Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-17
600 NAVY WORKERS
OPPOSE LEHLBACH
RETIREMENT BILL
Leaders Charge Legislators
Trying to Kill All
Legislation.
DALE PLAN ENACTMENT
URGED IN RESOLUTIONS
Substitute Proposal Held "Perpet-
ual Source of Bitter Complaint"
to Widows.

More than 800 employees Of the naval
gun factory at the Navy Yard and other
branches Of the Government, at a mass
meeting yesterday morning in the Ave-
nue. Grand Theater, Pennsylvania ave-
nue. near Seventh street southeast,
Joined in adopting unanimously resolu-
lions OF protest against the new Lehl-
bach retirement bill and demanded that
the House civil service committee make
favorable report on the Dale retire.
ment bill, already passed by the Senate.
several speakers, representing local
and national trade union organizations
of Government employees, denounced the
bill recently introduced by Representa-
tive Lehlbach of New Jersey, chairman
OF the civil service committee as a
dangerous" measure and charged that
somebody" was trying to kill all retire.
ment legislation at this session Of Con-
greSs.
Killing Bill with Kindness.
I'VE have good reason to believe"
declared N. p. Alias, president of Dis
trict A, International Association of Ma
chiniSts, that there are some members
OF the House who would like to kill this
legislation with kindness. We have al
ways regarded Mr.. Lehlbach as our
friend. We don't know why he intro
ouceo this substitute measure. We are
forced to believe he did 1t in good faith.
but we hope the matter will be ex.
planned and the Dale bill passed"
The resolutions, which were adopted
by reclamation, were offered by DR.. C.
Eder Reed, secretary of the Joint re-
tlrement committee of the naval gun
factory employees. They declared that
the new Lehlbach bill has not received
approval after careful study and thought
oy the several employees organizations
In the Government service, and in fact
many of its provisions have not been
them"
Many OF the provisions Of the pro.
posed bill were declared to be "6ietri.
mental to the best interests of MANY. il
not all, of the civil service employees of
the United States Government, In that
they grant too liberal powers to officials
charged with the administration of the
Nv and also in that they provide for
forfeiture in cases of death of amounts
credited to an annuitant rather than 4
return to his estate"
Source OF Bitter Complaint.
The 81 month imp0unded from em-
ployeS' contributions, the resolutions
continued, win be "a perpetual source
OF bitter complaint" every time an EN-.
ploye fails to receive his retirement
find deductions on separation from the
service and every time widow does not
receive the retirement fund deductions
made from her husband who died be-
fore he retired"
What we see behind this bill" said
Leo E. George, president of the National
Federation of Post once Clerks. lis q
deliberate attempt to defeat liberalizing
retirement legislation at this session Of
Congress"
Il wonder whether this is not a cum
ningly devised scheme to deprive us Of
any bill" declared M. L. Finnan, secre-
tary Of the National Association Of
Letter Carriers.
Frank S. Bennett, vice president of
the National Railway Mail Association,
said: The purpose of this bill is to
gum things up and muddy the waters,
so that 1t can be made to appear that
the employees are divided, and that can
be used as an excuse for dropping the
whole matter in Congress. It is an old
time game, but we are not fooled by It,"
William H. Smoot, president OF Co
lumbuS Lodge, TIA, International Asso-
citation OF Machinists, presided. He said
the organizations represented at the
gathering compriser 285 900 Government
employees in Washington and through
out the country. He Joined with Rob-
ert H. Alcorn, chairman of the joint
conference on retirement, in explaining
some of the alleged "pernicious" features
Of the new Lehlbach bill.
Ifs and Butts" Spoil Bill.
Mr.. Alcorn and Mr. Smoot said the
new bill seemed on its surface to in
crease annuities to Government em-
ployes. but beneath the surface were
found so many Ifs and butts" that no.
body could tell how it would work. Sew
eral other speakers charged that the
bill was being sponsored by the Ma
tional Federation of Federal Employees
in the interest Of the higher salaried
employees and against the interests Of
the lower salaried men and women.
"Only rare few would get the larger
annuitieS," declared Alias, and prac-
tically none among the navy yard en-
ploves."
He and other speakers protested
against the proposal Ito deduct 81
month from all employees salaries to be
impounded for use in purchasing an
unities." 1t was asserted that all en-
ployeS who do not remain in the service
is years will forfeit this money for
the benefit of the other employees"
Senate Expected to Balk.
It was stated by several speakers that
If the new Lehlbach bill were passed by
the House, the Senate probably would
not agree to 1t and an etirely new bill
would be written IN secret" by the
conferees. They demanded to be informed
why, after all of the employees organi-
cations had Endorsed the Dale bill this
new measure was suddenly slipped In
like bolt from the sky"
George said House members were
afraid to oppose liberalizing retirement
legislation openly, but were well aware
that the most effective way to kill bill
is to load 1t down with liberal features,
so that even many OF its friends will
oppose it."
why are they offering us more than
we ask, and refusing to give us what We
are willing to take?" demanded George.
That sort of thing always looks suspi-
cious to me-"
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