Evening star., 1923-10-14

n White House conferences par
ticipated in not only by administrative
officers and the Personnel Classification
Board, but also by leaders in Congress
who had a prominent part in passing
the reclassification act and by members
Of the appropriations committee who
must provide the funds to make the law
effective.
1t is shown also in the reaction of
members of Congress to a flood of let
ters from all parts of the country. Some
members of Congress say they are in
clined, to vote for repeating the law,
while others say that they are advised
reclassification of the field service as
now proposed would result in such a
muddle that they are in favor of having
no reclaSsification in, the field,
Those who are In closest touch with
all the moves in reclassification predict
that IL there is no classification in the
field there will be none in the District
OF Columbia.
Reclassification for the approximately
$4,000 government employees in the Dis
trfct of Columbia-both in the federal
and municipal service in the National
Capitals to go into effect on July 1,
unless some one throws a monkey
wrench in the ma "hinery. The sched-
ules are written into the law itself.
They have been used by the admin
istrative officers of the departments and
Independent establishments in making
up their estimates and have been in
Guided in the federal budget by the
budget bureau. The only legislative
step necessary is 20 appropriate the
money to pay these salaries.
Doesn't Mean Increase.
At the same time it must be remem-
bered that '''reclassifcation" for govern
ment employees in the National Capital
is not at all synonymous with increase
in salary" as most of them believe.
Only comparatively small number will
get any increase over their present base
pay plus the s240 bonus. and some will
even have the bonus cut.
Regarding the field service-it is an
entirely different proposition. There
are only two sentences in the act re-
garding the field workers: 1.-The board
shall make a survey of the field services
arst regular session following the pass
age of this act schedules of positions,
grades and salaries for such services,
which shah follow the principles and
rules of the compensation schedules
herein contained in so far as they are
applicable to the> field services. This
report shall include list prepared by
the head of each department, after con-
sultation with the board and in accord
ance with uniform procedure pre-
scribed by 1t, ailocating all field posi-
tionS in his department to their ap-
proxiriate grades in said schedules and
liking the proposed rate of compensation
of each emplcye Hereunder in accord
ance with the rules prescribed in Sec
toms herein"
Now, there are in the field service of
Uncle Sam some 100000, exclusive of
those in the postal service, who are
already classified. The extent of the
law in their regard is to require the
Personnel Classification Board to make
4 survey and report with recommenda-
tions to Congress. OF these there are
some $4,000 excepted from the survey
because they are skilled or unskilied
labor or seasonal employees. So the
board has been working on about 125, 900
field positions. They had until Decem-
Der 10 to make their survey and report
10 Congress.
Had to Rush Work.
Then along iE May after conferences
with the budget bureau participated in
by leaders Of the House and Senate ap-
propriations committees it was decided
that 1t would be desirable to have
salaries for the entire run of govern
ment workers both in the District and
in the field put in the next budget on
recIasslfication schedules. So the Per-
sonnel Classification Board had to rush
through by September 10, for use in the
budget, what 1t published as "tenta-
tive compensation schedules for esti-
mate purposes covering positions in
the field service. This to all practical
intents and purposes was spreading as
q blanket over the entire field service
the same range OF salaries as are con-
tained in the act for positions in the
District of Columbia.
The publication of those schedules,
which were to be used as a basis for
salaries in the next budget, has caused
the protest from all over the country
which Is reflected in the vexation of
many members CT Congress. Private
mployers-business and industry-are
writing to their respective congressman
that to give general, fiat increase in
salaries to federal employees all over the
country, so that those in small towns
hA rHoSl T.
large cities irrespective of differences in
costs of living, will upset the labor mar
ket for private business. cit is going
to bring the government scale out of
line with that Of commercial concerns"
congressman are warned,
In it's letter to heads of departments,
transmitting these tentative compen-
sation schedules for estimate purposes"
the board states is own quandary as
follows: 1.-THE board has now under con-
sideration the question of whether diff
ferentials from the standard rates of
pay for the several classes of positions
should be established to. meet peculiar
local or geographical conditions result
ing from variations In prevailing wages,
cost Of living or other similar factors.
The board is gathering material bearing
on this question and would especially
like TO secure the views OF the depart
ruents and independent establishments
thereon so far as positions in their re-
spective services are concerned"
This suggestion of applying a per-
centage of deduction from the general
scale In certain parts of the country
has hinted TO congressman that they
may have to make fight against any
auoh Discrimination against their con-