The Washington times., 1923-10-30
Injustices of the Retirement Act
Bv BILL PRICE.

is within the rights and OF Congress 10 cOrrec'
the inusces many faithful workers in the service OF the
United States Government caused by the opinion OF tne
Attorney General that employees Of the classified civil
automatically separated the service when they reach
the retirement age whether not they have had the fteen
years service required to ene them to annuity Dene1t
Under the terms retirement law the fixed for
retremen are sxtywo years in the railway mail service;
sxtyve wears for mechanics and postoice clerks and
carriers and seventy years for all others The law provides
that these limits may extended for specified periods upon
Qualifications heads of departments and independent
CARNATIONS that the extensions in the interest OF the
public service.
The opinion of the Attorney General will permit
years may do so annuity rights No matter how
useful they may be to the Government they not be con-
tnued in the service The Civil Service Commission familiar
In every way with the retirement act took the view that
employees reach retirement age should not be auto
maticay separated from their positions they had not
Curious however are the technical interpretations Of
legislation by legal department of the Government
which this case better posted than the Civil Service
Commission to the purposes OF Congress when the
The retirement law was enacted both as business and
humane The intention undoubtedly that retire
ment and annuity should go together Inasuch the
permits extension those who entitled
tremen there fair why employees who have
not had the required fifteen years should be for
hidden from continuing in service until they have completed
Congress should at the earliest possible date enact changes
in the retirement that will make that law just and
TAR one to al concerned people speak Of the
men of course does nothing of the kind although should
contribute to annuties matter Of recognition Of long
and faithful service by poorly paid workers
Uncle Sans workers have deducted from their
Neopes the money necessary to operate the retirement
Thus the singular situation presented Of the Government
holding rewards those who have spent their lives
In its service c0ntraSed with the attitude of thousands
Of private corporations and business enterprises throughout
the country which retire superannuated employees annu
ties paid by these and not by the workers them
selves.
Though United contributes not
penny the annuity funds it maintains strict supervision
nn1af nhnll he
pass amendments desired by those who pay in the money
and the benefcaies who get the little checks that barely
enable them to buy food to subsist upon.
So small the annus under the law that the day Of
retirement the average Government worker is Of
gloom and doom It looked forward about the next
thing death itself The highest paid annuies insult
cient keep body and soul together if the annuan
been unfortunate enough to have laid aside for
the fateful day of separation from the pay roll
There In the retirement and disability funds many
millions Of dollars In Of the requirements for
annues Congress is again to be asked to increase the
annues to the different classes The accumulated surplus
be used for larger annues and thereby brighten the
lives Of thousands who better get
from the great Government they have served faithfully
for so many years
The increase annues should be at least 80 per cent
the present schedules Congress should
PEELED to direct that if the monthly deductions of 2 per
cent from the salaries Of employees in the active service
sufficient the Treasury provide whatever money needed
make the increased payments Without the aid Of Gov
eminent however it possible to make the annutes
dderaby larger.