Evening star., 1925-08-20
DISTRICT WORKERS
ARE FACING LAY-OFF
Departments Without Money
to Pay Salaries Under In
creased Ratings.

Several departments of the District
Government will be facing a curtail
ment of activity or a temporary lay
OF of some employees before the end
of the current fiscal year unless a
supplemental appropriation is OBJ
tanned to meet salary increases re
sulting from the reallocation of EN-
oloyes under the classification law, il
developed today
The Health Department, one of the
most essential branches of the mu
nicipality, is approximately $4,000
short of the amount necessary to pay
the salaries of it's regular employees ir
accordance with the grades to which
they have been alf6cated.
The building inspection division, OF
equal Importance from the stand
point Of public safety, is about $4,000
shy of its salary requirements
Many Employees Advanced.
Maj. Daniel j. Donovan, auditor
said there are undoubtedly other
lesser degree, but on which he has
not yet collected definite data.
The auditor explained that last
May, after the appropriations for this
fiscal year had all been fixed, approx
mately 1900 District employees ap
pealed for advancement TO higher
grades on the ground they had been
allocated too low.
Maj. Donovan said there is a Treas
ury Department decision to the eff
feet that when an employe is real
located to higher grade, it is manda.
tory to pay him the higher salary that
goes with the new grade
"A large number of the District EN-.
ployes had their appeals for realIoca.
ton granted by the Classification
Board and the city has begun to pay
them at the increased grades. al.
though there Is not sufficient money
available to continue to pay them at
those rates until the end of the fiscal
year, June 80.
Will Ask More Money.
1t was indicated today by officials
that in the case of such departments
as the Health and Building Inspection
offices, where public safety is involved
the Commissioners will feel justified in
asking Congress for a supplemental
appropriation. In departments where
the nature of the work is less i'm.
portant, the employees may have to
take furloughs near the end of the
year.
1t was estimated today that proba
bly, 600 employees would be affected by
the situation should no supplemental
funds be obtained.
MAJ. Donovan explained that when
the eSimateS for this fiscal wear were
being prepared last Summer, the Com
missioners recommended that $3.50 OOC
be appropriated to give District EN-
ployes one "step-up" in salary, as con
templated by the efficiency rating
system.
When the District appropriation act
only about s50,O00 for these efficiency
promotions. Then came the filing OF
the appeals by 1900 employees for re.
ALLEGATION to higher grades. which is
entirely different from increases based
on efficiency.
Stephens to Suffer.
When an employe is promoted or
his efficiency rating it is not neces.
sary to pay him the increase If funds
are not available, but, Mai. Donovan
pointed out, when employees are re.
allocated to a higher basic grade pay.
ment of the increase Is mandatory.
Corporation Counsel Stephens, who
passes on all matters for the District
government and the Utilities Com
mission, is one of the officials whC
will suffer from the situation unles,
his department gets a supplemental
appropriation.
The Classification Board granted
his appeal for reallocation and placed
him in a grade emitting him to Sc. .O0C
year. The city is actually payins
him now at that rate, but the avail
able appropriation for this year i.
only $500 This means that at the
end of the year he will have to pas.
one or two pay days without receiv.
ing an envelope. In the case of one
of his assistants. the available appro.
priation is 81, 400 less than the amount
he is entitled to receive as the result
of being raised to a higher grade.