Evening star., 1926-04-09
House and Senate Leaders
Hear President Reiterate
Demand for Cost Sheets.
COOLIDGE THINKS ST, 900
Is ADEQUATE MAXIMUM
Continues in Stand That 70 Years
Should Be Age for Majority
to Leave Service.
BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG.

BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG.
Liberalized retirement legislation at
this session of Congress is not entirely
hopeless despite the opposition offered
by President Coolidge because of the
cost to the Government. according 70
Senator StanfieId of Oregon and Rep
resentative 1ehlbach Of New jersey.
who are sponsoring this proposed leg
islation in the Senate and House re.
pectively and who conferred with the
President at the White House today.
The President made 1t plain to these
retirement-bill sponsors that they
must show him carefully prepared hg.
ures of the estimated cost 10 the Gov.
ernment OF their respective bills be-
fore he will consider them seriously.
Until he Is shown these estimates OF
cost he will withhold his approval and
sanction.
FavOrs 81 900 Maximum.
Following today's conference the
President was represented as saying
that he thought the maximum annui-
ty should be 81 900 instead of 81 200 as
proposed and that the minimum age
for ordinary Government employees to
voluntarily retire should be 10 years
instead of 65, as now proposed
The President held separate confer
ences with Senator Stanfield and Mr..
Lehlback. and prior TO talking with
them he conferred at length with Brig.
Gen. Lord. director of the budget, re-
garding the retirement legislation and
its prospective cost. Mr.. Lehlbach
was accompanied during his confer
ence with the President by Represent
atives Gibson of Vermont and Hudson
OF Missouri. members Of the civil serv-
ice committee. which is handling this
legislation in the House, of which Mr..
Lehlback Is chairman.
Senator Stanfield said after the con.
ference that he might not report his
bill in the Senate tomorrow, as he had
intended. He said he is now in some
what of quandary as how best TO pro.
coed. since the President has insisted
that the actuaries make a report upon
the cost involved in this measure.
Thinks Time Too Short.
To comply with this. Senator Stan.
field said 1t would take too much time
TO make 1t possible TO get any action
on this legislation at this session. He
intimated that he would meet with
the Senate civil service committee to
morrow and present the Presidents
views and ask what the committee
thinks best to do under tn. circum.
stances.
The Oregon Senator had no hesi
fancy in saying that in his opinion
he could obtain the passage Of tnis
bill If he could get il before the Sen
ate without further delay. He is In
clined to feel that The delay that would
follow If the bill is turned over to
the actuaries for An estimate would
prove deadly. All hope would then
be lost. he fears. TN the other hand.
he indicated that. he will follow the
suggestion made by the President. be
cause he realizes now futile Il would
be to proceed aSains- the Pre- sident's
known objection.
Thinks Hope Remains.
While Senator Stanfield left the
White House feeling that the success
OF his liberalized retirement bill would
be threatened IL il is turned over to
the Government actuaries. he said
that there is no occasion to feel that
all hope is lost. He intimated that
he explained to the President in some
little detail the more important fee-
lures of the measure, particularly the
provisions respecting the retirement
ages and the amount of the annuities.
The Senator stated that the President
laid considerable emphasis upon what
the latter described as the too liberal
retirement ages.
The President impressed the Ore
gon Senator as being more concerned
about this feature than the amount
of the annuity itself. However. the
Presidents views regarding the Stan
field propose could be summarized
very briefly by saying that the maxi
mum annuity should not exceed
81 900 and that the minimum retire
ment age for the ordinary run Of
employees should be 10 years.
Mr.. Lehlbach and his committeeman.
after their conference with the Pres
idert, stated that they were going
directly to the Budget Bureau TO
confer with Gen. Lord with the view
to obtaining from his Office an esti-
mate of the cost involved in the
bill which has been reported by the
House civil service committee.
Asks Definite Figures.
MIR. Lehlbach said that the Presi-
dent, seemed greatly impressed by
the cost figures furnished by the
actuaries. and although
il was explained to him that these
figures were not based entirely upon
the Iehlbach bill. but upon about
six other retirement plans. the Pres
ident, nevertheless. insisted that ne
he given some definite figures con-
corning this particular bill. In this
respect the President is understood
to have dealt with the House COM
mftteemen precisely as he did with
Senator Stanfield.
When asked specifically what he
personally thought, of the prospect
for amending the retirement act al
this session, after. his talk with. the
President, Mr. Lehlbach said he has
been an optimist all his life and he
proposed to continue as one. He
added that delay necessarily would
follow further figuring on the cost of
this proposed legislation. but he be-
lieyed that Ii the Presidents ap-
r,royal finally Is obtained there will
not be the slightest diffculty In OBJ
tanning passage of his bill.
Reiterates Opinion.
The President reiterated his opinion
regarding the major features of the
nronosition. Because an employe who
has worked for the Government for
ma nv years has reached so or 81 or SIS
years of age is not sufficient reason
fof him to retire to private life and
expect the Government to give him
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