The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-14
To BET TER
PENSION
LAW
U. s. Employees in N. Y. Start
Drive for Amendments to
Retirement Act.

A concentrated drive to obtain
better retirement law by secur-
ing the increase of annuities to
Sc 2-3 per cent and providing for
retirement optional with the en-
ployes after thrifty years of serv-
ice has been launched by Federal
employees of New York ciyt.
10000 Start Move.
Details of the action Of the 10000
New York employees is contained in
an article entitled "A Better Retire
ment Law" printed in the August
number of the Federal Employe, Of
fetal magazine of the National
Federation of Federal Employees of
this city, and made public today.
Point is made that the start made
by the New York employees is ex.
pected to be taken up by organiZa-
tons in every section of the United
States with a view Of securing the
remedial amendments at the next
session OF Congress,
"It is painfully apparent, says the
article, that the present retire
ment act, Is unsatisfactory and
totally inadequate to meet living con-
ditions of today, falling to provide
an effective remedy for the proper
retirement of employees in the Federal
service.
Few Able to Save.
"It is a well-known fact that very
few, If any, Government employees
have been able to save or lay aside
any funds whatever from the salaries
paid by the Government.
Following are the amendments
which will be fought for:
1. Increase the anlIuitieS to 66 2-3
per cent Of the average annual
basic pay or compensation received
by the ernplOye for the five years
next preceding retirement.
2. Provide for retirement optional
with the emplOye after thirty years
Of service.
3. Incorporate and effect the fore
going amendments without fncreas-
ing the present percentage OF de.
auctions from the salaries OF en-
plOyeS.
4. That provisions governing re-
tirement on disability IS specified
In the various clauses Of the pres
ent retirement act be retained, but
that such annuitieS be graded up
wards i'm accordance with the pro-
posed maximum annuities advocated
for service retirement.
s. Make the amendments retro
active I'm their application; that is.
apply them to those persons already
retired from the Federal Service
under the retirement act. It is
en-EnOWn fact that few, II any,
government empIOye have been able
to save or lay aside any funds
the Government.
The main objection to the pro-
visions of the present retirement
act, and the most insistent crit1-
cisms which have been voiced
against 1t as time has brought them
out in bold relief. and which have
caused the drafting Of the proposed
amendments, are summed up as
follows:
81. Ridiculously small and grossly
inadequate annuities.
20. Lack Of length-of-
clause providing for voluntary re-
| tirement at stated period OF serV-
| ice. An employe who enters the
service at the. age of thirty-flVe
years is eligible for retirement when
reaching the age Of sixty-five, where
as an employe entering at the age
of eighteen must serve forty-seVen
years before he attains the age OF
sixty-five to be eligible for retire
ment. The latter employee serves
for a period of seventeen years
longer and pays into the retirement
fund more thanh so per cent in ex-
cess of the amount contributed by
the employe entering the service at
the age OF thirty-fiVe.
"3. Great injustice imposed upon
the higher salaried employees by bas-
ing the annuity on a maximum sal
airy Of 1900 per annum. The maxi
mum annuity granted to the most
| Favored employe under the provisions
of the bill is 1920 per annum-a sum
that would not be sufficient to pay
the rental OF a very small apart
ment or floor in the most unpreten-
| ttous part of any city nor assist very
materially in providing for the &C.
tual necessities of life. Voluntary
retirement from the Government
service on an annuity should be per-
mltted after stated period of serV-
ice for the reason that salaries paid
In the Federal service are so incon-
!. parably low when measured bv com.
mercial salaries that the perforu,.
ance of Federal service at tho nras.
: ent time is considered as being more
or less patriotic duty rather than
being services properly compen.
sated."