The Washington times., 1937-02-04

1000, branch 2l0.
Uncle Sans retirement system
Is out of harmony with the
theory of social security and
''interferes with the mobility Of
labor" according to Lewis Mer-
lam, of the Brookings Institution.
DR.. Merriam, speaking recently
to a group Of interested Federal
workers gathered at the Inter.
state Commerce Commission un-
der auspices of the Labor Depart
ment Lodge, No. IL, of the A. F.
G. E., literally picked the current
retirement system to pieces.
Under present regulations, he
pointed out, retirement provisions
are mot coordinated" with the so
cial security act because no old
age benefit provisions exist for the
employe who quits the Govern
ment, either by his own choice or
because he is forced out. Such
worker, Merriam said, receives the
money he has contributed to the
retirement fund but then has no
provision whatever for protection
in his old age.
Retirement provisions among
business firms usually watch out
for such a contingency, he said,
adding that the Federal system
should have a Large number OF
options" for disposition of an
nuities according to the wish Of
the employe, particularly the right
to accept a smaller annuity that
may be passed on to widow or
other dependent. Such options,
the expert pointed out, would not
increase the cost of retirement to
the Government in any way.
DR.. Merriam declared that mo-
bility of labor is impeded, in the
opinion of economists, because OF
red tape encountered in transfers
of clerks retirement from on e
agency to another-particularly it
idleness results between leaving
the old job and taking the new
one-and because Government re-
tirement applies only to the Gov
eminent. A person having an.
nuity privilege under the Federal
service is forced to hesitate be-
fore accepting superior position
in outside business, his address
pointed out.
He also slapped the fact that
the Governments system gives
the contributing employees credit
only for what he has contributed,
while in many advanced business
annuity systems the corporation
assumes that the worker owns
what the firm has contributed to
his account as we'll as what he
has paid in from his salary.
During his address the Brook.
ingS man touched on the method
in which clerks of elderly age
were treated before retirement
came into being. He described
conditions in the old Pension Of
flee (where G. A. o. now isl, re-
lating that old clerks were given
full pay as long as they were able
to come to their desks each morn
ing-regardless Of whether or not
they could do any work. Many,
he said, were brought in and taken
out in wheel chairs. And an at.
tempt by prominent official to
oust such superannuated clerks,
via discharges of three, caused
all three to commit suicide, he
recalled,
Congressman John w. McCor.
mack CD, of Massa C h u sets,
sponsor of the five-day week bill,
will urge higher pay for Govern
ment workers at mass meeting
tomorrow evening at 8 o'clock in
the auditorium of the Garnett-
Patterson Junior High School,
Tenth and U Streets N. w.
The legislator who sponsored
pay increases for charwomen, is
to address the United Government
Employees, colored group which is
giving full support for the $1,000
minimum salary advocated by
Senator McCarran and Representa-.
tive Connery.
Tonight employees of the Civil
Service Commission will make
merry at Coconut Grove, under
auspices of the agency's AFG.E.
lodge. Dinner will start at p. M,
after which dancing will hold
sway, and those who care to stay
long enough will see two floor
shows instead of one. Betty Wal.
ters. czarina of the old Patent
Offices telephone room. heads the
reception committee.
1t is reported that Joseph Cor
rington. E. G. Porter, Harvey
Poole, William McInturff, Ed
Walker, Russell Hill, G. H. Win
field, william Coles, Charles War
ren and A. E. Laponne, all of the
supply and equipment division of
the Post Offices field service here,
are about to become union
minded" Further details later.
And the same thing might be
said of Frank Ragan, Robert Irwin,
Jimmy McGucia, Joseph Wright,
C. K. Sedgwick, Joseph Padgett,
Fred Watson, A. E. Files. George
Simmons and Clarence Saper, of
Naval Hospital.
For the record, number of ad-
ditlonal bills for the benefit OF