The Washington times., 1918-07-27
PORTION Of
$12O RAISE
INCLUDED IN
NEXTPAYROLL
By BILL PRICE

Disubursing officers Of the various
executive departments and establish
ments are struggling to get their
July 81 pay rolls completed by that
date so that they may contain the
proportion Of the $40 q year addi-
tional compensation granted by Con-
Eress.
The Comptroller Of the Treasury
has rendered q number Of decisions
as to the intention Of Congress in
granting this increase and they have
been along the lines already indicated
In these columnR
Merit oSftineates Required
To the Department Of Justice the
Comptroller has rendered . decision
relative to 'lump sum" employees
there He finds that as no new bu-
reaus or divisions have been created
in that department since January 1,
1916, employees on lump sum rolls
may be given the increase the same
as statutory employees, subject, how
ever. to compliance with other pro-
visions Of the act forbidding addi-
tional compensation to employees who
have received in the last fiscal year
Or In this fiscal year increases in
salaries above 500 per annum-
Where there have been such In
ereases Il will be necessary for execu-
tive heads OF a department to fur
nish certificates of merit that en-
Joloyes were entitled to the increase.
This certificate win entitle these en-
ployes to the S120 additional
The controller has informed the
Attorney General that q certificate
may be furnished covering q num-
ber OF persons and that 1t is not
necessary to have a single certificate
for each Individual The certificates
from all departments, which will be
filed with disbursing officers, must
represent that the ability and quail
hcations personal to each employe
are such as to Justify the payment to
that emplpye Of additional eompen-
sation.
In all departments there are hun
dreds OF people who have received
increases in salaries OF over 5000, or
who have entered the service since
June 30, 1917, whether they have re-
ceived increases or not. Both classes
must have certificates Of merit to
obtain the additional money.
Delay IL Feared.
Some disbursing officers fear that
pay rolls for the last pay day in
July will be delayed while the rights
of employees are being established and
certificates being gotten ready.
The Controller has ruled that over
5000 employees Of the war risk bureau
are not entitled to the extra money
owing to the fact that they are paid
from lump sum appropriations and
that the divisions in which they work
were created since January !, 1915
The Comptroller has ruled that
Senate pages shall have the increase
II their salaries have not been in
creased above $500 per annum or IL
they entered the service before June
so, 1917.
Charwomen whose salaries are S2Io
per year, S2e per month, will get in
creases OF only 80 per cent under the
law. or $72 per year, Sc per month.
The Secretary Of State has been IN
formed that certificates OF merit from
his department may be individual or
collective, as he desires.
Treasury Needs More Space.
The Treasury Department Is badly
IN need of more space for its en-
ployeS and has submitted to the
comptroller questions as to what ap-
propriations may be available for con-
Etruction of q building to house 1000
more clerks. The probability Is that
q building that will house 1000 en-
pioyes will be erected for the Treas
Wy IN ground near the Bureau Of En-
craving and Printing, and that the
employees now at work upon bond is
sues will be placed in this building. |
Most OF them are now in the main
Treasury building. The bond work
would be considerably facilitated IL |
the employees could be near the bu- !
reau which prints the bonds
II has been found that the big new
building going up on the site OF the !
cid Arlington Hotel. bought at a cost
of over 100000 will not be suf-
neient 70 care for thousands Of Treas |
ury employees. When completed IL
Will be occupied by the war risk bu- |
rsau, the main quarters of which are
in the beautiful new National Mu- |
scum
Across from the Treasury, adjoining |
the Riggs Bank property, on Penn |
sylvania avenue, is going up a build. |
ing costing 81 ,250, 900 for the Internal |
Revenue Bureau, but work on that
Is delayed
with all the buildings It has in
course OF construction the Treasury |
will be deficient in space for more |
than / 900 clerks, and that is why a |
new building is being planned
Uses - Rented Buildings.
The Treasury Department is now |
occupying thirty-two rented buildings
throughout Washington, many of |
them entirely untitled for the clerks. |
Some are poorly ventilated, nearly all |
poorly heated and dangerous in other
ways. Elevator service is poor and |
uncertain in some and clerks are ]
afraid OF fire dangers.
Chief Clerk Paul F. Myers, of the
Treasury. has had q big problem on
his hands in giving clerks proper ac-
commodations in these buildings. He
is doing everything possible to II. 1
~HnRKINeI