Evening star., 1928-12-17
EARLY ACTION DUE
ON D. c. PAY SCALE
House Subcommittee Plans
to Take Up Matter Soon
After January 3.

One of the first and most important
matters to be considered by the House
subcommittee on the District when it
starts hearings January on the ap-
preparation bill will be on the subject
of increased compensation promised last
year under two-year program, which
stands blocked by the refusal OF the
Budget Bureau to submit an estimate
for the appropriation for the coming
fiscal year.
: This. amounts to Approximately
S163 600 for approximately 1.500 or
more employees of the District Gov
ernment.
In the current appropriation bill
funds were carried to make increases
for the lowest paid employees on the
two-year program to bring the District
of Columbia employees up to a fair COM
parison with other departments. After
hearing, it was estimated that
$340,75 would be sufficient.
S125,O00 for D. G. Workers. II.
The House appropriations committee
divided this amount into a two-year
program of salary readjuStment, one
half to- be included in the current ap-
preparation bill and to be distributed to
the lowest paid employees whose ef-
ficiency ratings were satisfactory The
first half was $170,375, but estimates
previously submitted contained $37, 7,555
for salary increases so that an addi-
tional $120,245 was appropriated for
carrying out the two-year program.
Out of this salary increase fund $45,-
900 went to employees in certain Federal
agencies, such as Public Buildings. Parks
and the Zoo, so that District of Colum-
bia employees proper had fund of
about $125, GEO. This was distributed
starting at the very bottom salary in
all offices and, in amounts of about $120
per person, was allOcated so as to bring
each employee up to the mathematical
average of the grade.
The distribution was made through
the various salary steps until the fund
was exhausted. More than 100000
went to those whose salaries were under
81 800.
There are approximately 1880 Dis
trict of Columbia employees and of this
number considerably more than half
shared in the pay increase fund for the
first year.
Meanwhile the Welch salary increase
bill was passed, of which the current
cost in the District of Columbia service
is $572, ,029.
The controller generals Office con-
tended that the $4,000 allowed last
year for pay increases should be ap-
piled directly to pay increases under
the WEIGH pay act, but after District
Auditor Donovan and Chairman Sim
mons of the subcommittee on District
OF Columbia appropriations had empha-
sized the specific intent of Congress
that this money was for salary increases
IN the lower grades, these increases
were allowed to stand independent Of
the operation of the WEIGH act.
$160,5O0 Is DisalIowed.
In preparation of the District budget,
an additional $4,000 was recommended
for the second year of the two-year
program. The Budget Bureau disal-
lowed all of this except $2500, which
went to unit under the Health De :
partment concerned with contagious
diseases, because that office did not fit
IN under the original program.
The subcommittee on District ap-
preparations will therefore have, as one
of its first duties, to thrash out whether
it will override the Budget Bureau in
giving the remaining District employees
the salary increases they were promised
to bring them up to an equal pay sched-
, ule with other Government employees
before the passage of the WEIGH act.
Representative Casey, Democrat. of
Pennsylvania, who made the fight in
the House last year for salary increases
for District of Columbia employees, and
who endeavored to- get the entire pro-
gram through last year, said today that
he will continue his fight to give all
of the employees the salary increase
that Congress, promised them.