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year, those under the Braniff plan about $300,000, the Pan American pilots perhaps $425,000, and those on United over $450,000. While the Eastern plan was not in effect until October of this year, had it been in effect the second quarter of this year, the annual rate of contribution by Eastern pilots under the given assumptions, would have been almost $190,000. While I would not say that the contributions of the pilots are ill advised, I do say that they are entitled, in return for such substantial payments, to a much greater degree of security than they have at present.

V. Solution of the Pilot Retirement Problem Must Not be Delayed.

The air line industry is too important for everyone, and the part the pilots play in it too crucial, for any further dilly-dallying with the retirement problem. I want to say to you, that unless the problem is solved--and quickly--the industry and the country are going progressively to lose more and more of the backbone of the industry, and a goodly part of the backbone of national defense. We would like to have the employers join with us in solving the pilots' problem along the lines--with necessary modifications--that the railroad industry used in 1937 in the joint agreement covering the Railroad Retirement Act. But if the employers do not join with us--and their attitude in the T.W.A. case and the fact that all the retirement plans so far adopted were formulated without our knowledge give us no reason to expect any cooperation from them--we propose to proceed on our own along the route the railroad labor organization have cut through.  

I do not propose here to go into detail on the kind of plan which in my judgement would be appropriate for giving the pilots that degree of security which I believe it to be in the national interests they