Evening star., 1940-10-06
DE-. Pension Bill Veto
Plea Looms Over Plan
ToCover U.S.. Agents
Commissioners May Soy
D. c. Funds Would Have
To Poy U. S. Annuities

To Pay U. S. Annuities
The Commissioners yesterday be-
gan preparation of a report fol
President Roosevelt which, it is be-
lieved, will suggest that he veto q
bill, providing for the voluntary re-
tirement at half pay of District
police and flremen and a small
group of United States Secret Serv-
Ice agents who have reached the age
of SIS and been in the service for 25
years.
The President referred the meas
ure to the Commissioner for COM
ment after its passage by Congress
last week.
Their report. it is understood. will
point out that the Commissioners
opposed the bill even before the
Senate tackled onto it an amend
ment to bring within its provisions
those Secret Service agents who for
10 years or more have guarded the
President. Special attention Is tc
be called to this amendment, it was
said, because it will mean that the
retirement annuities of these Fed
eral agents would have to be paid
out of District revenues, thus sad
ding an additional expense on To-
cal taxpayers.
S1,20O,OO0 Now Paid.
According to District officials, re-
tirement annuities now paid to po-
lice and firemen. who, under the
present system, are retired on ac-
count of physical disability only
amounts to about 81 100000 a year
OF this, about one-sixth is con-
tributed by the men, who pay into
the retirement fund a sum equal to
Sl2per cent of their salaries.
Although the bill limits the fund
for payment of annuities under the
voluntary retirement plan to $780,
900 a year, officials said the Dis
trict's financial situation could not
stand this increase at this time.
The amendment designed to give
those Secret Service agents who
have protected the President for at
least 10 years the same retirement
benefits as members of the Dis
trict Fire and Police Departments
was written into the bill at the re-
quest of Senate Majority Leader
Barkley. He gave the Senate no
reason for wanting to include these
Federal agents in the legislation,
and could not be reached yesterday
for an explanation.
At his Office, however. it was said
Col. Edmund w. Startling, chief of
the Secret Service force at the
White House had discussed the
amendment with Senator Barkley.
Conferred With Hazen.
Commissioner HaZen also said Col.
Startling had discussed with him a
proposal to have the Secret Service
agents attached to the White House
covered in the bill
Il later wrote Col Startling a
letter Commissioner Hazen added,
land told him in view of my strong
objection to the bill in its original
form I couldn't indorse such an
amendment
Commissioner Hazen further, ,ex-
planned that Col. Starting told him
three Secret Service agents would
be eligible to seek voluntary retire
ment at this time and he would
be one of them.
Senator Barkley told the Senate
about IS White House Secret Service
agents would be affected. At the
Treasury Department yesterday, it
was reported, the number would
range from 10 to IL.
Agents Now Have Benefits.
Secret Service agents now have
the same retirement benefits as
other Federal employees under the
civil service plan. The proposed new
retirement system for District police
and flremen, however, is more lib
eral. 1t is predicted on the theory
that men engaged in fire and crime
prevention and control lead more
hazardous lives than those in clerical
positions and lose their efficiency
earlier in life. For this reason the
amendment extending the new po-
lice and fremens retirement plan
to the United States Secret Service
specifically eXempts those engaged
in clerical work and applies only to
those agents who for 10 years or
more have been engaged in work
directly related to protection of the
life of the President"
A Secret Service agent, it was
pointed out, cannot now retire VOL
unfairly until he has reached the
age of 68 and been in the service
for at least 80 years. The formula
used by the Government in fixing
retirement annuities, it was eX-
planned, would keep the retirement
pay of most Secret Service agents at
about $1,000 or $3.50 a year.
Could Ask Retirement.
But under the proposed new re-
tirement plan for police and fire
men, Secret Service agents on the
White House detail for 10 years or
more could apply for retirement at
the age of 55 after Is years service
and receive in retirement annuities
one-half of their annual basic pay.
And in many instances, it was said,
that would amount to about $500
a year.
Those agents who elect to be re-
tired under the District plan rather
than the civil service system, how
ever, would be required to transfer
to the policemen and firemen's re-
lief fund of the District all funds
to their credit in the Federal civil
service retirement fund.