The Washington times., 1919-12-29
j. s. PAY LESS
THAN IN 1888
Some Bureaus Neglected for
Most a Century, Salary Re-
clasSifiers Hear.

Facts showing that some Govern
menr employees today are receiving
less salary than was paid for 4 slrnI-
lar class of work in 1888. were pre-
sented to the Congressional joint
commission on reclassification of ST.
aries this morning.
I'm "espect to salary increases
some of the Government bureaus have
been neglected and forgotten for al
most a century" declared a brlet
j. Biller, chairman of the committee
representing the Iminer group of
Government employ IS.
Mr.. BiIler stated in 1888 records
showed that examiners and registers
of Revolutionary claims under the act
of May Is. 1928, were paid 81 400 PEI
year. OF the 214 examiners in the
Pension Bureau toda, 162 receive an
annual salary of 81. 400 a year or less,
and "seventy-six are actually paid
less than some of their predecessors
Table shows Ayeraee.-
The accompanying table shows that
the average clerical salary in some
instances in the Government service
has increased less than 81 in nearly
one hundred years, while the follow
ing increases in other Federal sal
Aries are noted: Supreme Court, 300
per cent; United States district courts,
$50 per cent; Congress, 700 per cent;
and Cabinet, 100 per cent
1T should be clearly understood
that Ii is not contended that the pay
Of judges and Congressman is too
high" commented Mr.. Biller. These
officials hold important and dignified
positions in our great Government
and are probably paid less than they
should be. What is held to be true is
that the examiner group in some of
the bureaus has been neglected and
forgotten for almost a century"
Increases Pointed Out.
After pointing out the large in
creases in judicial. congressional
and executive salaries during the
past 100 years. the brief continues:
IN 1922, the minimum pay possible
for an examiner in the Pension Bu-
reau was the same as that paid to
the q. s District Judge OF Vermont.
In 1893 the average pay of all the
examiners in this same bureau was
greater than that OF Congressman.
although such famous men as Web
ster, Hayne, Benton, Corwin, Polk.
Tyler, Dallas, Marcy, Edward Everett
and John Quincy Adams were then
members of the House or Senate. In
1s23. the pay Of a principal examiner
In the Pension Bureau was greater
than the average pay of the U. s.
District Judges In 1888, the average
pay of these Judges exceeded that of
the principal examiner by less than
S3oo, while up to 1874 the margin in
favor of the former was less than
$500. Today there is no comparison"
W. E Burlington was secretary OF
the committee OF the examiner group.
Lew Salaries DepIored.
Declaring that at no time in it's his
tory did this Government have greater
legal problems to face than at the
present, and that its legal stafr was
rapidly being depleted because of low
salaries, brief was presented to the
commission this afternoon by a COM
mittee representing the law service
asking for increa ses in salaries.
It was declared that in the Inter-
state Commerce Commission recently
twelve attorneys paid from $4,000 TO
5000 by the Government resigned for
outside positions paying from $4,000
20 $4,000 per year. 1t was shown
that similar conditions exist in all of
the departments, and that in the Of
ice Of the alien property custodian
there vss recent turnover OF the
legal staff OF more than 100 per cent
The brief stated that the chief
counsel of the Interstate Commerce
Commission receives $4,000 per year
while similar position with one OF
the large railway companies is paying
S35, 900.
Salaries Asked For.
The following salaries were asked
for: Chief counsel. $500 and up;
counsel. $4,000 20 $500; senior attor.
ney. $3.50 TO $4,000: attorney. $4,000
TO $4,000; assistant attorney, 81. 400 to
$3.50; junior attorney, $500 to
S2,2so; law assistant, 81 600 TO s1.7S0
The committee was represented by
J. W. Witten, OF the Inerior Depart
ment; Wilbur La Roe. jr., Of the In
terstate Commerce Commission, and
Mr.. Golze, Of the Treasury Depart
ment-