Evening star., 1924-01-14
U. S. RETIREMENT act
is DECLARED UNJUST
AT COMMITTEE HEARING
fContinued from First PAGE

81
provisions included as a result of
compromise. which were rot in ac-
cordance with the original draft of
the bill and which did not meet with
tho entire approval of the SPONSORS
for this legislation"
1t was reasoned at the time of the
passage of the bill that 1t would be
better to accept a compromise rather
| than suffer defeat, and this conclu-
sion has been amply justified by sub
sequent experience. Hope was enter
. tanned that whatever inequities ex-
7 listed In the law could and would ulti-
mately be renedied by amendment.
The demand for more liberal law
has come from the retired employees,
who, in many instances, have been
made to realize kecnIy the inadequacy
of the annuity provided; it has come
also from employees in the active serv-
Ice who have studied the inequtfes
III the, present law, particularly In
regard to the disparity in the ages of
eligibility for retirement. and in the
lscale of annuities as related to the
amount of contributions to the fund,
as well as the rating Of annnities on
, the basis of three-year periods OF
service.
Finally. many administrative off,
GERS of the government have in their
annual reports and otherwise gone on
! record in support Of a liberalizea re-
| tirement law
ELL Is Approved.
''Of the various bills introduced dur
ing the present session of Congress,
H. r 1875. introduced by Mr.. Lehl-
zach, January s, 1924, more nearly
ernbo6ies the views OF the bureau OF
pensions than any ether bill, and
with your permission ! will outline
briefly soTue OF its salient features.
Il 1t provides for retirement after
sixty years of age, contingent upon
the ernploye having rendered at least
thirty years of service, such retire
| ment being at the option of the en-
ploye. or upon the order OF the head
! of the department or Independent
establishment concerned. Retention
! IN the service beyond the age 0. ELI
| gilbiiiiy for retirement is to be effect
/ ed by mutual agreement between the
employe and the head Of the depart
| nlent or independent establish ent
| 80. From and after July /. 1925. Ill
employees upon reaching the age OF
| seventy years shall be automa ticaliy
! retired. excepting those who may
have rendered less than fifteen years
! of service.
| ''3. The grouping OF employees under
the provisions OF the present law IN
respect to the age of eligibility 70,
! retirement-that is. at sixty-two. six
ty-f1ve and seventy years-is TO be
! an equal footing and accorded thf
same privileges in the matter Of eli
gibility for retirement.
Scw Computing Method
-. A new method Of computing an
nuities is provided as follows: The
factor S12 is to be used in every
| case. to which will be added L per
cent OF the average compensation re-
ceived by the empioye during the last
ten years of service. and the result
| ing total multiplied by the number
! OF years of service viii constitute the
annual rate Of retirement pay, subject
to the provision that in no case shall
! the annuity exceed IS per cent OF
the average compensation during fhe
| last ten years OF service.
IS. Fer the purpose of determining
the aggregate service rendered by ths
| employe, credit will be given ia the
sum total for every year and every
sum total for every year and
every month OF service. eiini.
! of a month, if any, in such total This
! method will overcome the objection
| eble feature of the present law.
| under which annuities are deterrnia ed
/, by an arbitrary division of service
! into thre-year periods, with a maxi
mum, Limitation of thirty years.
| The bill also provides that its ben
efits shall be extended to those who
shall have already retired; that the
Secretary Of the Treasury shall es-
showing the annual liabilities of the
/ government under the act: that re-
| tfrement on account Of alleged disa-
eility be more carefully safeguarded
and includes various other features
intended TO harmonic all the proyi-
s!ons of the new bill, which in effect
1 constitutes q revision of and super
sedes the act OF May %, 1920. and all
1 subsequent amendments and nodifica-
| tions thereof
! speaks for Poxtmaxters.
! Harry T. Weeks and Col. Kemp
spoke for the association of service
postmasters, made up of 1875 post
appointed from the postal service tc
| be postmasters. They urged that the
law should be amended so that men
who have for years been in the pos
tai service should not be cut off from,
| all benefit under the retirement act
\ postmaster.
\ Col. Kemp said he had been in the
Ia ervice thirty-two years and had
served two years as postmaster of
Ahiladelphia.
He spoke, he said, not for himself,
b,a for other men who had long rec
ForAs as postal employees and had
finally been appointed pestmasters In
cittas where the salary was not SO
larsyA as in Philadelphia.
Mrk Cantwell, speaking for the let
fer GA rrisrs' association, told the com
rnittee that at present the minimum
annui o.. of the letter carriers was
1850 a year and that under the pro-
posed "A gislation the minimum would
be $780,, and that the maximum today
is $T2O ypd the proposed ma8imum
for the ,ea,rriers was 1920.
The coa unittee adjourned until 1890
tomorrow ynorning.
.-.-t
ALUENN PLAN SHOW.