Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-13
CLERKS LEFT OUT
IN CABINETS PLEA
FOR PAY INCREASE
Interior Only Department
Asking Raises for Rank and
File in Service.
EFFORTS MADE TO HOLD
ALL TECHNICAL WORKERS

President SAID to Have Concurred
in Decision Not to Ask Cen
eral Advances.
The poor government clerk is going
to get it in the neck again unless
Congress comes to his aid by passing
appropriate reclassification legislation
This was seen today when it becam.
known that estimates of the depart
ments for the fiscal year beginning next
July will contain no items asking in
creases in pay for the rank and file OF
the government employees here.
Increases of approximately % per
cent, however. will be asked for scores
OF administrative, scientific and tech
nical employees of the government to
prevent these men going TO outside in
dustries.
Filing of the estimates Friday with
the Treasury Department, as required
by law. will show that only one d.
partment Of the government is planning
pay increases for the great mass OF iis
employees, 1t is believed.
Interior TO Ask Increase.
AAh' Ncpdi iIilthl IL mat OF tnt IN
terror, which is understood to he asking
Increased salaries all down the nn.
While Chief Clerk T.. J. Ayres is out
OF the city and other department Off
Gals would HotASpeak of the matter il
is understood tNt increases for those In
the ranks have been asked literally, 20
per cent increase tor salaries OF 81. 900 a
year and more, and higher percentages
IN some instances, for those drawing less
| than 81, 900.
| Action of the other departments in
| failing to include estimates for increases
| IN salaries of the great rank and file OF
government employees here was taken as
/ the result of recent cabinet meeting
when the heads of the departments came
| 10 the general agreement that such ac-
tlon was proper. 1t is understood that
the President concurred in this idea
The idea was to leave the matter of
| general increases to Congress, in the
! bel1ef that some action would be
| taken, either at the coming short ses-
sion or the following one. whereby the
government clerks in the mass would
be properly taken care of in the way
of salary increases.
Orders to Bureau Chiefs.
Heads of the majority of the de-
(; partments. through their chief clerks.
have issued orders to their bureau
chiefs to the effect that no increases
are to be included in the estimates for
cleTk issuance OF tleSe orders
was made merely to get the action
down in black and white.
! 1t was generally realized through
| out the service, when officials began
! the preparation of the estimates some
| days ago, that something must be
! done to hold administrative officials.
! scientific and technical men in the
service.
Outside industries have been reach
| ing in with double and triple salary
nf M M a inp frn,
Uncle Sam the best and most highly
trained administrators, scientists and
technologists. This has been going
on for many months now, with the re-
suit that bureaus like that of fisher
les, in the Department of Commerce.
and the bureau of standa rds are be
ing depleted. If the thing We're a
battle, "decimated" would be the word
to use.
Chiefs Quietly Instructed.
Accordingly. bureau chiefs wer,
quietly instructed to take care of
these men in the way of salary in
creases, and to make no recommenda-
tions whatever as to the lower paid
positions, which latter constitute
probably so per cent of the entire pay
roll of the government
1t is generally understood that these
increased salaries for the administra-
tors and others named will range in
the neighborhood of 25 per cent. In
some cases the increases for these
men will be % or % per cent, and in
others 25. 26 or q per cent. depending
largely upon what sum becomes nee
eSSary to make the yearly salary
come to an even figure. There has
always been fondness in govern
ment service for the round number
salary. such as s1,S00 a year, 1000
per annum. $4,000. etc.
Bureau chiefs are put in a delicate
position in making out these in
creases. as they are included in the
list of administrators. and necessarily
hesitate to put themselves down for
an increase in salary while not being
able to do the same thing for their
employees in the rank and file.
ban by Treasury Last Year.
In these cases it Is customary for
the chief to leave his salary blank and
allow the head of the department to
place therein the salary which the bu-
reau chief in question should draw
Last year the Secretary of the Treas
ury issued statement to all depart
ments asking heads not to include in
their estimates any items for increased
salaries whatever. stating that the
work of the reclassiication commission
would take care of the federal en-
ployeS.
Failure of Congress to act on the
reclass ssification bill last spring. and the
failure of the reclassification commits
items regarding the larry of many
administrative officials, led to the ac-
ton of the cabinet, it is understood
No Order From Treasury.
No order whatever has been issued
by the Treasury this fall. the depart
ments acting solely on the advice Of
their heads who were present at the
cabinet meeting. Despite what seemed
unanimous agreement on the matter ii
is felt among the departmentS that
the Interior Department has taken
the bit in it's teeth" and will not abide
by the agreement. but will recommend
salary increases for those in the ranks
as well as for administrators, scien-
lists and technologiSts.
While the general belief is that
Congress will really do something with
reclassification legislation. there are
not wanting those in the departments.
and high officials. too. who as firmly
believe that Congress will do nothing
at all with such legislation at the short