Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-15
STRIKES
BACK At CRITICS
OF REVISED BILL
Certain Groups Urge Retire
ment Proposals Be Con-
sidered Later.
SEEK TO HAVE DALE
MEASURE ACTED UPON
Author of Changes Disappointed at
Lack of Understanding
of Spokesman

Chairman Lehlbach of the House
civil service committee today hit back
at the leaders of certain large groups
OF Government employees who have ex-
pressed criticism of his new bill to re-
wise the retirement law. and who have
urged that the Dale bill. already passed
by the Senate, should be put through,
frSt as StOpgap remedial legislation
and then the entire system be revamped
or changed as may seem desirable.
These groups have been urging Con-
gress for 20 years to establish retire.
ment system and then to correct in
equities and to do larger measure Of
Justice to the lower-paid employees.
They have frequently seen their efforts
blocked by committee delays and by re-
fusal OF party leaders to allow the
proposed legislation to come to q vote
IN the House or Senate. They and the
party leaders, 1t Is pointed out, know
that If these relief measures are al
lowed to come up for q vota they will
De passed by an overwhelming vote.
Employees Making Last Stand.
The Dale bill has repeatedly made an
uphill fight to the very verge Of en-
actment, in the last Congress suffering
a pocket veto by President Coolidge on
the day he left the executive ONCE.
Now that 1t has passed the Senate and
the House is ready to give it q prac-
tically unanimous vote, these workers
and friends Of the employees are making
last stand to prevent 1t being cast
aside or pigeonholed while the slowly
grinding legislative machinery mills
away on a new bill.
In criticizing those who are insist
ing that the Dale bill should be acted
upon separately and promptly, leaving
the new Lehlbach bill to take its
leisurely course, Representative Lehl-
bach said:
I'm disappointed and disguised at
the shortsightedness and lack Of under
standing displayed by certain Spokesman
OF groups OF Federal employees.
The providing OF annuities Is the
business OF insurance and the present
and every other conceivable system of
retirement annuities is based on princi-
pies developed by those whose business
1t is. or else the system goes on the
| rocks. Objections to annuities along
the line OF insurance Is simply a con-
feSsion OF inability to understand what
it Is all about.
Knows Legislators Views.
Instructions to me by outsiders as
| to what measures have the better OBJ
portun1ty of enactment seems somewhat
lncongruous. am in constant contact
on this subject with administrative and
legislative leaders and know their views.
know what they will gladly expedite
I and what they have no especial use
for After all, Congress does the leRis-
latlng and not any joint conference.
There is not q benefit in the Dale
Dill not included in the proposed bill.
substantial increases for the present an
nuitants and all who will retire here
after are contemplated. 1 suggest that
people do not rush on record in OPPOSE
ton to a measure Of which they know
nothing, either as to its provisions or its
support In powerful quarters.
AS to enactment, a comprehensive
revision OF the retirement system on a
sound basis has a much better chance
OF speedy and sympathetic consideration
than the Dale bill.h
Defends Lehlbach Bill.
Defense Of the new Lehlbach hill also
was voiced last night by Luther C.
Steward, president of the National
Federation of Federal employees, and
others speaking at meeting of the
board OF representatives Of Local No. 2.
Meanwhile, notices are being sent out
Dy committee of employees of the
naval Gun Factory at the Navy Yard
OF a mass meeting to protest against
the new bill to be held tomorrow morn
ing at 1880 o'clock in the Avenue
Grand Theater, Pennyslvania avenue,
near Seventh street southeast.
arrangements also are being made by
Mrs. Margaret Hopkins Worrell, presi-
cent OF the League of the American
Civil Service, for another meeting Is
opposition to the new bill to be held
sometime next week.
Mr.. Steward spoke at length at last
nights meeting, explaining the features
OF the new measure. Others who spoke
In favor of the bill were r. B. Posey
OF the Veterans Bureau, president of
Local NO. 2, and u. j. Biller of the
PENSION Bureau, chairman of the
unions retirement committee. Mr..
Blller presented a table comparing the
annuity rates under the new Lehlbach
Dill and those under the Dale bill, al
ready passed by the Senate.
No Formal Action Taken.
While no formal action was taken at
last nights meeting in favor Of the new
DILL all expressions Of opinion by speak
unions affiliated with the federation.
Most OF the locals are made I'D of en-
ployes of single department Local
NO. z Is general union, including en-
ployeS OF a number of Government bu-
reaus not in the others.
nal steward DeleVeS that the new
Lehlbach bill carries out the PRINCIPLES
which were approved by the convention
OF the National Federation of Federal
Employees last Summer. While no for
NAL action is expected to be taken by
the local unions regarding the new
measure, Mr.. Steward expects to have
the support Of the locals when he speaks
for the bill before the House civil sery-
ice committee next Tuesday.
The opposition Of the Navy Yard sem-
ployeS and other Federal workers aflli-
ated with the Joint Conference on Ire
tirement Is based, in part, upon a be-
lief that the new measure has dan
gerous" forfeiture features and that the
best interests of the employees will be
served at this time by backing the Dale
bill already passed by the Senate. Mrs.
WorrelPs organization takes a similar
view,
The call for tomorrow mornings mass
meeting OF protest at the Avenue Grand
Theater is signed by the following mem
bers OF the committee representing The
Naval Gun Factory employees: II. I. La
CAR; William H. Smoot, r. B. Kelso,
charles H. Savage and C. C. Love.