The Washington herald., 1921-05-27
DISTRICT POLICE
Ask new GRADE
WITHBETTERP PAY
Cabinet Members Favor Plan
To Reclassify Federal
Employees.

Washington policemen appealed
to the joint civil service committee
of congress yesterday to reclassifS
them so that they may receive bet
ter pay. So did the women of the
bureau of engraving and printing
and Of the mail equipment branch OF
the postofnce department Letters
Of cabinet officers gave their views
on reclassification in letters made
public at the hearing by Represen-
tative W. s. Wood.
c. l.. Dalrymple. president OF the
Policemen's association. headed
committee which included w. j.
Kerns and z. NJ. Seamon, in pre-
senting a brief TO the committee at
the afternoon session in the Senate
office building. The session ended
about 5 o'clock and will be resumed
at 1890 o'clock this morning.
Are Now Underpsid.
Figures showing the salaries and
conditions under which policemen
work in New York. Chicago and
other cities were presented with the
claim that Washington. which
should have the best paid policemen
in the country, paid no more than
the lowest salaries elsewhere. Po-,
licemen have only 20 days leave
and are compelled to work hours
that average as high as 465 eight
hour days year, the appeal stated.
Attention was called to the fact that
they buy their own uniforms and
are forced to work irregular hours.
At the morning session Repre-
sentative Wood made a defense of
the Smoot-Wood bill Of which he Is
co-author. Members of the cabinet
whose letters he showed the COM
mittee were Secretaries Hughes.
wallace, Hoover. Davis and Weeks.
Attorney General Daugherty. and
another was from E. Joseph Aronoff.
secretary OF the board of vocational
education. Their views had been re-
quested by him.
Favorx Distinct Classes
Secretary Hughes said a sound
reclassification should include sys-
tenn of distinctive classes based upon
the grade of work and compensa-
tion. There should be a minimum
number of classes, he said, read
justments from time to time by the
President. salaries SUFFICIENT to at
tract. promotions based upon ex-
periencc. uniformity Of administra-
tion and independent supervision by
the President through some desig-
mated agency.
Il have given some thought to
your proposed reclassification bill
and the following impressions may
be of some use to you" said Sec
retary Hoover's letter:
The bill is very workable as to
classification. there being but eight
cen classes. to which il is believed
possible to fit all employees.
ALLEGATION is left to heads of
departments instead of to an out
side agency. This Is a most de-
sirabIe and logical feature. The
head of a department can give an
employe the minimum or maximum
salary within the particular grades.
The President is given authority
to supplement the schedule from
time to time as may be necessary.
in order that il may be applicable
Z" al positions and to insure equal
rat"< Of nay for like or similar
service. The salary ranges seem
~. generally fair. A possible
objection is that the departments
will probably have to furnish du-
plicate reports to the civil service
commission and to the bureau of
efficiency. thus entailing a large
amount of additional work"
For Extended Wage Range.
Attorney General Daugherty said
that while the Wood bill is flexible
and wisely allows, in accordance
with good business principles. con-
siderable discretion to the head of
each department in determining and
fixing compensation. it could be
still further improved by extend
ing the salary range established
for each grade
Secretary Wallace said he believ-
ed some such measure as that of
Representative Wood may be de-
sirable-
Secretary Weeks said he was
heartily in favor of reclassihcation.
The Smoot-wood bill, he said,
seemed to accomplish this.
Secretary Davis said he believed
there should be less OF the classi-
fed service as the responsibilities
and discretionary powers of a posi-
tion increase.
standards regards the Smoot- Wood
bill as the proper kind of legisla-
tion. Representative Wood said he
was told in a letter from Director
IS. W. Stratton. of the bureau.
Thomas w. Gould. of the govern
ment steamboat inspection service
at Cleveland. said subordinates Of
ten are paid more than other men.
Skilled Workers Testify.
Hearing of the skilled trades en-
ployes was resumed. and included
the steel plate printers Of the bu-
reau of engraving and printing, and
women of the bureau and of the
postofnce department. Three briefs
were filed by the custodian of
presses. telling of their responsible
ity in the branch where paper
money Is produced. Skilled and un-
skilled employees indorsed the Ster-
ling-Lehlbach bill
Women OF the bureau of enerav-
ing and printing wanted extra pay
for overtime and night work.
Skilled helpers Of the bureau of
fgraving and printing were rep-
Resented by Dale Jones and Level
Iyn Tapp.