Evening star., 1926-04-25
PLAN
OFFERED BY LORD
Coolidge Studies Compromise
Scheme and Is Expected
to Approve 1t.

! President Coolidge has before him
! for, his study plan prepared by Brig.
Gen. Lord, director of the budget. to
provide for liberalization OF the re-
tirement act governing Federal en-
! ployes. This plan. which was drafted
along lines suggested by the Presi-
dent. is expected to serve as a COM
promise for the main features con
tanned in the Lehlbach and Stanfield
retirement bills. which are now pend
ing in Congress.
| The new scheme, while II increases
! the annual snnuities now paid TO re-
tired employees. will, it is understood,
| cost the Government several millions
less than either the Lehlbach or Stan
| field bill
Although its features have not beer
made public. it has been intinated
| that the total annual cost TO the Gov
ernment will not be in excess of $21,-
| 900 900, and that the age limits for
| optional retirement will remain the
| same as they are under the present
! retirement law. 1t has been init
| mated also that 1t is more liberal than
| the proposal made recently to the
mittees by Secretary of Interior Work
which provides for a maximum sal
| ary of so20. II is surnlised that the
| proposal will boost the present maxi
| mum annuity up to 81 900. which is
| 5000 less annually than the maximum
provided in the Lehlbach and Stan
| field bills.
Coolidge Plans Study.
..s -. ~. yx-LI+~ ro,=e ,.ae
| terday that the President intends to
devote some part Of today studyin g
| the plan. With the plan Gen. Lord
submitted the report of the Govern
ment actuaries estimating the cost to
| the Government of the Lehlbach re-
tirement bill and several other plans
that have been proposed. These fig
| ures are said to be absolutely com
plete and they make it possible for
| the President readily to determine
| lust what these various proposals will
cost.
The President has been insistent
regarding the matter of what 1t all
| is to cost the Government. He made
this evident to the various individuals
and groups who have discussed the
| subject with him. His answer to the
| latter has generally been to the effect
that he approved of the general idea
of being more liberal and that he
wanted to see legislation making this
possible enacted at this session. but
| before he would commit himself to
any plan he wanted to know pre-
ciselv what the cost would be. He
explained that as a result OF the re
duction in taxes the Government is
sailing dangerously close to a deficit.
and considerable thought must be
given to each bit of legislation, au'
thorizing an outlay Of public money,
especially so if the authorization Is to
be for an annual expenditure for an
indefinite future period.
Approval of Principle.
The President is said to have ap-
proved the principle contained in the
Lehlbach and Stanfield bills, but he
thought their total annual cost to
the Government would be more than
the Treasury could stand. He also
has manifested opposition to the pro-
posal to retire employees under 20
years of age.
Aside from the objections the Presi-
dent has offered. the impression i
gained by those who have discussed
| the matter with him that he will get
behind some plan for liberalizing the
retirement act before the end of this
session. and 1t is the belief of several
White House authorities that the plan
he will support Is the one Gen. Lord
has prepared.
To congressional leaders with whom
he has discussed the legislative pro
gram for the remaining days of the
present session the President Is
| known always to have mentioned re.
tirement LEGISLATION. He has insisted
| that it be given some place upon the
preferred list of legislation.