Letter on Retirement Pensions for Railroad Employees.

December 26, 1936

Dear Sirs:

For several years the establishment and operation of a system of retirement annuities has been under consideration by the railroads and their employees. Because the legislation undertaken for the purpose of arranging for the payment of retirement annuities has been involved in litigation, efforts to resolve the issues through mutual discussion have been postponed.

The railroads and their employees have shown great aptitude in the cooperative solution of their problems. I sincerely hope that the retirement annuity problem can be resolved in the same manner. I therefore urge upon you the desirability of a conference between representatives of the railroads and of the railroad employees to consider the retirement problem and attempt to find a satisfactory solution.

The taxes under the carrier and carrier employee tax act expire on February 28th next and further consideration of this whole subject by Congress will be necessary early in the next session. In order that Congress might have the benefit of joint recommendations, I suggest a conference on these matters.

The Railroad Retirement Board has collected a wealth of information bearing on the problems which would be considered by such a conference and has in its possession all the relevant records compiled by the Federal Coordinator of Transportation. Its technical facilities can doubtless be of much value to such a conference and I am, therefore, requesting the Board to offer assistance in arranging for a conference, to make its information available and to render whatever possible aid it can to the conferees.

In view of the general desire that there may be an amicable solution reached, I hope that you will take an interest in attempting to bring about that result.

Very sincerely yours,

Mr. J. J. Pelley,

President, Association of American Railroads,

Washington, D. C.

and

Mr. G.M. Harrison,

Railway Labor Executives' Association,

Cincinnati, Ohio.