Evening star., 1928-12-09
THREE MEASURES
PLANNED FOR AID
OF U. S. EMPLOYEES

/, Continued From First Pase.l
often proved to be due to fofgetfulness
or overlooking the necessity CT setting
the proper personnel.
Reorganization Involved.
Leaders Ia the House, who were can
vassed yesterday, invariably pointed out
that the. salary question Is Of immediate
Importance, but 1t is bound UP with
the question of reorganization of the
personnel employment system.
This reaction In the House seems to
have resulted from the fact that all
over the country, Federal employees
have not only sent their complaints TO
the National Federation of Federal
EMPLOYEES headquarters here, but took
them up directly with their Representa-"
tives in Congress while thcye were home
in their district. These complaints fol.
lowed a broadcast that all were to re-
ceive pay increases under the We!ch
bill, whereas, as q matter OF fact, many
large groups did not get the rate OF
increases intended for them or were
barred from participation In dement's
that Congress intended they should
have.
It was perfectly plain at the time
the WEIGH bill was enacted that Con-
gress intended that pending the max.
Ing of the field survey and submission
to Congress of the proposed draft for
further legislation for the setting up
of q comprehensive. workable comper-
sation system for the Federal Govern
rYaefit. the Welch bill was to operate In
ths meantime and apply to employees
all over the country. Instead. groups
here and there were stalled off or the
date was postponed for allowing the
increases.
The WEIGH bill passed the House 2Sl
to IA, and the votes recorded against
it were not hostile. but in protest that
the law was not liberal enough The
intent Of Congress was urlmissakable.
Protest Meetings Held.
Yet members of Congress. both in the
Senate and House, now find 0verw elm
ing complaint against mAladminiStrA-
ton Of the act. Not only have the
complaints been made to individual
members of Congress, but mass meet
ings of protest have been held. In
Seattle, Wash, there was such meet
ing, at which the Senator and three
House members heard complaints by
speakers representing groups of en-
ployes In at least dozen important
centers.
This has resulted in determination
In Congress to do something to patch
up the cracks in the present law, to
make the administrative officers realize
they have acted contrary to the intent
atsly to act upon whatever recon-
rnendations the Personnel Classification
Board may make in the report it Is re-
ouired under the law to make early in
January, for permanent salary class!fi-
cation of the field forces on q basis
comparable with the departmental em.
ployes in Washington.
Chairman EAhlbach, in seeking In.
formation regarding nialadministration
Of the WEIGH act, learned yesterday that
the field service In the Navy Depart
ment did not benefit under the law
until August l, although the effective
date was July /.
He also learned the majority Of the
field workers under the Veterans Bu-
reau did not benefit until September
and some not until october l. He was
advised that in the crstcdiAl service,
where there are MOSTLY low@paid work
ers, the increases were allowed July Is
|. instead of July /; then when organized
protest was made, the increase was al
lowed as of July /, but was "butchered"
and did not maintain the relation Of
salaries after the Welch bill became op-
erAtive with the salaries prior to pas
sake of the act. For this service, the
WEIGH bill carried 'fiAt increase OF
$3.50 per person, but many were allowed
only fractional parts OF that amount,
| Mr.. Lehlbach was informed. ana the
Bureau of the Budget figures were pre-
sented in proof Of this.
Some 10000 civilian employees Of the
War Department in the fieid have been
deprived Of any benefit whatever under
the Welch act, through administrative