Evening star., 1923-02-27
$35,799,753B BONUS
=
BILL IS REPORTED
IN HOUSE FOR 1924
Total S2,935,420 Below
That for Current Year, But
Terms Practically Same.
DISTRICT AFFECTED 60-4O
BY s1,7e5,0 OF TOTAL
Madden Says Redistribution
Would Be Too Late to Alter
Need of $24O This Year.

The $240 bonus bill carrying to-
tai of s35.799.153. was reported to the
House today by Chairman Madden of
the appropriations committee. The es
the government, the executive office,
the ten executive departments. the
Judiciary, thirteen independent execu-
tive agencies and the municipal gov
ernment of the District, totaled
s3S,421.993. SO that the bill as reported
is s2,622,240 less than the amount re-
quested and s2935,42o less than the
amount appropriated for the current
year.
The amount recommended in the bill
as payable as follows: Wholly from
the general Treasury. 1886. .4Ss; :;
from the postal revenues. s3'3.24S; 90
per cent from the revenues of the
District of Columbia and 40 per cent
from the Treasury. s1.19o.067.
Congress, commencing with the
fiscal year 1915, has provided addi-
tional temporary compensation at
varying rates to civilian employees
in the lower pay grades by provision
in annual appropriation bills up TO
and including the fiscal year l922.
For the fiscal year 1928, the addi-
tional compensation was provided in
q single measure covering all serv-
ices and a specific appropriation made
for each department in lieu of the
indefinite appropriations that had
Heretofore been made in the annual
appropriation bills.
The policy adopted by Congress for
the fiscal year 1918 grew out of the
need of relief of the government en-
ployes on account of conditions aris-
ing in the cost of living shortly after
the declaration of war by this coun-
try against Germany.
Regarding the reclassificatfon legis-
lation. which Is intended to establish
two permanent grades and salaries
for government employees. Chairman
Madden said: "a general reclassifi
cation of salaries of civilian employees
has been passed by the House and is
now pending in the Senate. Even IL
this legislation should be passed at
the present session. the temporary
relief granted in the bill reported to-
day will be necessary for the fiscal
year 1924 for some portion, II not all.
of the employees until the ALLEGATION
cf positions can be made under pro-
visions of the new law
The terms Of the s240 bonus bill re-
ported today are practically the same
fiscal year. The House appropriations
committee has incorporated provi-
SION. acquiesced in by the office of the
chief of engineers. eliminating the
application OF the provisions of the
act to persons employed in the prose-
cution of river and harbor work and
food control. Wages of this char
acter are fixed in accordance with the
prevailing rates in the community in
which the work is performed. The
elimination of the additional COM
pensa ton will not mean a correspond
ing reduction in wage Of this class of
employees. but will have the effect of
making their total pay a charge upon
the appropriations from which the
work originates, instead of partly
preparations for the additional COM
pensation. The amount thus omitted
is s2,497,3S0.
Fuel Yard Additional Pay.
The appropriations committee also
recommends that the amount required
for the payment of additional COM
pensation to employees of the govern
ment fuel yards here in the District,
which is $4,000, shall be paid from
the funds provided for the operation
of the yard instead of from the spe-
cial appropriations carried in this
act. Under the law the cost Of operat-
ing the fuel yards is charged into the
sale price of fuel furnished, and the
appropriations committee feels that
this charge should be met in the same
manner. The amount involved Is ap-
proximately $4,000, and will average
cents on each ton of coal.
Referring again to reclaSsihcation,
Chairman Madden points out that pend
ing reclassification bills make no prDvi-
sion for employees of the legislative
branch of the government. Temporary
increase has been made. applicable to
employees of the Senate and House.
When reclassification is enacted and the
temporary relief abandoned the salaries
of the great bulk Of employees of the leg
islative branch will revert to pre- war
figures. Therefore. the appropriations
committee recommends an additional
section in the bill reported today pro-
yding for the creation of a joint COM
mittee, consisting Of three senators and
three representatives, to report to Con-
gress on the first day of the next regu-
lar session upon such adjustments as
they may deem necessary to be put into
Continued on Page 2. Column 81