The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-09-07

Classification of Federal En-
pIoyes to Be Submitted Soon
Favors General Raise.

ALI the Federal departments and
establishments, without exception,
are going to report increased esti-
mates for personnel to the Budget
Bureau next week.
Increase General.
The tentative ALLEGATIONS approved
!. by the Personnel Classification
Board have resulted in increases OF
salary for almost every Government
employee in Washington, in the
opinion of officials in q position to
know.
In some cases the increases are
only nominaH$60 or 500 per
annum-but the preliminary work
of reclassification already means
that the war-period bonus Of $3.50
has been absorbed into the perma'
nent salary rolls. with further addi;
tional increases. -
The departmental estimates to be
presented to the Budget Bureau
next week viii chow the allegation
audit how much more II Is proposed
to spend in salaries next year. In
some departments the total may pc
less than the total for the current
year: but this win be due to q, cut
In the number Of employees, ana not
20 any net reduction in salary for
those that are retained. Inquiry In
the DEPARTMENTS shows that there
have been general increases.
ID. C. Levels Fixed.
The salary levels for the govern
ment employees In the District, as
distinct from the field service, are
fixed in the terling-L ehlbacn
law. The personnel board has
had no jurisdiction over the Salafy
to be paid for q given grade OF work;
its work has been confined to the
question of grading the employees.
This grading has been accomplished
for the most part by following the
previous work done by the Bureau
of Efficiency. There has been no
attempt yet to establish claAs speci'
fications, by which the real results
of recIassiffcation are to be judged.
The salaries given the District
workers under the present alloca,
tions are not q criterion OF what
Of establishing class specifications,
and fitting the employees into them.
10 completed.
All Get Raises.
Salaries Fixed by Law.
In q general way, the effect Of
the classification upon salaries so
far has been in line with the plans
of the group in the Senate Appro-
priations Committee which revised
the Sterling Lehlbach bill at the
last session Of Congress. With the
exception of a limited number OF
administrative and professional en-.
ployes, none of the workers has
received any large increase in pay.
But virtually all of the employees
have received an increase, slight
in thousands of cases, fairly sub
to forecast an average increase,
1t is said. would be pure guess
work now and will remain so until
a definite tabulation liz made.
Ali of the estimates have to pass
the gauntlet of the Budget Bureau
and Of the Congressional Appropria.
tions committees also. Neither OF
these agencies, however, has any
Jurisdiction over a personnel issue.
II they determine upon n reduction
Of the estimates for personnel, the
cut will have to be made in the
number of employees and not in the
salaries that are paid There re.
mains some discussion, however, az
to whether Congress will amend
the Sterling-Lehlback act this win.
ter. Some officials are pessimistic,
saying there are diverse and con.
1lcting interests pulling against
eatn other on the classification
problem and that as aoon as Con.
Sress conVeneS the fight will be
carried on in the omen