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Retirement System Attacked:
Smet! Pensions Cause Concern
Articles which have appeared lately
in various newspapers indicate that the
Oregon Retirement Act for state em
ployees-rs not well-liked by some.
Surely there can be no quarrel with
the intent of the Act- which is: to
provide for the orderly retiring of older
and long-service employees with a life
time pension to insure freedom from
want and worry in their later years,
and to provide a life-time pension to
employees forced to cease gainful? work
because of permanent disability.
Sources of Complaint
The careless and thoughtless expres
sions that have been heard and read
"that the Act should be repealed” ap
pear to originate from either, of two
sources: those who are not under the
system and have a "sour grape” ' com
plex; or those participants who through
early retireront will not receive much
benefit to themselves! If their senti
ments availed, thousands of present
employees, and thousands of future em
ployees would be deprived of substan
tial benefits which will accrue to them
with the passage of time, and many
now employed would find themselves,
through disability, unable to work and
penniless..
As is usual with all ideas and move
ments, they are often backed with a
measure of truth; and the present dis
satisfaction seems to be that "65 year
old employées are being compelled to
retire, even though in- good health and
vigor, and well able to do the work
required of them,” to quote from a
letter recently received by the writer
from Mr.j Sayler, Executive Secretary
of the Public Employees Retirement
System.
Future Prospects
It seems self-evident that when time
has elapsed sufficiently so that an able
and healthy person reaches retirement
age with a pension of half-pay per
month for life, that employée will be
happy about the occasion and will look
forward to his remaining years with
keen anticipation. It also seems apparent
that an ailing employee will Under like
circumstances welcome release from his
work when provision for his future has;
been adequately provided for. Under
the retirement system it is not intended
that all employees be kept employed
until they die. The system contemplates
continuous replacement of those who
have given of the best years of their
life to public service in order that they
may. enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Present Problem Is Temporary
If our- logic'is tenable, the présent
trouble: with the opération of the Re
tirement Act is basically a temporary
pné wherein present retiring employees
do not receive ample pensions, and
wherein present high living costs and
help shortage combine to present a real,
although transitory, problem. The Act
is intended to be of benefit toi the State
and to the employee. We havé every
assurance that it will be administered
to provide the fullest possible benefits.
It can and. will fulfill its true and full
purposes as it Continues in operation.
Transition Period Recommendations
During the g immediate future, and
possibly for a period of two or three
years, the following suggested proced
ures would appear to alleviate present
hardships:
1. Administrators could be more lib
eral in their consideration of present
employees nearing retirement age and
request retention of able, efficient em
ployees who express a ' desire to be re
tained in service. The employees, of
Course, should be told of this action so
that they may plan accordingly.
, 2. Administrators could strive for
uniformity of policy among themselvës,