Evening star., 1917-01-15
FULL COMMITTEE
KILLS SALARY RAISE
Senate subcommittee Action
Ratified, But Fight Is
to Continue.
SMOOT AMENDMENT LOST

The full Senate committee on ap-
propriations today voted to sustain the
action of its subcommittee in striking
out of the legislative, executive ana
judicial appropriation bill the salary
increases for government clerks al
lowed by the House.
An amendment offered by Senator
Smoot of Utah. seeking to grant some
increases to the employees of the gov
ernment receiving the lowest salaries,
was defeated by tie vote in the COM
mittee-3 to T. One democrat. Senator
Tillman of South Carolina, voted with
Senator Smoot- and five other repub-
Hcan members of the committee IN
support of the Smoot amendment
Senator Shoots amendment would
have given those employees receiving
$3.50 a year and less an increase OF 10
per cent. and those employees receSo
ing from $3.50 to and including Sl,ooo
10 per cent increase.
Bill Reported to the Senate.
The bill later was reported to the
Senate from the committee on appro-
priations by Senator Overman of North
carolina, dCtlES Cudii man VI e''S >-
mittee in the absence of Senator Mar
tin of Virginia.
Senator Oyerman admitted, following
the committee meeting, that he antici-
pated a brisk fight in the Senate over
the matter of allowing sonrs salary
increases to the clerks.
I'VE would have been glad to have
allowed the increases proposed by the
House." said Senator Overman, out
we did not feel willing to do SO at
this time. owing to the dehcit "hch
10 facing the Treasury.
The bill as reported to the Senate
from the committee carries approx
mately S1,325.000 less than the bill as
the reductions were found in the salary
decreases ordered by the Senate COM
mittee.
1t is expected that Senator Smoot will
carry to the floor of the Senate his fight
to obtain some increases in wages for
the clerks. While the democratic eau
Gus of the Senate went on record re-
Gently that 1t would uphold the hands
of the committee in any steps 1t took
looking to economy. it is known that
some of the democratic senators are
not willing to be bound by this action
of the caucus.
More Money for Census Bureau.
The one big increase which the Sem
ate committee allowed in the bill 10
LOT tue CcuSuS uuH CAd- II PAOSi0Su
siS5.00O for taking q census on mar
riage and divorce in the United States
The bill does not contain q single
salary increase. This is record. It
was said, for no other similar appro-
priation bill in the memory of members
of the committee was ever reported to
the Senate in which some salary in
creases were not allowed by the Sem
ate committee.
The committeeman said that this
clearly indicated the determination of
the committee to keep all appropria-
t.ons trimmed down to the lowest
figure possible at the present session
of Congress
The committee used its pairing knife
on the salaries provided by the House
for the federal farm loan board The
salaries of the members of the board
were reduced from $4,000 each to
$500. The salary of the secretary was
salary of the bond clerk from SO. 900 to
$4,000: the publicity agent, from $4,000
TO 1000, and stenographers, from ST.
200 to $1,000.
Provides Inquiry Into Pay.
The Senate committee placed in the
bill provision directing the bureau of
efficiency to examine into the matter of
the pay of government employees, par
ticularly as compared to pay outside the
government service. and to report to
Congress
The provision is as follows:
The bureau of efficiency shall inves-
tigate the methods of transacting the
public business in the civil service COM
mission and report to the Senate
through the President at the next regu-
lar session of Congress. ...--..
THE bureau of efficiency shall ascer-
tain the dates of pay of employees Of
various state and municipal govern
ments and commercial institutions in dif-
ferent parts of the United States and
shall submit tosthe Congress at its next
regular session report showing how such
rates compare with the rates of pay of
employees of the federal government
performing similar services"
Would Have Pay Made Direct.
The Senate committee added an
amendment which would put the clerks
OF members Of the House on the nav
roll of the House. just as other en-
ployes of the House. Heretofore the
salaries of the members clerks have
been paid to the members and by the
members to their clerks. 1t is COM
monty reported that in many instances
q considerable part of the salaries in
tended for clerks never found it's wav
to the clerks. but the members paid
their clerks what they saw fit. Each
member of the House is allowed 81. 00o
a year for clerk or clerks. to be paid
in monthly installments.
Tne bill as reported to the Senate
carries s3s.s26,2s2.42. This is a net de.
crease from the House bill of s1.3es
26l.33- The amount carried in the
House by section I. which provided the
horizontal increases in Salaries for
clerks receiving $500 and less, which
was stricken out by the Senate COM
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