The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-27

Affects Pay of U. S. Employees
for 1924. including Dis
trict Workers.

The $240 bonus bill for employees
Of the District and the Federal
Government during the fiscal year
1924 was favorably reported to
the House today by the House Ap-
preparations Committee. The
measure carries a total appropria-
ton of. $35, 799, 753, which is ST.
622,240 less than the estimate of
the Bureau Of the Budget.
I,759, 076 for District.
The Districts share of the appro-
priation is $1.759, 076, an increase
Of $97,626 over last year but ST.. 900
less than was estimated by the
Budget Bureau. Sixty per cent of
this amount is to be paid from
revenues of the District and 40 per
cent from the Treasury.
Chairman Madden, who made the
report. states that a general re-
classification Of salaries of civilian
employees has passed the House and
81 now pending in the Senate.
Even If this legislation should be
passed at the present. session OF
Congress, the report says, the tenn
porary relief granted in the bonus
bill will be necessary in the fiscal
year 1924, for some portion. If not
all, Of the employees until the allo-
cation of positions can be made
under the provisions OF the new
law.
Adjustments Are Needed. ::
The bill, Chairman Madden states,
Is practically the same as that
passed for the. current fiscal year.
The report states that pending re-
classification bills make no provi-
sion for employees of the legislative
branch of the Government. The
temporary increase, it continues,
has been applicable to employees OF
the Senate and House. When the
reclassification is enacted. Madden
states, and temporary relief aban-
doned, the salaries OF a great bulk
Of employees of the legislative
branch will revert to pre-war fig
ures.
The committee recommends, there
fore, an additional section in the
bill providing for the creation of
Joint committee, consisting of three
Senators and three Congressman, to
report to Congress on the first day
of the next regular session upon
such adjustments as they deem nee
essary to be put into effect when
the application of the temporary
increase ceases.
Due to Living Costs.
Continuing the report says:
1.-THE policy adopted by Con.
eress for the. fiscal year 1918 grew
out of the need of relief of the
Government employees on account
of the conditions arising in the
cost of living shortly after the
declaration of war by this country
against Germany. The temporary
relief adopted and continued since
has been confined to employees whose
basic compensation was $4,000 per
annum or less. No general in
creases in basic salaries of civilian
employees have been made, and
while Congress has from time to
time enacted specific laws increas-
ing the compensation of the officers
and employees in some specific unit
of the Government service, the re-
lief heretofore afforded still leaves
the great bulk of the employees in
the situation where the temporary
increase is necessary until the pass.
age of general Reconsideration
measure. Relief from the greatly
Increased cost of living since the
war has been permanently pro-
vided to the employees of the Postal
Service, the Patent Office. and to
the commissioned and enlisted per
sonnet of the army, navy, marine
corps, coast guard, Coast and Geo.
detic Survey, and the Public Health
Service.
Eliminates Some Employees.
1.-THE committee has incorporated
q provision suggested by the CON-
nnittee and acquiesced in by the
office of the chief of engineers
eliminating the application of the
provisions of the act to persons EN-.
ployed in the prosecution of river
and harbor work and flood control.
Wages of this character are fixed
In accordance with the prevailing
rates in the community in which
the work is performed. The elimi.
nation Of the additional compensa.
ton will not mean a corresponding
reduction in wages of this class OF
employees, but will have the effect
or making their total pay a charge
upon the appropriations from which
the work Is done instead of partly
upon those appropriations and the
aropriations for the additional com
peneation. The amount omitted on
this account 10 $2,4s7,SS0..