Evening star., 1952-07-03
Bitter Fight Seen
In Conference
On Pension Bill
Size Of Temporary
Benefit Is Center of
Senute-House Dispute

Benefit Is Center OF
Senote-House Dispute
A bitter fight looms between
House and Senate confereeS in the
final few days Of Congress over
the final version of the civil serv.
Ice retirement increase bill to be
adopted.
The battle lines were drawn yes
terday afternoon, when the House
passed a watered-do version Of
the Senate's $50 to 1924 a year in
crease bill for retired Government
workers. Approximately $4,000
persons are affected by the legisla-
ton, including about $4,000 here.
In one respect. the House bill IS
more liberal. It provides the $36
to 1924 a year raise for survivors
Of deceased Federal workers as
we'll. And it provides the same
amount for retired Federal work.
ers-$36 more for each six months
an employe has been retired.
Both bills permit a maximum
increase of 1924, or Is per cent,
whichever is less.
The controversy centers over the
House action in approving only q
temporary 10-month annuity in
crease. The Senate's bill provides
temporary 22-month raise.
Senate Bill Covers All.
Also, the House bill would deny
an increase to any annuitant
drawing over $4,000 a year, while
the Senate bill would give raises
to all retired Federal workers.
Although the House Civil Serv-
ice Committee approved the Sem
ate bill, it also approved another
retirement measure, WHICH gave
Chairman Murray, who opposes
the Senate legislation. a chance
to amend the bill and bring it up
for House action in the form he
wanted it.
Following House action, Senator
Smathers, Democrat, of Florida.
chairman of the Senate unit that
handled the measure. told Mr..
Murray the Senate would not ac-
cept the House measure and would
seek a conference.
According to Senator Smathers,
Mr.. Murray declared the Senate
would have to take the House bill
or have it killed. With only two
days remaining before Congress
goes home, Mr.. Murray declared
the Senate had little choice in the
matter.
May withhold Conferees.
The Tennessee Democrat was
reported as saying he would refuse
to name House conferees.
In view of Mr.. Murray's attitude,
Senator Smathers said he would
wait until later today to see If the
House chairman could be prevailed
upon to change his views and
name confereeS. Also being studied
lis some legislative means Of forc-
ing the naming of House conferees.
Iif Mr.. Murray refuses to do so.
Senator Smathers called the House
bill "cruel and unjust"
Both the House and Senate bills
would limit the increases to en-
ployes who retired before April l.
The House bill would become eff
fective on September /, as would
the Senate measure. However, the
House-approved benefits would
end on June 80, 1853, unless by
that time Congress voted funds to
pay for the increase for the fol-
lowing year.
Shut-Of in 1855.
Until that time the increases
would come out of the present
civil service retirement system. In
any event, the House bill would
end the increases on June 80,
1855, whether or not Congress
voted additional funds.
The Senate bill would allow the
increases to remain in effect until
June 80, 1854. Whether the in
creases would continue after that
date would depend on whether
Congress voted additional funds,
under provisions of the Senate bill.
The House bill also would set
up comprehensive survey of the
entire Government retirement sys-
tenn to see if there are inequitieS
and what changes should be made.
The Senate bill also would provide
for a study Of the retirement's
funds financial system, but 1t
would not make the comprehen-
sive overall study called for in
the House bill.
Also, the House bill would add
the chairman of the Civil Service
Commission and a presidential
appointed member to the three
man board provided for in the
Senate bill. The Senate bill would
set up a board composed Of the
Budget Bureau director, the chair
man of the Federal Reserve Board
and the Secretary Of the Treasury.