The Washington times., 1928-07-02
PERSONNEL
/. BOARD
DEF les
RULING

In Washington went to work
today for the first time under
the salary schedules of the
Welch pay act it was learned
1y The Washington Times
from an official source that
hundreds of them face a posi-
Bile reduction in salary when
Congress reconvenes.
The personnel classification board.
In defiance of Comptroller General
IT. r.. McCarl's ruling, is allocatlng
iempIoyes in the upper grades OF
] the professional and clerical SER
q vices in accordance with its own
INTERPRETATION of the Weich act on
he theory that Congress will enact
yislation multiplying McC&rfs ruling
i respect to these employees.
Seeks Victory in Congress
fhe board, temporarily defeated
McCarl's superior authority over
49, Federal exchequer, is aiming Ior
!. victory when Congress, which -
Z MrCarI's only boss. returns TO ousl'
ness.
The controversy between the two
governmental agencies affects only
EMPLOYEES who were in Grades Z, 2,
and of the profe ssiona1 service
and Grades IL, IL and Is of the
rlericaI service. These. employees
are now in Grades S. 6, z and OF
TIE professional service and II, Ii,
IA and Is of the clerical. respec-
s1iVeTy..
There is no controversy in regard
In employees in other grades ana
services. Their status is definitely
settled.
McCarl has ruled that all en-
DIoves in Grade 4 go to Grade 3.
and employees in Grades and 5
advance either one or two grades,
saccording to the decision OF thG1f
/ departnlental chief. He has ruled
the same for their corresponding
grades in the clerical service.
Boards Opinion
The Personnel Board holds thai
some employees of Grade should
remain in the new Grade 4. Others
should go to Grade 5, it maintains,
and employees of Grades and >6
should advance one grade and no
more. Its contentious arc the same
with regard to the corresponding
grades of the clerical service.
McCarl's authority is higher than
the Personnel Boards and when he
announced his decision the various
cept his ruling without reference to
the board.
But some of the departments de-
cIded that, though McCarI might be
technically correct, the Personnel
Boards theory had more logic and
decided to follow it's system rather
than take advantage of the comp
troller's ruling.
Members Are die Hards"
However, when McCarl reiterated
his decision last week these depart.
ments relented and agreed to follow
the other departments which were
accepting the more liberal ruling.
So all employees are working today
under the comptroller's decision.
but
Members of the Personnel Board
are Idle hards" and have decided
that it is their duty to continue
Therefore, though all employees
of grade 4 will begin today to work
under the salaries of Grade 5
some of them will be officially al
cIocated at the Personnel Classifi-
cation Board in Grade 4. Likewise
though some employees in Grades
land are now dra wing the salaries
of and they will be officially
allocated in s and Z.
This also holds true for the en-
ployes OF the clerical service who
were in Grades II, IL and 10, which
correspond to 4, 5 and in the
professional.
May Void Decision
The Personnel Boards theory IS
that Congress intended the cIassi.
fications as the board is making
them, and when Congress convenes
in December 1t can attach to the
deficiency appropriation bill, carry.
ing salaries for raises under the
WEIGH bill, an amendment voiding
McCarls decision and upholding
the boards clasifications.
Members OF the board realize
that Congress may not back them
UP and may decide to leave the
employees where McCarI has placed
them. Then and then only will the
official ALLEGATIONS mbe changed.