Also present: Mr. Robert H. Alcorn, Mr. Daniel Gol Llewellyn Jordan, Mr. J. M. McConnell, Mr. Edward Arthur E. Holder, and Mrs. Ruth De Havens.

The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. by a roll call of the Senate.

There are several bills pending in committees of bo Congress relating to the subject now under considerati corporate in the record the three that have been so in the Senate (S. 157, 281, and 633), each of which ar (The bills referred to above are here printed in full,

S. 157. A BILL To provide for the retirement of employees in th Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of t of America in Congress assembled, That, beginning with the next following the passage of this act, all employees in th service shall be eligible for retirement as hereinafter provided. SEC. 2. That any employee in the classified civil service wh United States for thirty years or more shall, upon his or her re from the service on an annuity of fifty per centum of his or h based upon the average annual salary, pay, or compensation he received for the five years next preceding retirement. Any classified civil service who has served the United States for a twenty-five to thirty years shall, upon his or her request, be service on an annuity of forty-five per centum of his or her ann upon the average annual salary, pay, or compensation he or s ceived for the five years next preceding retirement. Any classified civil service who has served the United States for a twenty to twenty-five years shall upon his or her request, be service on an annuity of forty per centum of his or her annu upon the average annual salary, pay, or compensation he o received for the five years next preceding retirement.

SEC. 3. That no employee provided for in this act shall be service after arriving at the age of seventy years.

SEC. 4. That the payments provided for in this act shall b throughout the life of the employee.

SEC. 5. That any employee to whom this act applies who United States for not less than five years, and who, by reaso illness not due to vicious habits and without fault or deling her part, has become disabled shall be retired from the serv from the head of the department or independent office in wh

The Senate and House of Representatives of the United Congress assembled, That beginning on the first day of he passage of this act all employees in the classified civil States who have reached the age of seventy years shall ment on an annuity as hereinafter provided; on the sucJuly the retirement age shall be sixty-nine years; on the day of July the retirement age shall be sixty-eight years; g first day of July the retirement age shall be sixty-seven succeeding first day of July the retirement age shall be he next succeeding first day of July and thereafter the be sixty-five years: Provided, That mechanics, city and and railway mail clerks shall be eligible for retirement at ze: And provided further, That fourth-class postmasters in the provisions of this act.

5.

he purpose of determining the amount of annuity which all receive the following classifications and rates shall be

le all employees to whom this act applies who have served a total period of thirty years or more.

ude all employees to whom this act applies who have ates for a total period of twenty-five years or more, but

le all employees to whom this act applies who have served r a total period of twenty years or more, but less than

ude all employees to whom this act applies who have ates for a total period of fifteen years or more, but less etired employee in class A shall equal fifty per centum of age annual salary, pay, or compensation from the United ars next preceding the date retirement is to begin: Prose shall an annuity in this class exceed $600 per annum. etired employee in class B shall equal forty per centum of age annual salary, pay, or compensation from the United ars next preceding the date retirement is to begin: Proe shall an annuity in this class exceed $540 per annum. etired employee in class C shall equal thirty per centum erage annual salary, pay, or compensation from the United ars next preceding the date retirement is to begin: Prose shall an annuity in this class exceed $480 per annum, retired employee in class D shall equal twenty-five per oyee's average annual salary, pay, or compensation from the ten years next preceding the date retirement is to

uncertain duration.

SEC. 5. That any employee to whom this act applies who s the United States for a total period of not less than fifteen ye reason of the exigencies of the service, or on account of accid due to vicious habits or intemperance, and without fault of his or her part, has become disabled before reaching the retire scribed in section one of this act, so as not to be fitted for us service to the Government, shall, upon his or her request, or the head of the department, branch, or independent oflice of in which such employee is employed, be retired on an annuity of service and average salary, pay, or compensation as pres two of this act: Provided, however, That no employee to who shall be retired under the provisions of this section until afte have been duly examined by a board of examining surgeons Pensions and the applicant's case passed upon by the Commiss and by the head of the department, branch, or independent ernment in which such employee is employed. Each member o board shall receive the sum of $3 for the examination of each ever five or a less number shall be examined on any one day examination of each additional applicant on such day: Provi shall be paid to any member of an examining board unless p and assisting in the examination of the applicant.

SEC. 6. That any person who shall have been retired on an of disability as defined in section five of this act, and who s recover from such disability before the retirement age, may, be reinstated in the civil service of the United States upon ce Civil Service Commission without the formality of examinatio SEC. 7. That all employees to whom this act applies shall, o age of retirement as defined in section one, be automatically se service: Provided, That if not less than ninety days before employee at the age of retirement the head of the department pendent office of the Government in which he or she is employ Civil Service Commission that by reason of his or her efficien willingness to remain in the civil service of the United States of such employee therein would be advantageous to the pul employee may be retained for a term not exceeding two years by the Civil Service Commission; and at the end of the two may by similar certification be continued for an additional te and so on: Provided, however, That at the end of ten yea becomes effective no employee shall be continued in the civ United States beyond the age of seventy years.

SEC. 8. That each employee who may become eligible for r vided in this act shall, not less than sixty days before reachi age, file with the Commissioner of Pensions, in such form as an application for annuity, and said application shall be

such person during the period covered by such payment, m for the benefits to which he or she may be entitled under = act, notwithstanding the provisions of sections one hunone hundred and sixty-eight, and one hundred and sixtytatutes of the United States, and of any other law, rule, or he salary, pay, or compensation of any person or persons service to whom this act applies.

aning on the first day of the second month after the month approved, there shall be deducted and withheld from the ensation of each person to whom this act applies a sum entum of such person's salary, pay, or compensation: more than $50 shall be so withheld and deducted from the ensation of any individual in any one fiscal year. The asury shall cause to be deducted from all specific appros or compensation of such employees and from all allotm appropriations for payments of salaries or compensation sum equal to two per centum of such salaries or com-re than $50 on account of any position for any fiscal year, -e transferred on the books of the Treasury Department to al fund to be known as "the civil-service retirement and ich fund is hereby appropriated for the payment of nd allowances as provided in this act. There is also apy moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, a led to the two per centum transferred from other approrovisions of this act, shall be sufficient to make payments ities as herein provided shall be paid monthly, and checks nailed to the last known address of the annuitant on the the month succeeding the month in which the annuity ed, That where an annuitant is laboring under legal disin such cases may be paid to the duly appointed guardian. payment of annuities, as provided in this act shall cease the death of the annuitant, excepting that any amount of ccrued up to the time of the annuitant's death shall be al representatives upon the establishment of a valid claim

e case of an employee in the classified civil service of the transferred to an unclassified position, and in the case of m this act applies who becomes absolutely separated from aching the retirement age the total amount of deductions ›mpensation shall, upon application, be returned to such se the death of an employee occurs before reaching the efore establishing a valid claim for annuity, the total may be paid to the legal representatives of such employee.