Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-17
FAVORABLE REPORT
ON DALE MEASURE
MADE TO. SENATE
Civil Service Group Begins
Consideration of Brookhart
Pay Increase Bill.
NO PREDICTION GIVEN
ON PROBABLE PROGRESS
But Chairman Cites Retirement Is
Now on Calendar of
Upper Branch.

The first step toward reviving legis-
lation for Government employees which
failed in the last Congress was taken
today when the Senate Civil Service
committee voted a favorable repo t on
the Dale retirement bill and also began
consideration of the Brookhart pay in
crease measure.
The retirement bill, which would give
higher annuities to veteran Federal
workers when they leave active service,
passed both branches of the last Con-
greSs but failed to 'eceive the signature
Of former President Coolidge in the
closing days of the last administration,
causing the action of Congress to lapse.
Senator Dale of Vermont, chairman
of the civil service committee, would
not predict today how far the bill will
progress on its legislative journey at
action of the committee places 1t on the
Senate calendar. where it could be
passed If an opportunity to call it up
presents itself.
While it Is not likely that the House
Will consider any general legislation
until December any action the Senate
may take at this time would advance
the BILL so that it could be given early
consideration by the House at the reg
ular session. The Senate yesterday con-
Sidered a number of routine bills on
the calendar and the discussion at that
time indicated that the Senate itself
would decide how far it would go in
acting on miscellaneous legislation at
the special session, even though such
measures would have to wait for ac-
ton by the House until December.
The Dale retirement bill raises the
maximum annuity from 81 900 to 81 200,
and would increase the average retire
ment allowance from about $S40 to $500
a year. Under the present law the re-
tirement ages are 10, IS and 81 years,
according to the character of work per-
formed by the individual. Under the
Dale bill the retirement ages, after 80
years OF service. would be 68, SO and
60 years of age for the three groups
into which the Government workers
are divided. The highest age limit APP
plies TO clerks, the next letter car
rierS and the lowest to railway mail
clerks, mechanics and those engaged in
hazardous employment. The annuity of
an employe under the Dale bill would
be arrived at by taking the average
saiary for the last five years not to
exceed 81 600 multiplied by the num-
Der of years of service and divided
by 40.
1t is understood that the civicl service
committee will meet again within a
week or 10 days to give further atten-
ton to the 5rookhart pay BILL which
seeks to iron out inequalities resulting
from the operation of the WEIGH salary
increase law. Under the Interpretation
given to the WEIGH act, some employees
were advanced two salary steps within
their respective grades, while others
were moved up only one step. The
Brookhart bill would give an additional
raise TO those who got only one step
before.
1t is believed likely the committee will
also report this bill favorably, in order
to give 1t early consideration at the
December session.
Robert H. Alcorn and other members
OF the joint conference on civil service
retirement were at the Capitol this
morning, but the committee was ready
to act favorably on the bill without
holding further hearings, since the de-
tails of the measure were gone into
carefully in the last Congress.