The Washington times., 1921-01-27
PLAN RELIEF
. .0FP.O.CLERKS
Three Bills Drawn to Pay or
Reinstate Employees Arbi-
trarily Retired.

Three important steps were taken
by the House Committee on Reform In
the Civil Service yesterday to relieve
distressing conditions imposed chief
ly upon clerks in the postal service
brought about by orders OF Post
master General Burleson. and other
wise serving to clarity and extend
the provisions of the Sterling-Lehl-
bach retirement act.
EXPECT NO OPPOSITION.
The three bills will be Incorporated
in the existing law as amendments
already having been reported TO the
House, where IL Is not likely they VIII
arouse any opposition.
Congressman Moores OF Indiana
who Is sponsor for the most import
ant or these measures. revealed 10
the committee yesterday condition
in the Postoffice Department which
his amendment seeks to correct. unoe
an order issued last July, retiring all
employees in the postal service who
had reached retirement age. regard
less OF efficiency or their desir5 tC
remain in the service.
AS result OF this order. which
spread to other departments. short
age of help followed which necessi-
tated the rehiring of retired employees
at a wage, In the Postoffice Depart
ment, of 60 cents an hour. more than
most Of the retired clerks received
before.
PAY IS. HELD VI.
The Comptroller of the Currency
then stepped in and ruled that the
retired clerks so employed were not
entitled to salaries for work perform
ed upon their re-entrance In the serv-
ice. Failure to return all money paid
to them as temporary employees. he
ruled would mean cutting off their
annuity payments.
The Civil Service Committee took
the position that another legal or
not, these retired employees were en-
titled to the money they had earned.
Congressman Moore's bill is designed
to remedy this condition and will be
pressed at this session.
Congressman Lehlbach, chairman
of the committee, sponsored two Other
bills that will do much toward ie-
lieving conditions imposed upon faith
full employees Of the Government.
WOULD AID LABORERs.
One of these would bring all labor
ers in the postal service appointed
prior to 1916 under the classified
Civil Service. Laborers appointed
since that time already are in the
classified service and the Lehlbach
bill wipes out a discrimination that
members of Congress believe is en-
tirely undeserving. 1t will affect
several thousand employees, it is un-
derstood.
The last of the bills directs that
all employees who have been hereto
fore separated from the service with
out annuity under section of the
retirement act shall be Immediately
reinstated in their former positions.
Such periods of service, the bin
stipulates. shall be included in any
computations of length of service to
determine any annuities to which
such reinstated employees may become
entitled. 1t provides also that eff
cheney ratings shall be taken into
consideration in determining whether
an employe eligible for retirement,
but who wishes to continue in the
service, may remain.
SEEK EARLY HEARINGS.
Efforts will be made to obtain early
action on the three amendments to
the retirement act despite the mass
of work that has fallen upon the
committee in whacking the reclass
fication bill into shape. February z.
1t is understood has been set as the
tentative date on which hearings will
begin.