Evening star., 1952-02-24

on March 4, ! and o.
There's no doubt thai the
e0Dlmlbsl0ns stand hurts the
hill'R ehAneesr However, chairman
J0hnsteR Of tho full Senate civil
Service Committee feels stPenglV
that an annuity increase Ia iHstiu
ned and no predicts thai his
gFaup viii approve the bill, with
a E9pd chance OF tho Senate vetr
lng IVA approval
On the House side, the House
Civil Service Committee stands q
good chance OF approving the bill,
despite the fact that Chairman
Tom Murray personally opposes
any pension boost, Mr., Murray
has said, however, that his group
will hold hearings on the measure,
The prevailing sentiment of the
House committee seems to be In
favor of an annuity increase, 80
that the chances appear fairly
good that the committee will re-
port the bill.
#H##
BIGGEST BARRIER-The leg
islation will meet It's severest test
in the ultra-conservative House
Rules Committee. The committees
approval Is needed to clear the
way for House action on the bill
and 1t remains to be seen II this
green light will be forthcoming.
Should the committee fail to
approve the bill. 1t could be dis
lodged by o discharge petition
signed by q majority, or 218. Of
the House membership. This STRAIT
egy was successful several weeks
ago on the Federal pay raise leg
islation, but 1t Is not an easy
thing to accomplish. Sponsors Of
the bill hope that they can win the
Rules groups approval without
the necessity Of having to wage
a discharge petition campaign.
The National Association OF
Retired Civil Employees reports
that II has received letters from
more than 10 per cent OF House
and Senate members pledElns
their support to af1 annuity ihsi
crease bill. The retired efnployes'
group had written to each iilefns
Der Of Congress asking their views
on the legislation,
The response indicates that the
House and Senate viii approve re.
tifenaeft legislation II II reaches
the respective Aeefs. The prob.
lem now 10 TO Get The fneasuse out
of committees, particularly out OF
the House Civil Service and the
Rules Committees, OF course, the
House Civil Service Committee
VIII have TO act flrst before the
bill II referred TO the Rules group
AAt
HOT FidHT-Meanwhlle, the
drive TO secure annuity increases
shapes up "a one OF tho hottest
fights ever 10 DO undertaken on
Capitol Hill on behalf OF devefhs
meht efhpl6ye legislation,
on one aide ID the Civil Service
Commission, led by Mf, Rafnspeek,
The commission chief, who as q
member OF Congress played Q Lead
ihg fele In tho enactment OF PRES
eht civil service retirement befle.
fits, feels that the matter sheuld
be handled al q ''feiief" project
administered BY the old age ana
insurance divisien OF the seelal
Security Administration, lie feels
that the present civil service re-
tireInent system Ia toe ,shaky
financially 10 permit the use OF
funds for increased benefits, And
Mr., RAmspeek opposes Congress
voting additional funds for this
purpose, declaring II would be un-
fair 10 other aged greups with
Axed pensions throughout the
country who are equally hard hit
by high living costs,
The various employe groups
take strong exception 10 Mr.,
Ranspeck's stand, declaring 1t 10
unfair and unrealistic,
They contend that the Federal
Government has O definite respon-
sibility to its retired employees who
worked long and faithfully In ex-
pectation Of retiring on q decent
annuity but now And that their
pensions are inadequate to meet
present living costs. The average
Federal annuity 10 around Sl,l00
q year.
Also, they declare that Mr..
Ramspeck is guilty OF faulty rea-
soning when he declares 1t would
be inequitable to give Federal an