Evening star., 1937-05-21

ciUt SerUice retirement ldW hare
been advanced BY Government en-
ployes for several years, the plan
that has draWn the principal sup
port calling for optional retirement
after 80 years service, either Nth
or WITHOUT minimum age limit.
The nloUe has taken tangible form
in the past fen months, since the
CtDH Service Commission deUtsed
plan that Mould rest the option
1Dith the Government as Uell as the
employees.
Hopes for early liberalization Of the
civil service retirement law were
shaken today when President Rooee-
welt expressed doubt that Congress
will have an opportunity to pass on
any legislation in that connection
during the present session.
Making it plain at his press confer
ence today that he would like to see
the retirement law Andardized, the
President said he expects to confer
again with the Civil Service Commits
sion on working out some details of
the proposal which are not yet settled
or which do not meet his complete
approval
First of all is the question Of added
cost, neither the White House nor
Congress being willing to add to the
present cost of retirement. Secondly,
organized employees thus far have ex-
pressed themselves as being unwilling
to accept plan for optional retirement
at early age if the Government is to
have the corresponding right to re-
quire retirement under the same
circumstances.
Approval Hinted Yesterday.
Word that the White House looked
favorably on the proposed new retire.
ment set-up came yesterday afternoon
in connection with a conference Presi-
dent Roosevelt had with the Civil
Service Commissioners.
The commission plan, briefly, would
permit an employe with 80 years
service to retire at the age of so, and
with IS years service to step out at
81. At present the general retirement
age is 10. There are other classes,
however, which get out at 81 and IS.
President Roosevelt has had the
ton for some time. The Civil Service
Commission believes that it would add
no more than s5,000O00 to the present
cost of retirement, and might, in fact,
pay for itself by increasing efficiency
and tightening the retirement load.
Actuaries, however, have disputed this,
estimating the increase as high as So
100000.
Cost Has to Be Determined.
This question of cost, 1t is pointed
out, will have to be determined
and the commission is going into the
matter with the Budget Bureau. Right
now the Government is making a
large contribution annually to the
retirement fund, to make it "actuarily''
sound, the size of the grant being far
above what it ordinarily would be be-
cause for years after the law was en-
| dSGCo AL 1OSO, lllC olQ llol
add its share to the fund, which Is
jointly built up by deduction of 3la
per cent of the salary of each employe.
For the current year the Government
is contributing S46,050,000, and for
1888 the Budget Bureau recommended
s72, ,3s2,O 900.
To give the Government the op-
tion to require early retirements, em-
ployes contend, would be in effect to
restore the compulsory retirement fea-
ture of the 1888 economy act, which
brought widespread objections. In
some quarters, there is a feeling,
too, that it would be invoked to a
cost Of retirement that public reac-
ton would set in against it.
Service Now Disregarded.
At present, length of service does
not affect retirement ages, but the
Government can require the en-
ployes in the three age groups to
drop out Of service whenever they
reach 81, IS or 10 as the case may
be-
The employees themselves-prin-
cipally those in the 70year category
have been asking for retirement
after 30 years service that would
limit the option to themselves.
The new proposal attempts to ease
the compulsory" feature, by pro-
viding appeals for those persons who
believe their retirement is being arbi-
trarily demanded.