Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-17
HOUSE RETIREMENT
BILL IS ACCEPTED
Conferees Accord Prob ably
Means Enactment at
This Session.

Civil service retirement legislation at
the present session of Congress was viz
tually assured this morning when the
conferees reached an agreement on the
bill as it passed the House with a few
amendments.
The conferees will have another
meeting at 1890 o'clock Wednesday,
but this will be merely for the purpose
of working out the details of language
of the changes agreed upon today.
1.-The conference has agreed to report
the House bill with certain amendments
perfecting the text, but not going to the
substance of the BILL" said Representa-
tive Lehlbach following the meeting.
The report of the conferees will have
to be ratified by the House and Senate,
but with those in charge of the legisla-
ton in agreement there is not expected
to be much dihaculty in having that
done.
Record Of Employe.
Probably the most important amend
ment is that under which the record
of each employe will be kept in his
own office, instead of having all rec
ords assembled at one central place, as
originally intended under the House
bill. This amendment removes one OF
the objections Senate confereeS had to
the House bill, because they said it
would increase the cost Of administer
ing the retirement fund.
Another amendment will give depart
ment heads discretionary power to rec
ommend extensions of time with the ap-
prevail of the Civil Service Commission,
in special cases of employees whose serv-
ices are regarded as exceptionally val
liable when retirement age is reached.
Another amendment would take care
of employees who have gone out of the
service in the past because of disability,
but who failed to apply for their re-
tirement benefit within the period of
six months required by existing law.
Under the amendment they could have
their retirement status restored by ap-
plying within three months after the
passage of this bill.
Age Limits Changed.
One other minor amendment was
made relating to navy yard workers
to place certain men in the 62-year class
and to exclude certain others from that
age limit. The conferees are:
For the Senate-Senators Dale of
Vermont, Couzens of Michigan and
Mcclellan Of Tennessee. For the House
Representatives Lelhbach of New
Jersey, Smith of Idaho and Jeffers of
Alabama.
The House bill sets up a new system
of retirement, and is regarded as being
satisfactory to the President. 1t would
operate as follows:
Each employe would receive basic
annuity of $50 year for each year of
service, not exceeded 80 years, making
a maximum basic annuity of 5000. In
addition to this he would receive what
ever additional annuity could be pur-
chased with his own contribution to the
/ retirement fund. Thus, under this sys-
tenn the total annuity of employees would
| bear some relation to the contributions
| they make. The agreement contains a
an employe receive less than he would
have received under the Dale bill passed
by the Senate.
1t will be a number Of years before
| the higher-paid Government employees
| will have accumulated sufficient money
| in their own account to get the benefit
| Of the highest annuities possible under
this bill, but in the meantime they will
\ receive the annuity they would have
obtained under the Senate bill.
| 1t was estimated that the Senate
| bill would have increased the cost OF
the present retirement law by approxi-
mately $10,000,000, and the House bill
was estimated at cost approximately
$4,000, 900 more than the Senate plan
or about $16,0o0,000 more than al
present.