Evening star., 1955-07-20

0hRR4CAAlN4ANdA OOSA1A SSSA4 AZ
ployes won't occur this year. no.
But there are increasing indi-
cations that. in not too many
years coordination Of the civil
service retirement system and
social security might become a
reality.
/ Government employe leaders
who oppose social security cov-
erage for Federal employees have
made no effort to conceal their
concern over recent happenings
ION Capitol Hill.
Il The House last week approved
a bill to bring all servicemen un-
Ider social security. Servicemen
ihave been one of the few re-
Imaining groups along with Fed
eral civilian employees who are
mot covered by social security.
And the House this week ap-
proved another bill bringing un-
der social security 10000 en-
iployes of the Tennessee Valley
Authority and the Federal Home
Loan Banks and $4,000 turpen-
tine and gum workers at naval
stores The employees involved
are not eligible for civil service
retirement and the House passed
measure would place them under
social security.
Employe leaders see these ac-
tions as a trend in Congress to
place under social security tia,
few large groups such as Federal
employes who have not yet been
brought in.
Supplemental social security
coverage would give greater sur
vivorship benefits to the families
of Federal employees and also a
greater eventual pension.
Federal employe leaders, how
ever. fear coordination of the
civil service retirement system
with social security. They feel
that social security would even
tually swallow up the cival serv-
lice pension system. Furthermore.
they feel that the eventual cost
/ to Federal employees for dual
civil service-social security bene-
! fits would be prohibitive.
Co-ordinated civil service-so-
cial security retirement coverage
has been proposed by the Kaplan
committee and is favored by
President Eisenhower and the
administration. The administra-
Ition declares that co-ordinated
coverage is the only way toI
increase retirement and survivor
ship benef1tSto Federal employees.
X + Il "
EXECUTIVE PAY-The ad-
ministration has finally sent to
Congress its oft-delayed proposal
to increase the pay of the Gov
ernment's top executives. The
plan would also lift the $14,800
a year classified pay ceiling to
$l7, 500 (employes in the top
step of grade 18 would get that
afnount). The top pay for GS-
II would be $14.835. There would
be no pay boost for GS-16 or any
other grade below GS-l6.
Regarding the top executives,
cabinet officers would get $4,000
annually; various undersecre-
taries and the Deputy Secretary
of Defense and several presiden-
tial aides; $22,500: the Secre-
taries of Army, Navy and Air
Force, the Director of the FBI
and several other presidential
aides, $22, 900. and various agency
and bureau heads. commissioners
and others under the Executive
Pay Act, from $17,500 to $4,000.
n II II
RETIREMENT-House Major
Iity Leader Mccormack told the
House Monday that he hoped
that Congress will vote q pen
sion increase for the Govern
Iment's retired employees before it
goes home for the year. The
Massachusetts, Democrat called
Federal retired employees a de
serving group" adding, II sin
Icerely hope that favorable con-
sideration will be given between
now and the time the Congress
Iadjourns to all of our retired
Federal employees"
Meanwhile, the administra-
Ition, which has repeatedly agreed
to recommend an 8 per cent in
crease for retired employees. still
has not officially sent its pro-
looe,1 RI rnyouraSc However