Evening star., 1926-04-22
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
CALL ON COOLIDGE
Believe He Will Favor Liberal
Retirement Bill if Finan-
cialIy Possible.
BY j. RUSSELL YOUNG.

Following a talk with President
Coolidge at the White House today.
delegation of Government employees
representing the District Federation
of Federal Employees felt more hope
full regarding the Presidents attitude
toward proposed liberalized retire
ment legislation.
The group went away from the
White House with the impression
that, while the President did not com.
NIT himself. he will put his sigma
ture to a bill providing for liberal
anuities to the Federal employees and
reduction in the age limit for vol
untary retirement If he is shown
that there will not be too great q
drain upon the national Treasury as
a result of this extra expense.
These employees said afterWard that
the President appeared very much in
terested in their welfare and mani
tested a sympathy in the future ot
the men and women who are work
ing for the national Government.
Lehlbach Bill o. X. Seen.
G. w. Ginder of the Treasury De
who headed this delegation, expressed
the optimistic opinion that the Presi
dent would approve the Lehlbach bill
which has been reported to the House
by the civil service committee Of that
body, IL it ever reaches him. Mr.
Ginder added, however, that the Presi
dent made no commitment, and that
his own prediction was made merely
from the impression he obtained dur
ing this audience with the Executive.
The President was represented as
saying that while the $1,000 maximum
annual annuity provided for in both
the Lehlbach and the Stanfield bills
sounds to him offhand as being a
trifie high, he may possibly see upon
further study Of the figures that 1t is
within reason. The President indi
Gated that he is not committed to the
recommendations regarding liberalized
retirement legislation made recently to
the Senate and House civil service
committees by Secretary of the Inte
rior Work.
Lower Age Also Hoped For.
The delegation in this respect left
the President with the feeling that he
is not bound to support the recon-
mendations made by this cabinet Off
Ger regardless of whether or not they
meet with his personal approval.
They also gathered from what the
President said during the interview
that he would agree to IS years as
the voluntary retirement age.
The delegation left with President
Coolidge a petition signed by several
thousand employees identified with the
Federation of Federal Employees. 1t
set forth that the annuities provided
| by the present retirement act have
been found to be wholly inadequate
as to amounts and that the volun-
tary age limit retirement should be
lowered, and it requested the Execu-
tive to lend his support to legislation
providing for a liberalization Of the
| retirement act.
Treasury Petition Left.
Besides this petition, the delegation
| left with the President copies of q
resolution adopted April -. at a meet
ing of Federal Employees Union, No
262, Treasury Department. in which
plea is made for a liberalized retire
ment 1t was explained that this reso
luton from the Treasury Department
employees was presented to the Presi
| dent because the employees of that de
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