Evening star., 1922-02-20
RETIREMENT LAW
TO OBE CONSIDERED
Committee on Reform in Civil
Service to Hear Amend
ments Tomorrow.
ASK IMPORTANT CHANGES
Underlying Principles of Fairfield
Bill Are Indorsed by Joint
Conference.

The committee on reform In the
civil service of the House will con-
tinue at 10 o'clock tomorrow morn
ing the hearings on the proposed
amendments to the civil service re-
tirement law. Local representatives
of employees organizations and indi-
viduals will be heard.
The joint conference on retirement
of which r. H. Alcorn is chairman, Is
indorsing the underlying principles
of the Fairfield bill. the chief oplec'
ence ito permit the giving of bare
justice to employees of the govern
ment."
In a statement issued today. the
conference declared. in part:
'The scheme of annuities in the re-
tirement act of May 20. 1920. fails
ties of the economic problem. The
low-salaried and shorter-service en-
ploye complains, through dire ne
cessity. that he cannot exist on the
annuity granted; while the high
salaried employe complains. through
a sense of financial justice. that his
contributions are all out OF propor-
tion to the amount of annuity in
surance he receives. The plan pro-
posed in section 1 Of the Fairfield bill
makes the $1,000 employe the pivot OF
transition from the present plan to
the proposed plan. 1t gives a gen
salaried or short-service employees and
a reasonably larger annuity to the
higher-salaried or longer-service en-
ploye.
Optional Retirement Urged.
Section of the bill recognizes the
fact that sixty years of age is the
period when the bodily and mental
Vigor Of many men and women mas
begun to fail, and that while they
could not prove total disability. their
own intuitions warn them that they
should ease up or they will break on
the job. Optional retirement at sixty
would spare them an unnecessary
collapse of their physical powers.
This section at the same time recog--
nizes the fact that many men ana
women are still vigorous and able
years Of age, hence the lack Of legal
compulsion to retire at that age per-
mits them to continue on until reach
ing the time when the law requires
them to secure a certificate OF pro-
ficiency before being permitted to
serve two or four years longer: Sec
tion would also allow many of those
who are being separated from the
service in the present readjustment
of the governments business to be
long service deserves.
"The actuaries have not yet calcH-
lated the cost of reducing all retire.
ment ages to sixty years, but when
small percentage of those reaching
sixty will elect to retire the actual
cost will not be as great as the total
estimated possible cost.
Section 3 recognizes the fact that
while it has been necessary in the
1i1rq
business since the retirement act for
many employees to be separated sum-
mariIy from the service or frighten-
ed out on account of pending reduc-
title them to consideration and they
are permitted to apply for annuity
from the retirement fund at re-
duced rate on account OF their young
or age. This section would be espe-
tween fifty-five and sixty years of
age who have not been able to OBJ
tain profitable Unemployment In the
keen competition with younger men
in the business world. the pr0Vislons
ably have to be considerably modified
to meet the requirements Of the ac-
tuaries for the safeguarding Of the
retirement fund against expensive
retirements at early ages; but the ne
means have due consideration: 80,
Section 4 Of the Fairfield bill
appeals strongly to the employees who
are beng let out of the service and
who see their chance for an annuity
gone. sIf they can know that by leav-
Ing their contributions safe with the
government in the retirement fund
they will receive the annuities earned
by their many years OF service When
they finally reach sixty years Of age.
they can go out into private life with
much less concern and worry than II
they felt that they should have
nothing in their old age. This section
should not add greatly to the cost OF
,s3he retirement act.
- 'It is hoped that the hearings now
In progress will convince the COM
mittee on reform in the civil service
Of the necessity of asking the House
ofof Representatives to take early ac-
ton for the relief Of employees OF long
service, who cannot be retained In
government employment"