Evening star., 1938-05-30
delay IN EASING
| RETIREMENT LAW
| LAID TODEMANDS
Civil Service Commission
| Head Says Ignoring Age
| Is Impractical.
s72,3e2,000 FEDERAL
| APPROPRIATION CITED
Mitchell Calls Attention to Sum
in Saying Congress Reluctant
to Increase Cost.

Federal emplayes themselves arc
blocking liberalized retirement legis-
lation by demanding more than Con-
gress is willing to give, Henry B.
Mitchell, president Of the Civil Service
Commission, last night told a Joint
convention OF the Postmaster Asso-
ciation and Postal Groups of Florida,
at 81. Petersburg.
Mr.. Mitchells speech, in which he
also expressed confidence that the
present session of Congress would see
something done toward getting post
masters under civil service, was made
public at the commission.
In his discussion of retirement law
changes which Federal employe or
ganizations long have urged, Mr..
Mitchell emphasized that a proposal
frequently advanced for retirement
after 30 years service, irrespective OF
the age of the worker, ''is quite i'm
practical, at least for the present."
because of the huge cost involved.
Details Commission Plan.
He went into details on the COM
mission plan for either voluntary or
compulsory retirement at age Of so
for any employe with 80 years service.
Under this. the maximum retirement
age would be 10, and the intermediate
retirement ages Of 81 and IS be done
away with. He said he did not be-
lieve this would cost the Government
more than s5.000,0 additional, an
nually, because the greater cost occa-
stoned by the earlier retirement OF
some would be offset by the later
retirement of others.
Employees apparently have been
inclined to insist on the right Of
optional retirement at lower ages for
themselves, but protest against giving
the Government the right to retire
them at these proposed lower age
limits" Mr.. Mitchell said. THE
commission is quite convinced that
such an arrangement would work to
the disadvantage of the Government.
Those who would retire at the earlier
age would generally be persons who
could better themselves in private
business. On the other hand. the
Government would practically be
forced to keep on the pay roll those
who had become inefficient as a
result of the earlier encroachment
of age"
U: S. Contributes S72, 1892, 900.
In explaining why Congress is re-
luctant to embark on any larger ex-
penditures for retirement. Mr.. Mitch
ell pointed out that the appropriation
for the fund this year is S72,392, 900,
as compared to 100000 the work.
ers contribute, and that huge grants
will have to be made for many years
This. he amplifled, is because Of the
deficit created by the necessity Of pay
ing annuities on a basis Of years of
service before the retirement law went
into effect. AND also because Con-
gress made no contributions toward
the fund for the first few years of
the law. .
AS another illustration Of the cost
factor. Commissioner Mitchell pointed
out that, based on life expectancy,
a reserve of $9,345.60 must be set up
for the annuity of worker retiring
at go. as compared to the $2,964.60
required for a 70-year-old.
Mr.. Mitchell also took the occasion
to refute criticism that the commits
sion gives undue weight in its exam
nations to college education" OF
44,484 original appointments in 1887.
he continued, but 1902 Of the ap-
pointees were required to have COL
legiate education Of any sort.
Sees Progress in Step.
Mr.. Mitchell told the postal work.
ers that he would consider passage
of q satisfactory measure putting all
postmasters under civil service as the
most important step FOR advancement
toward q universal merit system in
the Government service since the
passage Of the civil service law SIS
years ago"
The political connotations In the
present system for selecting postmas-
tiers has put civil service generally in
. bad light, the speaker emphasized.
"and has encouraged an attitude Of
indifference to the extension Of the
merit system"
What Is needed more than any,
thing else for the extension OF the
competitive system N civil service"
he declared. lis an understanding and
aroused public opinion, and that can
only be had when there is complete
confidence that politics has no part
in the selection Of Government en-