Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-24
FORCE AT PATENT
OFFICE WILL LOSE
BONUS BY M|X-UP
Many 0verpaid Up to April
IS, Interior Department
Records Reveal.
$451,14o SALARY RAISE
- WITH EXTRA ALLOWANCE
Discovery of Confusion Caused by
Congress Generosity Falls as
New Blow.

Congress Generosity Falls as
New Blow.
Confusion at the patent Office as
to who should receive the $240 bonus
since the permanent increase in pay
granted by act of Congress approved
blythe President on February 1S has
-precipitated a situation that resulted
in the deduction of the bonus from
every employe of the Office last pay
day. it was learned today. and en-
ployes are in a state of high excite
mcnt throughout the office as to what
the final result will be.
At the Office of Secretary Fall it
was revealed today that many en-
loyes' had been overpaid the bonus
up to the April Is pay day. and that
In order to straighten out the mat
ter 1t had been decided to deduct all
the bonus on April is, with subse-
quent additions or subtractions from
future pay checks,
Several Raises Granted.
Under the increase of pay granted
the patent office by Congress, in which
salaries were raised $451.140, several
persons received raises of more than
$500. which under a previous act of
March 3. 1921, which extended the
bonus for another fiscal year. would
deprive them of the benefits of the
temporary bonus unless certified"
1t has been interpreted that the
granting by Congress of permanent
increases to the patent office will in
many cases. take the place Of the
temporary bonus now.
Provision In the act of 1921 grant
ing the extension of the bonus stated
that employees who received an in
crease in. excess Of 5000 for 1921 or
1929 should receive the bonus only
upon the certification of the head Of
the department that the ability and
qualifications of. the employe justify
the Increased compensation"
No employe of the patent Office has
received such certffca&ion since the
raise OF salary effective February Is.
IT was stated at the office of Secre-
tary Fail today. so that no employe
OF the patent office who received a
raise OF more than 5000 would be en-
titled to the bonus.
DV1Wo An0 S0Iafy F0l0.
Yet the bonus had been paid by
the old list regularly, in addition to
the increased salary up to April Is,
when, to the surprise of employees,
the SO which Is due on each semi
monthly salary from the bonus was
Topped OF.
Furthermore, 1t was pointed out by
a number Of employees. there will be
some persons who received a raise
of more than 5000. who will actually
receive less money than they did be-
fore the raise if the bonus is sub
tracted. In putting into effect the
provision In section s of the bonus
act, the change will actually leave
some persons who received raise in
pay from Congress less income
than some Sothers who received no
increase. and whose actual salary is
below the former, but who receive
the bonus.
Bonus to BE Given.
All who are entitled to the bonus
will receive it on the May 1 pay roll,
now being prepared. it was said at
the office of Secretary Fall. Some
persons will receive an additional
$40 which was deducted on April Is,
while other will have staring them
in the face deductions In order to
pay back to the government. bonus
to which they were not entitled and
which they were overpaid by mis-
take.
In sertain official quarters it was
said that some clerks were unduly
excited over the possible loss of their
bonus. as somt who are now fearful of
losing it, will in all probability re-,
ceive the bonus.
the patent Office by Congress was
held by high officials to be a sub
stitute for the temporary bonus. and
it was thought that when Congress
reclassifcation bill or extension of
the bonus the patent office would
be excluded.
The peculiar determination which
will be effected through placing in
effect section s will last only until
as the $240 bonus would either expire
or be taken up by Congress for re-
newal, with the patent office excluded.
zoo Paid Over &:..40.
More than 200 employees at the
patent Office receive over s2.74O.
which raises them above the benefits
of the bonus, but the remainder of
the employees in the big Office, en-
ploying about 1000 persons. are con-
cerned with the application of the
bonus to their salaries. so that the
disturbance resulting from the deduc-
tion Of the bonus last pay day and
uncertainty relating to the future is
widespread.
The increase In salary granted by
Congress ranged from $3.50 to $1,000,
for various officials. Unless "certifica-
tion" is made in the future to help
those who received more than 5000
increase. they will be minus the
bonus, whether their net salary is
below what they received before or
not There was no disposition on the
part of officials today to certify any
ono: 1t was emphasized that none had
been certified.
Those who will actually receive a
decrease In net salary instead of an
increase may talac their troubles be-
lore the controller general of the
United States, lit was said in some
quarters this morning. The matter
had become OF such nature tina, it
was certain to come to Secretary Fall
upon his return from New Mexico.
it was learned, and eventually get
to the controller general
Onicials were Of one opinion, that
Congress had acted In q manner to
greatly help the patent ofdce. and
some were deeply concerned over the
turn that affairs had taken.