Evening star., 1924-07-27
SOME CHANCE SEEN
FOR PAY INCREASES
Departments Asked to Sub
nit Estimates of Reclassi-
fication Needs.


"A new ray of hope for govern.
ment employees broke through the re-
classification storm clouds last night
when 1t was learned that there Is
some prospect Of salaries increasing
under classification in the next fiscal
year.
The prospect Is not too strong. II
cause of the attitude of the Bureau OF
the Budget. revealed for the first time
last night.
In planning for the next fiscal year
it Is understood, the Bureau OF the
Budget will ask the heads of gov.
ments for estimates on advancement,
of salaries under reclassification. Nc
promises are understood to be held
forth, except that the departments
will be expected to include in their
estimates on personnel how much OF
an increase may be needed
Will Not Change Policy.
ITO uoCS Hol lHdL Ine bureau
of the Budget expects to change It's
policy of economy and efficiency nor
that 1T will increase the total of the
estimates submitted to Congress for
the next fiscal year. President Cool
idge has decreed, and the Bureau OF
the Budget has announced that esti-
mates for all expenditures for the
government for the next fiscal year
must not exceed $500, 900, 600, outside
of the Postal Department and the
public debt, interest and retirement
To hold the aggregate estimates
down to that figure some sharp whit
tling will have to be done on the
various estimates. and no doubt some
thing will have to suffer. But from
the unofficial indication received last
night it is not anticipated that the
sun will be the government en-
ployes.
Some Raises C0nsidered.
All this is wholly unofficial. No au-
thoritative pronouncement was forth
coming from the Bureau of the
Budget on the matter, but the pros
pect stands nevertheless that some
raises in salary are to be considered
in the estimates
Meantime the controller general
through a series of many decisions on
various points in the administration
OF classification is building up a mass
Of precedent which daily is illumi-
mating the situation, and also seems
to be more strongly entrenching the
authority OF the personnel claSSifi
cation board.
Exceeds Expected Cost.
The result of the array of prece-
dents which so far has been in har-
mony also with the announced policy
of the President on other phases of
classification. has been to raise up out
of the mass of questions the PROPOSE
ton that Congress has legislated the
administrative branch Of the Govern
appropriate additional funds before
the end of the fiscal year, or leave
il in sore embarrassment.
In other words, classification, be-
cause of two or three factors, is cost
ing more than Congress has already
ing their funds for the fiscal year at a
rate which will not last for the en-
tire year. They are doing this by or
ders of the President and the Con-
troler General. When Congress
comes back in December it will have
ing.
ALLEGATION Final
For instance in decisions of the
Controller General to the Library OF
Congress it was determined that the
alIoactions of the Personnel Classi-
fication Board should be final"
THE fact that the amount of the
appropriation now available Will not
suffice for the payment of the rate
of compensation based on the revised
ALLEGATION during the entire fisca
year does not authorize payment o1
any other than the rate of compen-
sation based on the revised alloca
tion," said the acting Controller Gen
eral.
ANY resulting deficit in the appro'
priation must otherwise be avoided
There is the kernel in a nutshell
The Controller General does not say
how it may be avoided.
The proviso is section of tn,
classification act continues th'
same decision, that in no case shal
increased unless Congress has appro
priated money from which the in
crease may lawfully he paid" relate;
to increase of compensation within
a grade. and not to payment of in
crease of compensation by reason o
reallocation Of positions
The Library of Congress had com
planned to the Controller General tina.
the lump sum appropriated Will not
of course, suffice to include these ad
vances"
Where there are statutory limita
tionS to the positions in the field, tn,
Controller General held in her d E.
cision of, the past week increaset
salary under reclaSSihcattOn cannO
be paid. This decision was rendered
to the Secretary of the Treasury il
the case of storekeeper gaugers OF
the Internal Revenue Bureau. In the
same decision. although not saying Sc
in as many words, the acting Con
troller General indicated his offic,
was in accord with the position of the
President and the Bureau of tn.
Budget, which had directed depart
ment heads to handle salaries in th<
field services as anticipated in tht
field service reclassification bill which
failed of passage. This bill faileS
because 1t lacked official signatures
after passing both House and Senate
and is expected to become law short.
ly after Congress meets, appropriat,
ing more money.
Protests against the ALLEGATIONS OF
the Personnel Classification Boarc
continue to pile up. The board i,
continuing to consider appeals.
It's principal task, however, for thu
next few days will be the issuing OF
class specifications. or descriptions OF
positions and the salary ranges
allotted to them. within the. grades
This list will be before the board Mon.
day. and is expected to go to the
printer early in the week.