Evening star., 1927-04-04
Retirement STUDY
BASED ON EQUALITY
Article on Proposed Survey
! Published by Star Brings
Favorable Comment.
RY WILL z. KENNEDY.


by WILL T. KENNEDY.
Careful comparative study of all the
existing retirement services Tor Gov.
ernment employes-about some OF
which the public and the general run
of Federal workers are now In aoso'
lutte ignorance-and a survey or the
entire Federal service. 10 see what
units are now not covered by retire
ment laws, must be made by the joint
commission which the incoming Con
Eress is expected TO authorize to make
q thorough study of the operations Of
the civil service retirement law, with
n view to recommending legislative
improvements.
The idea behind the entire inyesti-
cation is 10 make the Federal retire
ment system as economically efficient
as possible. and TO do full and equal
justice TO all Government employees, in
each ana every branch of the multi
farious and far-flung activities of the
greatest Government in the world. ~
that Uncle sam may be an eXempiar
for all the world of humanitarianism
toward those who have given the best
years Of their life in long and faith
full service.
Sound Basis Essential.
It is also essential that this service
should he substantive law, be put on
a sound financial and business like
basis, with the Government paying its
share OF the retirement fund regular
lv. and not allowing obligations of
huge and uncalculated proportions TO
be piled up against future years.
Of 1t
teution on this broader scope of the
proposed investigation, of getting eX.
pressions of opinion from those who
are best qualified TO know the vag'
aries of existing retirement services
and their respective needs for I'M
provemert. and to act as a prelim-
inary clearing house on all sugges-
tions and ideas as 10 how greater JUS
tice can be done to both the Govern
ment and to all Government workers
in a thoroughly overhauled and CO.
ordinated retirement system, The Star
printed yesterday the first Of q series
of articles for a thorough discussion
of the Federal retirement problem.
Luther c. Steward, president OF the
National Federation of Federal En-
ployes, commends the article in yes
terday's Star as "a very good article
which brings the situation out in an
understandable way" He calls atten-
ton to the fact that a survey of the
present retirement laws for the diff
ferent groups also should contain
provision for survey of the groups not
covered. with view 10 recommending
that all employees of long tenure
should be covered by the act This
has reference particularly to such
branches of Government as the
Indian Service. where a large portion
of the employees are outside of the
provisions Of the existing retirement
law.
Lighthouse Pay Cited.
With a zeal that nothing may APP
PEAR to do even a slight injustice
through Misunderstanding to any
group of Government employees, Mr..
Steward calls attention to the figure
S3 500 quoted as a years salary in the
lighthouse retirement service. He
emphasizes that as this is a rather
poorly paid service. the impression
should not be broadcast that very
many employees in this service could
receive a large annuity. He suggests
that the lower rate also be quoted
which will be done in q subsequent
article.
lle ldEL A1dl lH6 1EGGSSdIy udld
were not secured at the time this act
went into effect, Mr. Steward argues,
is no excuse for further putting off
the work, and the Civil Service Com
mission should be given a sufficient
number of employees to keep Tive" all
data on retirement.
Mr.. Steward thinks there is no doubt
rs TO the authorization of appropria-
tions 10 meet the Governments liza
bilities by the actual passage of the
civil service retirement act itself, but
agrees that the appropriations COM
mittees should certainly include the
appropriation necessary each year in
order to carry out the obligation in
Cured by the Government when Con-
gress passed the legislation.
Miss Dell Approves.
Miss Jessie Dell, one Of the civil
service commissioners, approved the
article in The Sunday Star as being
exceedingly able and exceptionally
well put" She believes that lit will
create wide comment and stimulate
still further discussion of the nu.
merous highly controversial points in
volved"
While civil service is not involved
IN foreign service matters, Miss Dell
n'o'hS "a o'9~dSehoti VI lliS loASlbtt sSIkr
ice retirement system, but admits that
zone of the particular inequities of the
foreign service retirement law is that
1t fails utterly TO include American
citizens who are attached to the for.
eign service personnel. 1T seems"
she says, that only career members of
the service are provided for, the per-
Sonnel not being included in any way"
With view to giving a fair presen.
CaLlon OF the case as seen by the for
eign service executives and officials
of the lighthouse service, third ar
ticln in his serias LII k., mi u tod t.