Evening star., 1928-05-21
WEIGH BILL SENT
BEFORE CONFEREES
Pay Raise Measure, Amended
by Increases, Praised
by House Member.

The House today sent the WEIGH bill,
as amended In the Senate with the
Brookhart step-ups in salary increases,
to conference. The conferees are
Chairman Lehlbach of the House civil
service committee, Representatives Glib
son of Vermont; Manlove, Missouri; !;
Jeffers. Alabama, and Celler, New York.
The first three are Republicans and the
latter two Democrats.
Representative Woodrum, Democrat,
of Virginia, when the opportunity was
afforded of objecting to unanimous con-
sent to send the measure to conference,
stated that he personally believes the
Senake amendments improve the Welch
bill as passed by the House, and that ne
would prefer to support a motion TO
concur in the Senate amendments. He
said he did not want TO assume the
position of opposing the measure, since
the officers of the employees associations
have agreed to the procedure OF dis
agreeing to the Senate amendments,
and therefore he would not object TO
unanimous consent.
The bin carries salary increases for
I35 900 Government employees, $4,000 OF
whom are in washington, and provides
comparable schedule with employees II
ir the District OF Columbia. It Is ad.
1ittetiay nn- eaaerweney measure and
carries provision for careful study dur
ing the time that Congress stands ad-
iourned, with q report TO be made as
soon as Congress reassembles for thor
ough revision Of the Governments SAL
airy scale.
Senator Brooknart OF Iowa said al
the White House today that there Is not
the slightest doubt about an agreement
being reached on the exact terms OF the
salary increase measure.
The Iowa Senator explained that
there is no dispute about the budget fig-
ures as TO the total cost, but merely
matter of Interpretation and constric-
ton. He said he feels certain that II
viii be found that the difference between
the appropriation provided by the
WEIGH bill passed by the House and the
Smoot bill by the Senate, VIII not
amount to more than $3,000,000.
Conferees Plan Early Action.
The Senate promptly followed the
action of the House by naming its
confereeS. who are: Senators Dale, Re-
publican, Of Vermont: Hrookhart, Re-
publican, Of Iowa: Blaine, Republican,
Of Wisconsin; McKellar, Democrat, Of
Tennessee. and George, Democrat, OF
Georgia.
Members of the Senate who have fol-
lowed the pay bill closely said today
they had late information indicating
that the total number Of employees
throughout the United States affected
by the bill may De considerably less
than estimates up To this time call for,
and that this, If II proves TO be the case,
would tend 10 reduce the estimated
cost Of the Senate bill. II is said that
the Senate committee figured on APP
proximateiy 10000 employees covered
by the BILL and the reports today were
that the total number may be nearer
10 120,
One member Of the Senate said the
conferees would endeavor TO get the
most accurate information possible as
| 70 the total number Of employees In Or
| der TO help work out the differences
between the Senate and House bill In
| conference.
| The conferecg will get together to
begin their deliberations as soon as pos
gibie.