Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-22
The Middle Over Retirement.

In view of the complications over re-
tirement legislation the question of pro-
cedure now resolves itself wholly to one
Of expediency
President Hoover, in frank discus
sion of the subject, says that he favors
the new Lehlbach bill, which not only
liberalizes the law, but puts into eff
feet new principles of computing and
administering retirement. In addition,
he states that "the plan in the Dale
bill presents the same dif1iculties to me
that it presented to my predecessor. +"
AS these difnculties obviously led to the
pocket veto which killed retirement lib
, eralization at the last session Of Con-
gress, Mr.. Hoover's statement can easily
be interpreted as a warning that, facing
identical difficulties faced by his pred
ecessor, the only course left open to
him if the Dale bill is sent to him for
his signature would be the course
! chosen by Mr. Coolidge.
A few hours previous to Mr. Hoover's
statement, however. Mr.. Lehlbach had
decided to take the course that circum-
stances had dictated The Dale bill has
passed the Senate and is out of the way.
The House committee members, because
of the opposition to and the uncertain
ty surrounding the merits of the new
Lehlbach BILL have apparently decided
to stick to the Dale bill and report 1t
out. II the House passes the Dale
measure. as it is expected to do with
out dissenting voice, and the measure
becomes law, the small amount of relief
which it carries to Government em-
ployes will be effected; time still will
remain for Mr.. Lehlbach and others
in charge of retirement legislation to
wipe the slate clean and begin work on
new retirement bill. II this second
measure Is passed, it win. of course, SUI
persede the Dale bill. If it fails, the
employees will at least have gained the
stopgap relief to which every one
agrees they are entitled.
On the other hand, passage of the
Dale bill would automatically tend to
lessen the motivating force behind re-
tirement liberalization. with one meas
ure out Of the way, Endorsed by Gov
eminent employee organizations and
carrying some emergency relief, it is
doubtful IL much pressure win remain
to force consideration and passage of
another bill within the immediate flu
ture-although the new bill carries with
it drastic and beneficial reforms In the
principles of Government retirement.
In the light Of these difaculties, it
would seem that the sensible thing to
do is for Mr.. Lehlbach or others to seek
from President Hoover a definite COM
mitment concerning his attitude toward
the Dale bill If it is passed. If this
measure contains features which, in the
Presidents mind. justify his veto, the
bill ought to be dropped like hot
cake and the new Lehlbach measure
substituted without more ado.
II the President conceives of the
Dale bill merely as a bird in the hand;
If he is willing to regard it as an
emergency measure that will bring
needed relief pending the consideration
and passage Of the more far-reachins
Lehlbach measure, legislative condi-
tons argue for concentration on the
Dale bill now. with the Lehlbach meas
ure left for later and more mature con-
sideration.
But the Presidents attitude should be
known before a decision is made.