Evening star., 1926-06-18
.CONFEREES WAIVER
BETWEEN ANNUITY
OF $1,000 AND S1,14O
Compromise Appears Nearer
on Retirement BiII-Action
Likely Next Week.
STANFIELD FEELS SURE
OF Co0LIDGE's SUPPORT
Costs May Be Somewhat Above
Figures Desired by Executive.
Actuaries to Report.

Two compromise propositions for
the settlement of the differences be.
tween the Senate and House on lib
eralized retirement legislation for
Government employees are being con.
sldered by the conferees, it was learn
ed today, one placing the maximum
annuity az 81. $50 a year and the other
at S1,140 a year.
THESE proposals, il is understood
we're put forward in the course of the
meeting of the cunferees yesterday
afternoon and the two groups AL.
lourned to enable Government ac.
tuar1es TO calculate cost figures on
the new proposals.
According TO reliable reports at the
Capitol the maximum annuity of
S1,140 was proposed by the Senate
group in the hope of uniting the di-
Vergent views that have existed since
the conferences began Reports are
to the effect that the House group
made counter proposition of 1850.
First Sign of Accord.
Under existing law. the highest an
nuity is $500 a year. based on retire
ment after so years of service. Tho
House passed a bill raising this to
1000 but the Senate adhered to the
original Stanfield Leilbach bill. mak-
Ing the maximum $1,000. The con
ferees began holding sessions 10 days
ago. therefore. with difference of 5000
standing between them in the matter
OF the maximum annuity. The meet
ing yesterday developed the first re.
liable sign of a possible adjustment o.
the difference.
1t is understood that the Senate
proposition of Sl.140 is computed b.,
using maximum salary of Sl,7e0 q
year and 30 years of service.
This plan. if adopted would give
the empioye entitled to the maximum
amount S95 month. as against the.
present law of $50 month. 1t is fur
ther understood that the Senate plsr
of compromise would raise the cor.
tribution of the employe to the retire
ment fund from 21z per cent of salary.
as al present, to per cent. The
House bill carrying the 81 900 annuity
raised the contribution TO 81. per
cent.
Optional Clause i'm Issue.
Another outstanding difference he.
tween the two bills was that the
Senate measure would permit optional
retirement of employees several wears
be1ore the age of compulsory retire
ment. while the House made no pro-
vision for optional retirement. but
voted for a fiat compulsory retire
ment at 10 years for clerks and lower
age limits for mechanics and railway
postal employees as under the present
law. 1t was believed today by those
IN touch with the situation that the
Senate conferees are willing to WELD
to the House on this point of optional
retirement. which leaves the question
of the annuity and the employees con-
trlbution as the important factors at
issue.
Although no statement has been
made by the conferees as to the
chances of reaching an agreement
based on the proposals made yester.
day, those interested in seeing the
legislation go through were en-
couraged by the knowledge that the
conferees had gone so far as to call
upon the actuaries for additional
calculations as to the cost of liberal
izing the retirement law under the
different plans. The belief prevails
that this development indicated that
the conferees were at least giving
very serious consideration to the latest
proposition for settlement.
May Finish Next Week.
The new figures of the actuaries
may not be ready in time for another
meeting of the conferees today, but
they are expected by tomorrow. If 1t
is found that the latest suggestions
can be made the basis for agreement
the conferees probably will complete
10 7r-ly
question is assuming increasing inter-
est TO the veteran Government en-
ploves. including those already re-
tired. in view of the talk of a possible
adjournment of Congress at the end
of next week.
In some quarters the impression eX.
listed today that the figure of 81. .l40
was as low as the Senate conferees
would go below their original maxi
mum of xl,2OO.
After the compromise proposal at
the meeting yesterday afternoon the
Senate group withdrew from the ses-
sion temporarily to permit the House
mana gers to talk over the proposition.
few minutes later final adjourn.
ment of the meeting for the day was
taken. with the decision to communi.
cate innediately with the actuar1eS as
to the new cost figures.
The bill passed by the House would
have made the annual liability OF the
Government to the retirement fund
500 600 less than existing law, ana the
hill passed by the Senate would have
made the Governments LIABILITY sew
eral million dollars more than exist
ing law Just how these estimates
would he altered If the compromise
should he agreed to is not known and
is the factor to be supplied by the
actuaries.
Stanfield Sees Coolidge.
Senator Stanfield, who called on
President Coolidge today, said that
The con1promise to be agreed upon
nrohahly will consist of a bill retain
inc the retirement age limits in the
House bill. which was prepared along
tho lines laid down by the President.
hut will boost the maximum annuity
from 81 900. as provided in that bill. to
a figure somewhere between $1,1OO
and $1,000. .s
the conferees to reach an agreement
within the next 4S hours. and he eX-
nressed the confident belief that even
though the compromise bill will pro-
vide annuities in excess OF the
amount set by President Coolidge as
being satisfactory and desirable at
this time, the latter will sign the bill
when it comes to him.
Those who have discussed liberalized
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