Evening star., 1926-11-26
ANNUITY SYSTEM
/. INEQUALITIES HIT
Coast and Geodetic Survey
Report Holds Employees Feel
Injustice Exists

Inequalities in the retirement law
are cited by Z. Lester Jones, director
of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, In
his annual report to Secretary of Com
merce Hoover today. Declaring that
the present law is frankly q compro
mise" and that the age limit is still too
high. Mr.. Jones says a proper relation
ioes not exist between the annuity and
the active duty pay.
THE employe who earns $4, 900 a
year contributes twice as much to the
retirement fund as does the one who
receives So 900. Both, however. assum'
ing equal length of service, receive
the same annuity, an arrangement
which unduly burdens the higher sal
aried employees.
THE bureau chief, who is constantly
studying the problem Of building up
and maintaining the most efficient pos
sible working force. is brought into
contact with aspects Of this subject
which deserve careful consideration
He sees the excessive turnover in the
Government personnel, chiefly in the
highly specialized professional and
technical positions, for which each new
incumbent must undergo consider
able period of training. He sees the
extravaganza and WaStefulneSS of a
system which, by its unattractiveness,
virtually forces SO many of these peo'
pie out of the service as soon as they
have completed this unproductlVe
training period. He knows of no valid
reason why the Federal service should
be a training school for certain Of the
technical private industries. He has
seen many employees continued on duty
after they have reached the age OF re-
tirement, although their capacity for
service was manifeStly impaired, and
knows that one of the reasons for that
retention was that administrative OH
GERS could not bring themselves to
force retirement on an annuity mani
feStly Inadequate to sustain life at the
present cost of living. The new law
has improved, but by no means ade'
auately remedied, that condition in all
cases. Seeing these things, he Is con-
-'inced that true economy lies in a
more liberal policy with respect tC
matters of this character; that what Is
apparently direct saving of one dol
lar is sometimes in fact the indirect
waste of two
Employees Feel Injustice.
The report points out that the en-
ployes OF the Coast and Geodetic Sur
Vey. almost without exception, feel
d
them in retarding the promotions to
which their efficiency rating entities
them under the classification act. Mr.
Jones again emphasizes the need for
new quarters to house the survey, and
says it is gratifying to note the pas
sage by Congress of public building
bill containing provision for Il home
for the Department of Commerce
which will include quarters for the
survey. The present buildings, he
says, are, with one exception, old ano
in poor condition and for years have
required extensive expenditures FOL
upkeep and repairs.
The report suggests that appropr1a
ton be provided to employ about 81
additional mon, pointing out tha'
there are insufficient employees tf
properly handle the work. There Is
g. limit" Mr.. Jones says, ito the slZt
Of the garment which can be cut from
any given piece of cloth" The oil
rector also urged the provision o.
three additional places in the lnstru
ment division at a, total annual cos1
of S5.400, (which will be productive OF
savings quite in excess of their cost.
The report covers the 10th yeal
of the existence of the survey anC
says that during the year the public
was rendered a service greater II
volume and variety than ever before
In the increased demand for pilot:
and charts. Mr.. Jones sees a reflector
of national prosperity.
"The Coast and Geodetic Survey,
he saws. sis q sort of barometer OF
the Nations prosperity. Prosperous
conditions bring an increase In foreign