Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-27
Senator Will Propose That
Upper Body Agree to
House Measure.
VETERAN WORKERS GET
FRESH HOPE OF RELIEF
Conferees May Report Disagree
ment Tomorrow-Stanfield
Has Emergency Plan.

Inc government employees retire
ment bill. which was reported yester-
day as destined to die in the closing
days of Congress owing to differences
between Senate and House, took an
other lease OH life last night when it
became known that Senator Lenroot,
Republican, of Wisconsin, will be pre-
pared to move that the Senate agree
to the House measure when the ques-
ton comes up.
Senator Lenroot takes the position
that since the employees have signi-
fled a willingness to take the House
bill rather than have no legislation,
and since they will pay the cost, their
wishes should be granted.
Senator Stanfield, Republican. of
Oregon, in charge of retirement legis-
lation in. the Senate, was preparing
yesterday to introduce in the Senate
tomorrow a Joint resolution to give
temporary relief in the form of
higher annuity to the 10000 employees
already retired without increasing the
contribution of the active employees
until Congress at some later date
can agree on a permanent revision
of the retirement law.
Await Conferees' Report.
Senator I.enroot said he would be
agreeable TO such resolution, but
pointed out that there is no assur-
ance the House would agree TO that
proposition.
The entire question may come be-
fore the Senate tomorrow, II Senator
Stanfield is ready to submit the report
of the conferees, setting forth their
inability to reach an agreement with
the House. At the same time he will
present his resolution, which would
grant a 40 per cent increase in the
present annuity Of SEQ to those now
retired or to be retired in the near
future. This would make the annuity
substa ntially equal to that carried in
the House bill, but would not increase
the Pa per cent contribution now paid
into the fund from the salaries OF the
active employees. Thus the resolution
would place the added cost of increas.
ing the annuity OF the retired en-
ployes on the Government.
What the Senate will do is prob
lematical. but there are some who
believe 1t will support a motion to
accept the House bill in view Of the
desire of the employees spokesmen to
have that in preference to complete
failure of the legislation.
Fluctuations i'm Hopes.
Since the retirement bill went to
conference several weeks ago. with
each branch of Congress insisting on
different terms, it's chances Of enact
ment at this session have fiuctuated
up and down with the regularity of a
see-saw. One day the conferees were
reported to be seriously considering a
compromise. The next day 1t would
develop that the compromise was un-
acceptable to one side or the other and
hope would vanish. Then a new pro.
pOsal would be broached and a spark
OF hope would return. only to be shat
tered at subsequent conference.
Meanwhile, these intermittent fla shes
of hope, followed by forecasts Of
failure, have proved a strain on the
nerves of the veteran Government
workers. striving to get along on
existing annuities and looking forward
to the increases contemplated by the
pending legislation.
Whatever the outcome, indications
are that the question will be finally
determined within a few days. The
next definite development Is practi
cally certain to come in the Senate
with the presentation of the disagree
ment of the conferees.
Senator Stanfield probably will make
a. brief statement in the Senate as to
why the confreres failed to agree. The
position of the Senate managers has
been that the House bill does not
place a fair proportion of the cost of
the increased annuities on the Gov
ernment.