Evening star., 1946-09-21
La Toilette Slated
For Executive Post
Truman Seen Offering Defeated
Senator Important Office
By L. B. WheiIdos

By L. B. Wkeiidom
Senator Robert Marion Ia Toilette,
jr., defeated for denomination In the
Wisconsin primaries August Is after
serving 81 years In the Senate, will
probably be appointed by President
Truman to high executive position be-
fore the expiration Of his present term
next January.
Although President Truman has COM
planned that it is difncult to get COM
petent men to take Federal jobs ct
present salary scales, many ex-lesis-
lators have willingly gone on the Execu-
tive payroll after their $4,000 congress
sional incomes dried up.
Secretary OF Labor Schwellenbach
found Federal judseship in the State
Of Washington a useful haven at the
expiration OF his brief service in the
Senate in 1910. Oklahomas Josh Lee
moved from the Senate to the Civil
Aeronautics Board without complaint
after his defeat in l942. One former
Representative settled for q Job In the
Farm Security Administration paying
about one-third of his former legisla-
tive salary. and another became super
intendent of a small Indian agency at
Fort Duchesne. Utah.
Suitable Jobs Scarce.
The fact is that few consressmen
save enough from their legislative sal
aries to make them financially inde-
pendent when they retire. 1t Is not AL
ways easy, even for the ablest Of them,
to find substitute employment outside
the Government. Members Of Congress,
more perhaps than employees Of the
executive branch. tend to become spe-
cialists in their field. Unless they are
willing to exploit this special knowledge
by becoming lobbyists or legislative
agents for private interests In the Capt.
tai, their experience is relatively use
less outside the halls Of Congress. This
is particularly true Of thosA like Sen
ator La Toilette, who are not members
Of the bar.
La Follettes position Is ironical IN
that his last major undertaking as .
Senator helped to relieve the financial
worries Of members Of Congress. Under
the Congressional Reorganization Act,
formulated by a Joint Congressional
Committee Of which the Wisconsin
Senator was chairman, members OF the
Mghtieth Congress will receive salaries
of sl2,500, plus a tax-free expense &C
count of 81, 500. If, as has been suggested.
La Toilette is made iva chairman
Gf David E. Lilienthal shifts to the
Atomic Energy Conmission). his salary
will be $4,000, the same as he received
as . member Of Congress. But few
salaries In the executive departments
can match the new congressional sal
aries.
Retirement Benefits.
In any event, the Wisconsin Senator
will benefit under the retirement fea-
ture Of his Reorganization Act. II he
makes a lump-sum contribution to the
retirement fund, covering his II years
Of service, he will be entitled to an
annuity Of $500 when he reaches the
age Of 81 Tin 1880.
Even without the Reorganization Act,
La Toilette might have received some
financial return on his long congress
sional service. provided he received An
appointment to any position covered by
the Civil Service Retirement Act. IT.
already was the practice Of the Civil
Service Commission to count all past
Government service. including congress
sional service, in computing retirement
benefits for civil servants. But under
that system La Toilette would have re-
ceived an annuity OF only $4,6oo for
| the congressional part of his service.
Frances Perkins, incidentally. would
have received no retirement credit for
her IL years as Secretary Of Labor, II
she had not accepted her new job on
the Civil Service Commission. Heads
Of departments, as such, were not COW
cred into the retirement system until
July as, 1s4S. . year after her retirement
from, the I,Abor bo6t