Evening star., 1924-01-16
INSIST ON CHANGES.
IN RETIREMENT ACT
P. 0. Clerks Urge Amend.
ments to Accord With ::
StanfieId.L Leh|bach Bill. :

Liberalization Of the present civil
service retirement act, in accordance
with the provisions Of the stanfield-
Lehlbach bill. wGs strongly urged upon
the Senate and House civil service COM
mittees meeting Jointly today, by rep
resentatives Of tho United National As
sociation Of Post Office Clerks. =
c. p. Franciscus president Of the as
sociation; John J. Grogan. and John P.
McGeoy. treasurer, were heard in sup
port Of the measure.
They also advocated the establish
ment of the principle proposed in
the bill prepared by the civil service
retirement division of the pension
bureau, by which the higher paid
employees. who contribute larger sums
to the retirement fund, should re-
ceive, the larger annuity upon retire.
ment.
i. Urges Increased Annuities.
Representative Boylan of New York.
retirement law of New York state.
also urged upon the Joint commit
tees the enactment of legislation
granting increased annuitieg. to the
retired civil service employees. He
said that. for many years he himself,
was a clerk in the New York post Of
fice. and he knew from personal ex-
pef1ence under what burden the gov
ernment employees labor.
Basic salaries paid to government
employees are entirely too low in view
Of the existing high cost Of living"
said Mr.. Boylan. How is a man re-
ceiving the present meager salary al
lowed by the government to put aside
anything for a rainy day or for his
old age? He can't do 1t. 30 we
~ ~
sions for the government employees to
which they may look forward as
adequate protection in their old age"
Basic SALARY ~ Factor.
Mr.. Boylan declared also in favor
of the principle that the actual basic
salary of the employe should be taken
into account In fixing the annuities.
employees who pay In the most to the
retirement fund should receive the
greater annuity. He described in
some detail the New York civil serv-
ice retirement act and said that Its
operation during the four years It
successful.
Mr. Franciscus spoke particularly in
favor Of the provisions OF the Stan
field -Lehlbach bill providing for VOL
OF thirty years of service and for
retirement At the age Of
sixty-nve. and for the proposed in
crease in the maximum annuity to
$1,000 Mr.. Franciscus spoke also in
favor OF permitting higher annuities
to the higher paid employees. who
have contributed the larger sums to
the retirement fund.
Mr.. Crogan Endorsed the testimony
of MIR. FTanciscus and expressed the
opinion that the postal clerks were
entitled to retire after thirty years Of
service because OF the constant and
arduous labor, much Of 1t at night.
which they are called upon to per-
form.
To Regulate Accounting.
George B. Buck Of New York. chair
man OF the board Of actuaries under
the present federal civil service re-
tirement act, told the joint commit
amended so as to provide for better
methods Of accounting. He said that
today no list of the employees and
their total contributions to the re-
tirement fund is kept, and that when
one 10 separated from the service II
Is necessary to 70 over the pay rolls
since 1920 to fnd out how much the
employe has paid in.
He recommended also that the ac-
counts be so arranged as to show the
at all times in connection with the civil
service retirement fund. 1t has been
estimated. he said, that the cost to
the government Of the retirement act
during a period OF thirty years would
be 3.S7 per cent OF the present pay
roll. He figured that as lump sum
this deficiency would be approxi-
mately 3341.000.o00.
Government Liability EstimateA.
AT the close Of thirty years the liza
bility OF the government, he said.
vynuid he annrorIrnafeiy TAP pAr
cent OF the pay roll. He explained
that the present high rate was due
to the fact that 50 many of the en-
ployes who will benefit under the re-
tirement act made no contributions
to the fund prior to 1920. when the
ed.
The hearing will be resumed at 10
O'Clock tomorrow morning, with Mr..
Buck as witness.