Evening star., 1922-03-05
PAY ON A NEW BASIS
UNDER PROPOSED ACT
Designed to Keep Services at High E&-
cheney and to Correct Individual
1njustices.

ana VINO because OF vacancy WAS du-
vanced to the rank of first lieutenant
within a few weeks or months re-
ceive the advanced pay. So first
lieutenant will continue to receive
the pay of the first period until he
has had three years service.
But the committee also took care
of cases where there may be slow
more than five years and still re-
mains a second lieutenant will ~e-
ceive the pay of the second period.
the basic pay of first lieutenant and
also the longevity pay. This plan
runs through the entire series of pay
periods. A colonel who has served
less than twenty-six years will re-
ceive the pay of lieutenant colonel
until he has. completed the twenty
six years required to place him in
the sixth period. But a lieutenant
colonel VINO has served thirty years will
receive the pay of colonel.
= x = x
The testimony gathered by the COM
mittee established the fact that liv-
ing costs are about 100 per cent
greater than in 1908, when the last
permanent pay schedule was estab-
lished. and about IS per cent greater
than in 1913, before the war, While
the act of 1920 gave certain amount
of relief approximately 20 per cent
increase). it absorbed only about one
third Of this increased cost of living
in the case of officers. leaving about
two thirds to be borne by the indi-
vidual. Actually the purchasing
power of the present pay is much less
than that of 1905
The relief afforded by the act Of
1920, however. is temporary. In most
of it's provisions that act expires by
limitation on June 80 of this year.
Should Congress fail TO legislate on
the subject. the pay of the great ma
jority of the personnel affected will
revert automatically to the 1908
schedules, with disastrous results.
The committee in its report to Con-
gress asserted that it had been clear
ly demonstrated that officers and COM
missioned officers and petty officers
experience great difficulty in MAIN
tanning themselves and their families
under present conditions. Further
more, there is no prospect of lower
ing Of living costs in the future to a
point where the. salaries of 1908 would
be adequate.
In framing legislation to meet this
situation the committee has UNDER
taken to accomplish the following re-
suits:
"A reduction in total cost below
that of the 1928 budget estimates.
with a readjustment of pay in such
a manner as to give especial aid
where most required. The budget
estimates are based upon the present
temporary pay schedules and the
present strength of the services.
Adoption of schedule which will
reasonably compensate officers and
enlisted men of the service for rank,
responsibility and length Of service,
and at the same time so arranged as
to offer a promising career to young
men entering in the lowest grades
In view of pending legislation to re-
duce the military and naval estab-
lishments. it is important that any
new pay schedule shall be so drawn
as to provide reasonable remunera-
tion to such personnel as shall re-
main. 1t becomes doubly essential. if
these services are to become numeri-
cally smaller, that their personnel
shall be maintained at point of high
efficiency
ITO establish a parity of pay in all
the services concerned.
ITO introduce an element of pay
which shall, within a fixed maximum,
vary automatically with the cost of
living.
ITO do away with petty allowances
and multiplicity of accounts and thus
to cheaper and simplify administra-
tion.S
The pay schedules have been so work.
ed out in the proposed legislation as to
offer reasonable career to young men
of desirable kind. The compensation
is commensurate with the duties and
responsibilities attached to rank, pro-
vides for increases due to increased ex-
perience and efficiency apart from rank.
1t automatically and effectually pro-
tects the interests of the National Guard
and reserve officers brought temporarily
into the active service of the United
States.
The bill abolishes many inequalities
between the services whose duties are
at all times comparable and in time Of
war identical. 1t facilitates their finan-
cial administration, and for clarity to
this end the assistance of the controller
general of the United States has been
secured in its preparation.
The Secretary of War, Secretary of
the Navy, Secretary of the Treasury
and the Secretary of Commerce have all
approved the proposed legislation.