Evening star., 1923-02-25


in case the reclassification should fail.
Both Senator Smoot and Senator
Sterling expressed the belief-and the
hope-that the compromise bill would
be enacted into law. and both said
that they believed the bill would be a
benefit to the employees.
After the reclassifcation bill has
been acted upon by the Senate it will
be necessary for the House to act
upon the bill, which will be substitut-
ed by the Senate for the Lehlbach bill
passed by the House many months
ago.
Will Make Appropriation.
If the reclassifcation legislation goes
| through, provision viii be made dn the
deficiency appropriation bill for the pays
n1ent Of the increased salaries. It Is es-
| timated that it will take $17.013.379 TO
make 1T effective, as compared to e14.~
22o,776 to pay these employees the $24o
bonus. In other words, in the aggre-
gate. it will provide S2,797,6o2 moro for
these employees than they would receive
under the bonus plan.
The reclassification bill goes to the
Senate with the united support OF the
appropriations and civil service COM
mittees. 1t also has the approval of
President Harding, who was consulted
by both Senator Smoot and Senator
Sterling while the negotiations were
on in regard to a compromise bill.
The bill provides for the reclassi-
ffcation of the employees in the Dis
trict, but authorizes the classification
board, which will consist of a member
each of the bureau of the budget, the
Civil Service Commission and the bu-
reau of efficiency. to make study OF
the employees outside the District and
recommend reclassification of them.
In the meantime the employees outside
the District will continue to get the
$240 bonus, II was said.
Board Given Ample Powers.
Many of the provisions of the Ster.
ling-Lehlbach bill are retained in the
compromise bill. The classification
board is given ample powers to re-
view classifications and ALLEGATIONS of
employees.
The work of reclassif1cation done by
the bureau of efficiency, under execu-
tive order of the President, issued
October "a, 1921. will be made use of.
with such notifications as may be
necessary, due to the terms of the
compromise bill.
The principle of equal pay for
similar work, for women and men, Is
adopted in the compromise bill. The
bill also takes cognizance of tho cost
Of living, providing that the classi-
fication board shall consider what
rates of compensation consistent
with efficiency and economy in the
government service and the main
tenance of a reasonable standard of
living should be paid to the civilian
employees of tho government"
Takes Issue with Steward.
In a statement isued last night Sem
ator Smoot took sharp issue with q
statement made yesterday on the bill
by President Luther c. Steward OF
the National Federation of Federal
Employees. Senator Smoot salad:
Mr.. Steward is grossly in error in
representing that the bill as agreed
to between the civil service committee
and the committee on appropriations
contemplates wholesale reductions in
the salaries of employees. His state
ment was issued before the provisions
of the compromise bill were made
public or even agreed upon. As
matter of fact, the bill provides that
the salary of no employe shall be
reduced below the present pay, in
GLIDING the bonus, and for many
thousands it provides substantial Inc
creases. On the whole. tho Compeus
sation schedules are fully as liberal
as those carried in the Sterling
Lehlbach bill.
with respect to Mr.. Stewards OBJ
jections to the bureau of efficiencys
plan of efficiency ratings, the bill
makes the rating system subject to
review and revision by the classifying
agency, so that if Mr.. Seward is cor
rect in his criticism OF the system
adequate opportunity is afforded for
it's amendment and modification 70
meet any reasonable objection.
"Mr. Steward made special point
IContinued on Page,1 Column