Evening star., 1924-01-20
INTERIOR PkY Plan
DRAWS HOUSE FIRE
Classification Schedules in
Supply Bill Meet Triple
Attack.

Salaries under the classification
act, in accordance with ALLEGATIONS
made by the personnel classification
board. as they have been presented
in the House in the first of the big
appropriation bills-the Interior De-
partment supply measure-were the
sta~m center of a bitter, fight on the
tloor of the House yesterday.
Representative Louis c. Cramton.
in presenting the first Dill to carry
the new salary schedules, made 1t
clear in his report to the House that
the attitude of the appropriations
committee was that since the classi-
tication act had been passed. with
these salary schedules specifically
written in, the committee had no op-
tion but to write those salaries into
the appropriation bills for the varl-
Gus departments and establishments
Chairman Madden of the appropria-
tions committee confirmed this in
speech on the floor of the House
which. consumed an hour and eight
cen m inuteS.
Attack Interior Salaries.
The salaries in the Interior Depart
ment bill, which was taken up again
yesterday. were attacked from three
different angles, two of which were de-
bated and the opposition defeated. De-
bate on the third objection is hanging
over until tomorrow.
The first objection was based on the
charge that the bill is carrying lump
sum appropriations instead of statu-
tory roll. Previously there were some
of both in the bill, but now there are
lump sum appropriations all through
the bill.
In answering this attack Representa-
tive Cramton, who Is in charge of the
bill, argued that while there is Il meas
ure of discretion given to bureau chiefs,
yet these officials have no opportunity
TO abuse the discretion because all of
the salaries are subject to the classi-
fication law.
BIantOn Plan Defeated.
Representative Blanton of Texas
offered an amendment to substitute
a statutory roll instead of lump sum
appropriations, but this was defeated
Then Representative Roach of Mis-
souri, offered an amendment for the
purpose of preventing the payment
of any salary higher than the cur
amendment would be to prevent the
classification act from becoming op-
erative. This V as in order under the
Holman rule. bL was defeated.
Back of this attack on the salaries
in the Interior Department bill is a
iol StdhI
against general increases of salaries.
The fact that stood out however,
emphasized constantly by Represent
ative Cramton-waS that the claSSi-
tcation act is the law, and the sal
aries are fixed in that law, and as
long as that law stands the appro-
priations committee and the Congress
has no option but to appropriate the
salaries to carry out the provisions
OF the. law.
Offers Another Amendment.
Representative Stengle of New
York. who in a speech on the floor
during the week stood forth as
champion of the cause of federal en-
ployeS, warning against the hidden
evils in a merit efficiency system, and
who has since attracted attention by
measures to discharge the public
printer and to abolish the United
States bureau of efficiency. offered
another amendment which is pending.
Representative Stengle seeks TO
have the words "in accordance with
the classification act of 1923" stricken
from the bill. He has indicated that
he feels that salaries in some classes
are not high enough. The position of
Representative Cramton in reply to
this will be consistent with his posi-
tion in successfully arguing against
the other proposed amendments-that
the appropriations committee and
Congress can do nothing but hold the
salaries in accord with the classifica-
tion act until the classification act is
repealed or amended.