Evening star., 1924-09-25
j. S. WORKERS FACE
SALARY CUT WHEN
GIVEN PROMOTION
McCarI Rules Advancing En-
pIoye Must Take Lowest
Salary of New Grade.
WILL MEAN REDUCTION
OF INCOME FOR MANY
Decision Rendered in Case of Treas
ury Official Who Would Lose
$100 by Higher Status.

$100 by Higher Status.
Controller General McCarl has stir
red up d furore among Government
departments with new decision on
reclassification, which in effect, lays
down the law that under certain
specified conditions, when il is wish
ed to promote an employe to u higher
position and higher grade, his salary
must be reduced.
The decision, rendered to the Treas
ury Department, is based by McCarl
on previous decisions by his Office
and on the principle that Congress
sought by the average provision,
which it inserted in every appropria-
tion act for personal services in the
District of Columbia subject To the
classification act. to absolutely con-
troll the expenditure of these appro-
priations for personal services in
every grade"
Two F'actors Enter In.
The promoted employe must be paid
a lower salary, McCarl ruled. in all
cases where two factors obtained:
/. Where the lowest salary in the
grade to which the promotion is pro-
posed is lower than the salary held
by the employe in his previous posi-
ton.
2. Where the so-called average
provision" is exceeded in the grade
to which it is wished TO promote him.
Violation of the average provision
takes place where the average of the
sum of the salaries being received by
all employees in the grade exceeds the
average of the sum of the salaries
ollowed by the classification act within
that grade.
For instance. McCarl explains the
matter in his decision in the case OF
Guy II. Sutton. an assistant chief of
division, at s2,50O per year, whom the
Register of the Treasury wished to
promote to the next higher grade. and
make him chief of division. at d
higher salary. To make this promo
tion from grade six TO grade seven
of the clerical and fiscal service, Nc
Carl ruled, Sutton would have 10 be
| transferred to the lowest salary
available in grade seven. s2,4 In
other words. under McCarl's decision
Sutton could be promoted at loss
in salary of 500.
RouSes Wrath of Workers.
The mandate of the controller gen
eral, to which he declared all promo
tions made under such conditions in
the future must" conform. hurled it
self into the compa ratively peaceful
progress of a long series of interpre-
tive decisions by McCarl on reclassif-
cation.
Departments and establishments are
up in arms. Persons intimately in
formed on classification matters de-
clare it to be one of the most revolu-
tiQpary things which has happened in
the administration of the law since its
passage. They say il is contrary to
the intent of Congress. They pro-
nounce it to be the subject of most
vital interest before Government en-
ployeS today.
Already. it is understood. the con-
troller general has been asked in al
least two separate letters from the
classification board itself and from the
Civil Service Commission to review
the whole problem again.
Delay on Decision.
Following the receipt of the con-
| troller's decision it is understood the
| Treasury Department did not promote
the man in question. Mr.. Sutton. which
would have necessitated a reduction
in salary, but has continued him in
| his present position is assistant chief.
AS evidence Oh the gravity which
| the controller and his associates at
! tached to the problem is the long
time required by that office to come
| to a decision in the matter. The
question was presented on July 80
and the decision, which became pub
lie today, was dated September u.
| The Treasury explained in its let
! ter that the chief of division, Chester
E. King, salary s2,soO. had resigned,
/ i
| TO take his place and salary, raising
| him from grade six to grade seven.
Before Mr.. King resigned. the
| Treasury explained. there were five
employees in grade C. A. +. in the
registers Office, each paid at the rate
of s2,S00 per annum.
Average Provision Violated.
In reply to the Treasury's ques-
tion then, whether promotion of SUIT
vision, McCarl declared it wouldf
ton would violate the average pro-
and that Sutton would not only have
to go into the next higher grade at
less than S2,S00. but at the very mini
mum salary provided by the law for
that grade.
How the average provision" was
violated is explained by the controller
in clear terms: THE range of salary
rates OF grade 4, clerical, aQn nlnlStTd-
tive and fiscal service, he said, lis
$1,000, $4,000. $500. s2,70O. $500.
$4,000 and $4,000, and the mathemat-
ical average is $2,T00. If there were
five employees in this grade, each paid
at the rate of $500 per annum. the
average of the salaries OF the total
number of persons in the grade ex-
ceded the average of the compen-
sation rates specified for the grade.
and it is assumed that this resulted
by reason of the proper ALLEGATION OF
positions held June 80, 1924, and
within the exceptions expressed in
the average provision of the appro-
priation act of April 4, 1924, Public.
No 68, providing for the Treasury and
Post Office Departments for the ts-
cal year 1875.
McCarI cited previous decisions, one
of which had held than an employe
in the Public Health Service could be
promoted "only at the minimum
salary rate in grade ) c. A. F."
Sought Absolute Control.
In other words" the controller
said in laying down the law" with
out Qustion of a doubt, "the stated
suggested method by which the aver
age in a grade might be reduced but
as the uniform rule which must be
applied in new adjustments in a