Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-29
Consents Unanimously to
Take Up Measure Pension
inq Government Employees.
AGE FIXED BY SENATE
Lowered IN AMENDMENT
IS. 62 and go Years Specified in
Changes; Speakers Emphasize
Value of Legislation.

"A civil service retirement system
sor which a contest has been carried
on in Congress for more than
decade, will be advanced one ste}
nearer to realization today when the
House passes the Sterling bill. which
already has passed the Senate. This
measure was taken up today on the
motion of House Leader MondeH and
with the unanimous consent OF the
House membership.
The Senate bill was amended in the
House committee on reform in the
civil service, the principal change
being to reduce the age of retirement
from seventy to sixty-hve years as
general proposition, and to sixty ano
sixty-two years for certain classes OF
employees in the postal service.
Speakers Wish More Time.
The membership of the House gen.
orally Is strongly in favor OF the re-
tirement measure, and NUMBER OF
speakers on both sides OF the House
have asked for more time to register
their feeling regarding the necessity
for relief for the many men and
women in the government services
who have given their lifetime at small
pay and now are. in many instances
carried on the rolls virtually as pen
sioners, although unable to perform
satisfactorily the duties OF their po-
sition, thus impeding the efficiency OF
the federal service.
The value of the measure. not oniy
from a humanitarian standpoint. but
also from one of business emcency'
was emphasized by speakers ON polh
sides of the House.
The House set aside three hours
for general debate upon this Dill.
Much Of this time was taken up with
speeches emphasizing the desirapiilty
for discharging large NUMBER OF
war workers who are still held on
the government payroll. and Of in
creasing the pay and opportunities
for advancement of those to continue
on Uncle Sans payroll.
ResembIes Lehlbach Bill.
REPRESENTATIVE Lehlbach in ex-
planning the measure to the House
said that this bill Is substantially the
same as his own House bin. which
was favorably reported by the COM
mittee on reform in the civil service
on July 15. 1919, at which time an ex-
haustive report was made regarding
the merits of the measure. The i'm
portant changes made by the House
committee in the Sterling Dill as
passed by the Senate consist in the
substitution of sixty-five years as the
ally. the age Of sixty-two years for
mechanics. city and rural letter car
riers and post ONCE clerks. and sixty
years for railway postal clerks.
The proponents of the seventy
year age limit" said Representative
many employees are still capable OF
eficient service between the ages OF
sixty-dve and seventy years. and
those who are incompetent may pc
retired under section of the bill.
This section. known as the disability
who become totally disabled for use-
full and efficient service by reason OF
disease or injury. Thus It will be
seen that employees between sixty-hve
and seventy years. who by reason OF
age are no longer wholly efncient,
and whose services IN consequences
are not at all commensurate with the
salaries paid them. may not be retired
if they are still able to render some
. modicum Of service Thus one OF the
principal objects sought to be
achieved by q retirement bill will be
lost In q degree. and incompetent su.
peraunuates between the ages OF
eixty-fve and seventy years will still
retard efficient work in the depart
ments and swell the pay roll.
Reteutien In Service.
Questions explained that on the other
hand -the bill provides for a retention
in service for successive two-year
periods of employees reaching the re-
tirement age whose faculties are un-
impaired." As. there are practically
no opportunities for remunerative
employment for persons over sixty
re years Of age who for many years
/, ave devoted themselves exclusively
10 government service Representative
Lehlbach impressed upon his coll
leagues the opinion OF the committee
that "the great majority OF employees
who are still capable Of efncient serv-
lee viii seek to be retained and thus
receive their full salaries rather than
a fraction thereof in sretirement
annuity"
Consequently If the amendments
proposed by the House committee are
agreed to Representative Lehlbach
estimated that the government will
retain the services Of practically all
government employees between the
ages of sixty -five and seventy years
and will have an opportunity to rid
the service Of the incompetent, while
under the bill as 1t came from the
Senate the government would bs
forced as heretofore to retain on the
pay rolls all employees between the ages
Of sixty-hve and seventy, whether in
competent or not
your C0mmtIe6 lS OeCl0eQly OF tn(
opinion" continued Mr.. Lehlbach
sthat q distinction of retirement age
should be made between government
employees generally who do clerica
work under comfortable circumstance.
and the mechanic, rural and city let.
ter carriers and railway mall clerks
the strenuous character Of whose oc
cupation results in loss OF efficiency
At an early age"
Mr.. Lehlbach put into the Record &
statement Of the Postmaster Genera
showing that the number OF railway
service who are sixty years OF age o.
over and come within the scope O.
the bill as amended by the Hous,
committee Is $50. and that the number
of such employees who by reason o.
age are not wholly efficient is 872.
Urges Adoption Of Bill.
In q long speech reviewing the his
tory Of civil service retirement legis
lation. and introducing testimony o!
public officials and business leader.
regarding the necessity for such legis
lation, Representative A. p. Nelson.
republican member on reform in tn,
civil service. urged his colleagues I,
adopt the measure as amended by tn,
House committee.
Il am for 1t because believe 1t is
long step in the right direction for {
just and scientific treatment Of oul
government employees" he said. 'be
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