy De-
out of the total clerical
force Of thaI: department in this city
2,7O0 persons, forty-seven
employees are eligible for .retirement
for age and length OF service under
the new retirement law. The re-
tention Of two of that number 10
held by the ofhcials to be adyan-
Service Commission will be 90 In
formed.
One of the two clerks has a salary
OF 81, $50, and the other is in the $1,000
grade. Both have been in the serv-
and their knowledge and e1perience,
it is declared. make their retention
in the interests OF good ad-
Reports received from the various
bureaus OF the War Department in.
dtcate that there are at least 164
persons on the regular roll Of about
2, 600 employees who aro seventy years
of age or older, and have been in
the service more than the required
fifteen years. Many Of these are
Vet6TdHS VI lle civil war; WHOSE S0Tys
ice In the civil establishment extends
over a period OF fifty years
1t is stated that only come
paratively small percentage OF these
old clerks can be retained under a
strict Interpretation Of the law be-
cause of their physinl in6rmitiex
not finally deteFmined, 1t il
understood that the department will
not ask for the retention OF more
than 10 per cent Of those eligible