Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-28
DEPARTMENT HEADS
TO Be HEARD FIRST
Advocates of Raise for Clerks
Desire Views of Chiefs
on the Subject.
MAY GUIDE COMMITTEE

Fer strategic reasons the Dig hear
ing at which arguments will be adj
vanced in favor of substantial in
crease in salary to government en-
ployes probably will not be held much
before the middle Of January. This
was learned today In talks with Rep
resentative Jossph W. Byrns ut Tenries-
see, chairman Of the appreprtations
subcommittee on legislative. executive
and judicial departments. and with
Representative Edward Keating of
Colorado. father of the bill which pro-
yfdes for graded increases OF from 5
to 80 per cent.
The Byrns subcommittee has before it
the department budgets which would carry
the salary allowance for all the thousands
of government clerks in Washington. with
the exception OF the Department OF Agri-
culture It includes also the revenue col
lection service and government employees
in other branches Of field service. It in
cludes appropriations. for salaries In the
War and Navy departments, except for
the field forces.
1t is known that the members of this
subcommittee are friendly toward the
proposal for substantial salary in
= 1
hearings any time that Representative
Heating wants to present proponents
for his bill, but according to Chairman
Byrns' present program it is hoped to
hear the various department and bu-
reau chiefs first on their estimates so
general view of their opinions before
they take up particularly the problem
Of salary increases for the federal en-
ployes.
Favor Larger Salaries.
Most of the department heads and
the bureau chiefs have already ex-
pressed their convictions that the gov
ernment workers must be given larger
salaries in order to live. 1t is expect
ed that they will be given chance to
go on record before the committee for
such increase when they are discussing
the estimates they have made for the
various departments and bureaus.
1t is believed that in this way. by
waiting until the bureau and depart
ment chiefs have been heard, that the
government workers will find the COM
mittee more inclined to give attention
to their arguments and data.
Representative keating is in con-
ference today with representatives of
the federal employees regarding the pro-
gram for the hearings and the general
handling of the case for the clerks in
1t was learned today that in the gen.
eral consideration OF the salary in
creases it is probable the temporary
employees in the War Department and
elsewhere will not be counted in on
the graded increase. Members of va
rious important committees who are in
close touch with conditions feel that
the temporary workers have come here
at big increases over their previous
employment, and that it would not be
fair to those who have labored for
many years in the government service
to give the newcomers the same rate
of increase.
This matter has not yet been considered
by the Byrns committee. The other mem
bers of this subcommittee are Representa-
tiyes John r. Evans of Montana, James p
Buchanan of Texas William H. Stafford
Of Wisconsin and James w. Good of Iowa.
Attitude Is Well Known.
Because he is chairman OF this commit
tee Representative Byrns feels that he
should grant no interview at this time re-