Evening star., 1920-01-06
SALARY INCREASES
FOR j. s. EMPLOYEES
BY JULY | IS HOPE
Redistribution Commission
10 Rush Its Findings TO
Congress.

Salary increases for the 600 fed
cral employees of the National Capital
will be available by July / next. it
| as indicated today. This is the hope
of the joint congressional commits
sion on reclassification of salaries in
the District and the end to which it
is striving.
Salary schedules and class specifi-
cations for the 10000. showing the
wages which they should receive un-
der reclassification and the exact work
they perform. will be the first report
to go to the appropriations committees
of the House and Senate from the re-
classification commiSSi
Will Finish Data Soon.
The idea is to get the salary data
, to the committees early. so that the
members may have plenty of time
to threSh out the whole question in
time for the 1921 appropriation bills.
! 1t was indicated today that the salary
data will be presented to the ap-
preparations committees in the neigh
borhood of January u.
There has been a disposition on the
part of many government employees
to feel that no matter how favorable
the report of the recla ssification COM
mission might be in the way of in
creased salaries the House and SEN
ate would chew the rag so long
over the salary schedules that all
hope of increases would go glimmer-
ing for another year. at least.
1t is to forestall just such an oc-
currence as this that the reclassiflca-
ton commission, it is understood. is
endeavoring to get the salary Sched-
ules to the approprla ton committees
of the House and Senate rs soon as
rossible With this data in the hands
of the committee members, it is felt
that TIE other material in the hands
of the reclassification commission
may come along later.
There are many questions OF en-
ployment policy regarding govern
ment clerks. and many questions re-
garding the carrying on of reclassifi-
cation under the Civil Service Com
mission as announced yesterday,
which the reclassifiCation commission
will make a report on to Congress
But these matters, while vital, are
hardly considered as vital as the sal
airy schedules.
1t will be remembered that Secre-
tary Glass of the Treasury. last fall
asked department heads to refrain
from including in their annual esu-
mates requests for salary increases
for worthy employees. 1t was pointed
out at that time that the reclassihca-
tion commission was expected to
make it's report and it would be bet
ter for all department heads to wait
it's work.
Thus the salary question of the en-
tire 10000 federal employees. which
number includes the District workers,
hung fire, awaiting the result of the
reclassification work. AS the months
went by some of the federal employees
begin to feel that salary increases
were perhaps farther off than ever.
Now the reclaSSiflcation commission
to make the employees feel that it is
doing all in its power to push the
salary question, so that Congress Will
be in a position to actually get the
new schedules into working order Dy
July l next. 1t is felt on all sides that
the employees of Uncle Sam have been
patient and deserve the raises that
are coming to them.
The actual salary schedules are be-
ing worked out on the basis OF norm
of salaries secured from salaries paid
in 1913, as compared with salaries
paid on the outside. with a certain
percentage of increase regarded as
necessary to cover the rise in the cost
Of living since that time.
Congress is expected to do a mighty
lot of chewing" over the salary
recommendations of the reclassifica- :
tions committees should be given all
the time possible to consider the
recommendations. it is believed.
Other Questions Involved.
The whole question of salary sched-
ules is intimately bound up with the
question OF the proposed $500 mini
mum wage for government employe
here: a system of lump-sum appro-
priations for the entire government
service: the principle of equal pay for
equal work. and the establishment of
permanent wage board and tribu-
nal. The wage board and tribunal, it
is now assured, will be the Civil Serv-
ice Commission.
1t was stated today that the re-
classification commission will not
make any recommendation to Con-
gress for halliday holiday on Satur-
day tn year round, in all probable
ity. There are so many matters more
pressing it is regarded. that this
question eof the all-year-round Sat
urday half-holiday is one which will
be left to the natural course of events.