Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-29
Army.

Army.
During the closing days of the last
session OF Congress. a memorandum
originating at the Capitol, it is under
stood, pertaining to a revision OF the
first three pay periods Of commits
STONED officers OF the regular Army.
was sent to the War Department gen
seral staff for study and as the con-
rvening of the next Congress nears.
the subject is being more or less in
formally discussed In local military
circles. Those advocating the revi-
ssion of the first three pay periods
scontend that the pay Of all officers in
the fourth, fifth and sixth pay periods
are about sufficient. but in the case OF
officers of the first. second and third
pay periods, it is insisted that of11-
GERS Of the latter group are not re-
ceiving adequate pay. especially those
with dependents. This brings up the
old subject of the administration of
the dependency laws. Secretary Of
War Davis in commenting upon this
subject, pointed out that in his opin-
ION the argument in favor of amenda-
tory legislation that would change the
cpaY act so that all officers, regard
flESs- of whether or not they have de-
pendents, would receive the same
amount of money from the Govern
,pjento is without much merit.
=, As pointed out last week by an
officer belonging to the third pay
period, "A captain in the Army today
can buy only about half as many
things With his monthly pay check
as could a captain 10 years ago. Maj
Gen kenzie w. Walker. chief Of
finance, when asked TO give his opin-
ION AS to just what the fundamental
trouble was and what remedy could
lie applied TO correct 1t. declared thai
the dependent mother should be en-
tirelv eliminated from the act OF June
10. 1922. He also contended that the
determination of what constitutes de-
tendency should be placed in the
hands of the Secretary of War. Fur
Their, Gen. Walker said. eliminate
all dependency from the act of June
10. 1922, and pay the officer for the
services he renders as such, the pay
according to grade and length of serv-
ice TO be that now prescribed for Off
GERS with dependents.
Those in the service who are of the
opinion that officers of the first three
pay periods are not receiving sutfi
rient pay, point out that i'll connec-
ton with the administrative Difficult
ties of the dependent mother clause
they can be remedied if the law will
y
the Secretary of the Navy with power
to decide which officers have depend
ent mothers and which have not,
under such rules and regulations as
they may adopt. and take that power
away from the Controller General.
The suggestion was also made that
AN additional subsistence allowance
might he given to officers of the first
three pay periods
The situation is complicated, how
ever due to the fact that the Sec
rotary. of War is not in accord
with the views expressed by Gen.
Walker, although there is no friction
between those two off1cials-just
merely "A disagreement on the points
involved. 1t goes without saying that
the subject will be the source Of
congressional consideration at the De-
cembcr session. Secretary Davis feels
that the pay act of June 10, 1922,
should be left alone for the present,
as he is lin full sympathy with the
Government policy of recognizing
the morale value Of family life in the
Army as evidenced by its generous
provision for taking partial care,
through rental and subsistence allow.
anCes, Of an officers family"
\ study is being made in the War
Department general staff which will
ultimately result. il is expected, in the
adoption by the War Department of
efficiency reports for warrant officers
Of the regular Army. Similar studies
on TWO or three different occasions
have been made by the department
with no definite results. but. as
pointed out in the War Department
last week. as warrant officers occupy
practically the same status as com
misSioned officers, il is no more than
fair that efficiency reports should be
rendered on each warrant officer in
the Army as they are on every menu
Der of the commissioned personnel.
AT the present time considerable at
tention is being paid to the form on
which the report is to be made.
Final decision has not yet been made
in this matter, but it Is expected that
ii will approximate that filled out for
The commissioned personnel with
adaptations peculiar to the warrant
grade The present intentions are
that il will be submitted 20 the ad-
tutant general of the Army annually
but in the event that a warrant Off
Ger is transferred from his station his
commanding officer will render an
efficiency report Just prior to his de
parature for his new station. and
should the commanding officer him