Evening star., 1916-12-12
FAVOR
RA|SEFOR CLERKS
Increase in Pay Generally Is
Advocated. in View of HIGH
Cost Of Living.
VIEWS VARY AS TO MEANS

An increase in the pay of the gov
ernment employees is generally advo-
Gated by the members of the Senate,
particularly in view of the rapid in
crease in the cost of living.
The action of the House committee
on appropriations, however, in report
ing the legislative. executive and ju-
dicial appropriation bill, with horizon
tai increases for employees receiving
$1,000 a year and less, failed to meet
the approval of a number of the sena-
tors.
In the first place. senator's said they
believed the increases proposed were
not sufficient in cases where the pay of
the clerks was too low, and that in
the service rendered the increases were
too high.
Senator Kern's Views.
II do not believe that it would be
feasible to provide horizontal increases
in pay for the clerks receiving over
$780," said Senator Kern of Indiana
the democratic leader of the Senate
Many clerks are inadequately paid to-
day, others are fairly well paid for the
services they render. i am in favor Of
increases in pay for all those whose
pay is inadequate. But some other plan
must be devised for bringing about
these increases"
Senator Chamberlain, member Of the
appropriations committee. said:
"As general proposition / am
heartily in favor of increasing the pay
of the civil employees Of the, govern
ment, particularly in view of the in
creased cost of living"
Senator Martin. chairman of the COM
mittee on appropriations, while ex-
pressing himself in favor of adequate
ment, said he preferred to study the
matter. which must be handled by his
committee, before expressing an
opinion.
Favors Pension System First.
Senator Pomerene of Ohio. chairman
of the committee on civil service. ex-
pressed the opinion that the first thing
to do was to provide an adequate re-
tirement and pension system for the
clerks, and then to give attention to
the matter of increased pay. The es-
tablishment of retirement system,
wedding out the superannuated en-
ployes, he argued. would bring about
many increases in pay or employees
through promotions.
Senator Smoot of Utah. member of
the appropriations committee. while
withholding comment as to the de-
STABILITY OF granting increases in
salaries to the clerks on the ground
that as a member Of the committee he
would later have to pass upon the
questions involved. said he believed the
only right way Of bringing about in
creases in pay for the government en-
ployes was to go into the various clas-
sifications and to determine what work
was done by the employees and what the
work was worth.
He said a horizontal increase in pay
might well result in the increased pay
to employees who should not receive it,
and at the same time, the horizontal
Increases proposed by the House COM
mittee might be far too low in justice
to other employees.
Senator John Walter Smith, chairman
Of the Senate District committee and
also a member of the appropriations
committee, said he favored an increase
in pay for the government employees.
"They are entitled to their share in the
general prosperity of the country" said
Senator Smith. Private employers have
been making increases In pay and the
Royernment should do the same, particu-
larly in view OF the increased cost Of liv-
Senator Shafroth OF Colorado said he
thouaht the only feasible plan for bring
ing about an increase In the pay OF the
sUvernn1(nt employees was by means Of y
hortxont0 incfease on percentage
shaain.