Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-08
BIZ DONALD A. CRAIG.


BIZ DONALD A. CRAIG.
Squarely behind the Dale-Lehlbach
plan to increase the annuities Of Gov
eminent employees and otherwise lib
eralize the present civil service retire.
ment law is the Joint Conference on
Retirement, an organization Of civil
service employees. Of the United States,
located all over the country, whose
chairman and active representative in
Washington Is Robert H. Alcorn.
Senator Dale of Vermont and Repre-
sentative Lehlbach Of New Jersey, Spon-
sors in the Senate and House. OF the
pending bill, which was passed oy the
Senate day before yesterday and Is now
awaiting action in the House, have
been. in close touch with this large
group Of employees through Mr.. Acorn
representing the joint conference. some
Of whom have come recently to this
city from other parts Of the country
especially to confer with them.
1.-The conference Is confident" says
Mr., Alcorn in q statement to The Star
that Congress will soon act on the
Dale-Lehlbach bill to increase the an
nuities Of retired employees.
The conference believes that the
better the law the better the service.
Given q good retirement system the
employees will all want. to retire. This
Will also bring good men ana women
into the service.
Private Businesses Advanced.
Many business houses and industrial
concerns Of this country provide very
much better systems Of retirement than
that for which the Government EN-
ployes are now asking. Nevertheless,
the conference believes the Dale
Lehlbach bill would be very decided
Improvement In the retirement law.
, The membership of all the organizA-
lions which are q part Of the joint con-
ference. according to Mr.. Alcorn, Is
about 1000. The list OF member
examinations, and those cooperating
lin the movement to have the retirement
law SO liberalized that employees will
want to retire when they have reached
the evening Of their days." includes the
following:
The National Association Of Letter
Carriers, the National Federation OF
Post once Clerks, the Railway Mall
Association, the typographical Union
the Printing. Pressrnen, the Bookbinders
District a Of the Maehinists, the Pat
ternmakers, the Molders, the Sheet
Metal Workers, the Electricians, the
Carpenters and Joiners, the Allied
Trades Of the Bureau Of Engraving and
Printing, and several mechanical groups
In the navy yards, naval stations and
arsenals.
Mr.. Acorn in q recent letter to sena-
tor Dale and Representative Leh1bach
called attention to the latest figures
then available from the executive
branch Of the Government, showing the
working Of the present retirement law.
These figures IN his opinion, show that
1t will be many years before the cost In
dollars and cents will equal the contri-
button of the employees themselves" to
the retirement and disability fund.
The contributions of the employees to
this fund. for the fiscal year 1928-29
totaled $2s,01982 he pointed cut, and
the interest for the same period was
$4,550,042, while the amount paid in
annuities and refunds to employees was
only $l6,072,472. These figures prove
his contention, declared Mr.. Alcorn.
Will Improve Service.
In expressing the hope that Congress
will soon enact the Dale-Lehlbach bill
Mr.. Alcorn said in this letter that the
measure will help in large way to
better the conditions Of !,le retired en-
ployes and at the same time help In
very big way to bring about q much
better civil service"
"Surely there can be. no question as
to the merits Of the pending bill" said
Mr.. Acorn in a recent statement under
the heading of "a Few Facts on Retire
ment Legislation"
1T proposes to hberalize the law by
All. Nv ~ I
per annum, the average to be something
like $3.50, whereas the present average
is about $740. am fully convinced
that the members of the House and
Senate are quite conversant with the
facts on this subject and can see no
reason why they might delay passage Of
this legislation.
This is neritorious legislation in
every detail and great army OF civil
service employees throughout the United
States is looking to the members Of
Congress to enact this bill speedily into
law
I'VE trust and hope that it will be
passed and become a law before the
end of this session Of Congress"
Mr.. Alcorn has prepared much In
formation in nnimeographed form, show
Ing the working of the present law and
explaining the provisions Of the pending
legislation. This is available to any per-
son interested in furthering the Dale
Lehlbach bill or working In behalf OF
liberalization Of the existing law.
st shall be glad to furnish this 1nfor-
nation, or any information touching
upon this subject at any time" he has
announced.
Mr.. Alcorn can be reached by mail or
telephone at 1903 Second street north
east.
Relates Conversation.
Getting away from the cold, bare
facts and figures" and closer to the
human side of the question, Mr..
Acern relates story about . converse
ton he had not long ago with fellow
pasSenger--not a Government ennploye
ON q train to New York, At first the
man seemed somewhat depressed and
then after q few minutes casual con-
versation he exclaimed:
well, this Is the first relief have
felt in many yearsl"
A few sympathetic questions from Mr..
Alcorn brought out the fact that the
mans son had just come from the hos
pitaf after serious operation and an
Illness lasting over many years, and
now seemed likely to recover entirely.
i've just spent $4,000 In doctors
bills" he continued: IT'S tough, be-
cause saving these days on q moderate