Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-07
Convinced More Inquiry
Should PreCede Attempt
to LiberaIize Act.
CONGRESS MAY PASS
NEEDED RESOLUTION
Coolidge Disapproves Efforts to
Liberalize Statute Until Pres
ent Plan Is Tried Out.

President Coolidge is convinced that
a careful and comprehensive study and
investigation should be made of the
operation and administration of the
present civil service retirement law
covering Government employees before
any attempt is made to further lib
eraliZe this law.
Because of this attitude on the part
of the President 1t is felt by those
who have discussed the subject with
him lately that he would be glad to
see the joint resolution introduced by
Representative Hudson of Michigan,
which provides for the creation of q
commission to study the retirement
subject, passed just as soon as possi-
BILE.
Hudson Sees President
This was the impression gained by
Representative Hudson during a con-
ference with the President at the
White House today. After explain
ing his resolution to the Executive,
Mr.. Hudson hurried back to the
capitol to take up with the party
leaders the question of getting his
resolution before the House for a
vote before the close of the present
session,
Mr.. Hudson said at the White
House that no place had been made
upon the legislative program for any
civil service legislation at this ses-
sion, but he feels that inasmuch as
the President has manifested such
keen interest in the subject and as
there is no real opposition in the
House to his proposition, If his reso-
luton is given a chance to get on
the floor it will be readily passed.
The only opposition to his proposal
noted thus far has, according to Mr..
Hudson, come from officers of the
Federal Employees Union, but he is
of the opinion that when the objects
and purposes of his legislation are
more fully understood there will be
no real fight made upon his proposal
Commissions Personnel.
Mr.. Hudson's resolution would
create a commission to study and in
vestigate the civil service retirement
act, to be composed of three members
of the Senate TO be appointed by the
President of the Senate; three mem
berS of the House to be appointed by
the Speaker and three members to
be appointed by the President, one of
whom shall be selected from the ex-
ecutive branch of the Government,
one from the joint conference on re-
tirement, and one outside of the Gov
,ernment service, all of whom shall
possess special knowledge and expert
ence in insurance matters. This COM
mission not only would study the
operation and administration of the
law, but would study the problems in
connection with the subject and would
report its findings together with rec
concentrations for such legislation as
it might deem advisable. The commits
sion would be directed to submit its
report to Congress and to the Presi
dent before January of next year.
This legislation is understood to
have virtually the entire support Of
the champions of civil service retire
ment liberalization, including Repre-
sentative Lehlback of New Jersey,
chairman of the House civil service
committee. According to Mr.. Hudson
the friends of the Government work
ers, who have in mind legislation
come time in the future to increase the
maximum and minimum annuities
now paid those who retire from the
service, are satisfied that it would be
impracticable to attempt further legis-
latlOn until II has been UennlJeIy de-
termined just exactly how the present
amended retirement act is working
out.
President for Study.
President Coolidge, who always has
manifested a deep interest in legisla-
tion looking to the welfare of the
employees Of the Government, has
made it clear that he would dis
approve any efforts to boost the an
nuities and otherwise liberalize the
retirement law until he has been
shown how the present law is operat-
ing.
It was almost entirely upon the
insistence of President Coolidge last
Winter, when the present amended
law was being discussed at the Capt.
tol, that maximum age limit for re-
tirement was kept at 70 years and
the minimum age limits at 65 and 62
years, and that $1,000 was stipulated
as the maximum annuity and that
the divisor As was used to determine
the computing of the annuities. At
the time the President made it evi-
dent that he would not agree to a
more liberal law until the subject had
been given fair trial along the lines
indicated by him.