Evening star., 1945-06-20
Retirement Bill
'Boge'y' Scorned
Al Hearing
Mrs. Norton Asserts
Revocation of AZ
Act Was Tragedy

members OF congress were aQ.
vised today they had nothing to
fear but the "bogey man" If they
do what they should and enact
legislation to extend to themselves
and some others the rights of Gov
ernment retirement.
The advice came from Repre-
sentative Norton, Democrat, of New
Jersey, chairman of the House Labor
Committee, and Charles I. Stengle,
76-year-old spokesman for the
American Federation of Government
Employees.
They were witnesses at hearings
opening today before the Randolph
Subcommittee of the House Civil
Service Committee, considering the
Norton bill for permitting members
of Congress, heads OF executive
agencies, judges and the District
Commissioners to participate in the
retirement system.
Adherents Give Pep Talks.
Both Mrs. Norton and Mr.. Stengle
gave what amounted to pep talks"
for legislators as to the justice Of
their cause and the Necessity for
courage.
This bill does nothing more or
less Tor a member of Congress than
is being done now for Government
workers generally" said Mrs. Nor
ton. Members of Congress grow
old in service just like others do,
but now no provision Is made for
them when their service ends"
Members of Congress alone had
the right to provide for retirement
for themselves, Mr.. Stengle told
the subcommittee, and he declared,
you ought to have enough intes-
final fortitude to stand by a de-
cision when you know you are
right"
Tragedy" of 1912 Recalled.
In the background was the recol-
lection of what Mrs. Norton called
a tragedy" when Congress in 1912
repealed bill it had passed and
which had been signed by former
President Roosevelt, including men,
bers Of Congress in the system. The
measure was repealed when a hue
and cry was raised about pensions"
and bundles for Congress, said to
have been started as a gag" by
"babbitts from Spokane"
The witnesses and members of
the Randolph Subcommittee said
the bill does not call for pensions"
but for giving members of Con-
gress, and the others covered. the
right to elect to be included in the
retirement system. They would
make their contributions for past
and future service, like other Gov
ernment workers.
Mrs. Norton, Mr.. Stengle and
committee members generally con-
cluded the earlier retirement plan
had been killed because its purpose
and terms had not been "under-
stood" or properly explained to
the public. Mrs. Norton and Mr..
Stengle declared the public is id
favor Of the new bill, and Mrs. Nor
ton added, "the people are always
away ahead OF us" when they have
been informed.
The hearings were to continue
this afternoon, with testimony by
Secretary of the Interior Ickes and
Maury Maverick, head of the
Smaller War Plants Corp. and a
former Representative of Texas.
Meanwhile, there was more prog
ress on pay bills and further dis
cusSion of a return to q shorter
work week for classified workers.
The Senate Post Once and Post
Roads Committee yesterday ordered
a favorable report, with no major
changes, on the House-passed postal
workers pay bill and this was to
be submitted today to the Senate
for early action.
One Change Ordered.
One change ordered by the Senate
group, headed by Senator McKellar,
Democrat, of Tennessee, cuts back
te House proposal for an overtime |
rate of about l 7/12 to the / 1/2
rate-the same as urged by the
House for the classified Government
worker.
Senator Mead, Democrat, of New
York, who sponsored the postal pay
bill in the Senate, said the changes
would conform either with War La
Dor Board practices or to provisions
of the civil service bill. The bill,
which will give postal workers their
first basic pay raise in 20 years, calls
for increases over present basic levels
u. of Md. Stude,