Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-14
DALE RETIREMENT
BILL FAVORED OVER
LEHLBACH SCHEME
Federal Workers. Represent
atives Urge House to Act
on First Bin.
SECOND PROPOSAL. "S0P,"
ASSERTS LABOR LEADER
Action on Safe Measure Included
in Involved Proposal Declared
Need of Employees.

With a hearing scheduled for Tues
DAY before the House civil service COM
mittee on the new Lehlbach bill. spon-
sored by the National Federation ot
Federal Employees and said to have the
support of President Hoover. effort
continues by several organizations of
Government employees to have the Dale
Dill, which has passed the Senate
acCed upon in the House in preference
20 further delay by considering a
Drano-neW proposal to liberalize the
retirement law. 'S
g. criticism on the new measure came
from Two quarters today.
With the charge that Luther G
steward, president of the National
Federation of Federal EMPLOYEES is
1oollng' Government employees bv
sponsoring" the new bill, Mrs. Mar
garet Hopkins Worrell, president If the
League Of the American Civil Service
announced that she would call a meet,
ing OF her organization for next week
70 urge the passage by the House of
Sne Daie-Lehlbach bill, already passed
employees Endorsement Presented.
y. Edgar Reed, secretary of the Joint
retirement committee of the ennioves
OF the Naval Gun Factory, represents
ing 5000 employees of the Washington
navy yard, laid before Chairman I,ehl-
Dacn and other members of the civil
tS VIE committee an appeal which
tneSe employees authorized in reafirm-
ing their Endorsement of the Dale hill
at their monthly meeting. Reed said:
They believe that the new bill lust
introduced In the House by Chairman
LeniDach has dangerous forfeiture fea-
lures that will need extensive consider
alton and the institution of Safeguards
The novelty of the scheme will REQUIRE
extensive and probably long drawn-out
actuarial studies before it can be ex-
pected to pass the Congress.
THE new bill provides that the fea-
lures of the Dale bill be included
therefore the navy yard committee be-
neves that the Dale bill should be re-
ported to the House and passed inn
med1ately in the same form as that
IN which 1t passed in the Senate.
The new bill will serve as the basis
for future studies, but it should not
delay immediate action on the Dale bill
in order to give needed benefits to
thoSe already retired and those now
retiring.
Mrs. Worrell charged that some of
the apparently desirable features Of the
new bill are "sops" to induce employees
to back the bill and pepper thrown
into their eyes to blind them to the
other parts not so desirable"
Let us have legislation clearly ex-
pressed in plain. unadulterated English
so that no misunderstanding or misin-
depreciation is possible" she said
"Pass Dale sill Now"
"The League of the American Civil
Service, therefore, calls upon every
member OF the civil service committee
OF the House to report out the Dale
Lehlbach bill, change SO optional to so.
strike out the word bonuses and let
it be passed at once. Afterward this
new bill can be thoroughly analysed
and digested and employees can be adj
V1sed exactly what its provisions mean
and can either accept or reject it."
"One particularly undesirable pro-
viSion," said Mrs. Worrell, "of the new
bill is that in which the amount of tho
annuity which an employe will be able
to purchase with the 81 per cent de-
auctions from his salary (less the sI2
per year for each year of service) is to
be determined from annuity tables
which the board of actuaries are to
prepare, based upon the condition of
the retirement fund.
Al aSCOAudAlIC WIFI lIldG PROVISION, IL
would be impossible for anybody to
know the condition of the retirement
fund nor what kind of annuity tables
the board OF actuaries might prepare.
In any event, the sum which employees
IN middle salary grades would be able
to purchase with the sum they would
have left would be infinitestimal.
Death Ends Annuity.
"The bin also provides that upon the
death OF an annuitant his annuity is
terminated and there is no refund to
ms heirs OF anything he has paid into
the fund unless at the time he retires he
agrees to take much lesSened annuity
than he would otherwise receive.
1t Is true that the bill contains a
provision for multiplying the annual
basic salary not to exceed 81 500 dur
ing any five years of allowable service,
by the number of years of service not
to exceed 80 and that the result is to
be divided by 40, which, on its face,
would apparently be of greater benefit
than the Dale-Lehlbach bill with LIE
same provisions excepting that the an
nulty is limited in the old bill to 81, 2O0).
but we surmise that this is only a sop
to induce employees to back the bill.
There is no provision for optional
retirement after 80 years service at so
years of age. which is one of the most
important amendments desired by en-
ployeS."
Mrs. Worrel said the Lehlbach bill
makes no provision for the return OF
VINO ole before reaching the age of re-
tirement.
q n