Evening star., 1926-05-22
In the Balance.

Stin-necked Republican leadership
In the House threatens to prevent final
agreement by the two houses OF Con
gress on the lons-hoped-for hill to
liberalize the civil service retirement
act. The attitude of this leadership
seems to be that the Senate must ac-
cent in toto and without change the
bill as It passed the House. This is
the so-called Budget Bureau bill-the
hill which has had the approval Of
President Coolidge. The Senate. on
the other hand. has pat through
more liberal measure. and. in the usual
course, the bill would be sent TO con-
ference and an effort made 10 adjust
the differences between the two houses
and bring out perhaps a compromise
measure.
But the House leaders decree other
wise. 1t is reported they even go so
far as TO say they will not permit the
hill to so TO conference unless they
get some kind Of agreement from the
Senate Or the Senate conferees that
the House bill will finally be accepted.
This is a high.handed proceeding to
say the least, unless the subserviency
IF the Senate to the House is TO he
acknowledged forthwith.
There Is a feeling in some quarters
that no tears will be shed by some of
the administration leaders in Congress
and out if the civil service retire.
nnent bill fails to become a law. not
withstanding the fact that friends OF
the civil service employees have OBJ.
tained from the President and the
Budget Bureau assent TO the bill
which has passed the House. The
civil service employees will have an
opportunity to learn within the next
week or two their real friends in Con.
9ress.
The present civil service retirement
act. with its SEQ maximum annuity
- superannuated employees. to which
the employees must contribute during
their period Of active service, is ad-
Government employe who has given
faithful service for the ma jcr part OF
his Or her life to live on $50 a month
er less-and the annuity in most cases
IL considerably less than s60--s like
asking the Israelites to make bricks
without straw.
The House bill increases the max
tnum annuity to 1000. but at the
same time increases the contributions
Of the Government employees to the re.
tirement fund from 2l2 per cent to 3i2
per cent. There is no change made in
the age of retirement from the pres
ent law-70. Furthermore, the House
bill will actually cost the Government
less than the present law. Yet it is
called in the House a "liberalized" re.
tirement bill. The Senate bill, on the
other hand, increases the maximum
annuity to $1,000. increases the con-
tribution from pa per cent to per
cent. and permits voluntary retire
ment after 80 years continuous serv-
Ice.
The attitude OF some Of the House
leaders is that the civil service en-
ployes should contribute the entire
amount which makes up their retire
ment annuity. They say the Govern
ment should pay suflcient salaries to
permit the employees to save for their
own old age. Well and good. but the
Government does not pay such sal
aries, and 1t Is idle to present such
an argument in view Of the well
understood fact there is to be
no increase in Government sal
aries. In industry and commercial or
Eanizations in this country, retirement
plans are more and more widely adopt
ed. In many of them the employing
concerns either pay the entire an
nuity to retired employees or con-
tribute largely toward It, Can the
Government afford to be less just TO
It's hard-workins civil servants?