Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-21
CONTINUED From First Page.)

as amended, with the exception of
school teachers and others specially eX-
cepted from the provisions of the act
The District personnel contributes to
the retirement fund by salary deduc-
tons the same as Federal personnel
Until the fiscal year 1929 no appropria-
. ton had been made by the Federal
Government toward financing the ac-
crued liability of the Government in
the retirement fund which accrued Ii
ability is estimated at approximately
$500, 100000. For the fiscal years 1929
and 1890 Congress has appropriated
approximately S20,000000 each year to-
ward financing the accrued liability of
the Government. Included in this
stated accrued liability of the Federal
Government is the portion of the liza
bility which was created by the par
ticipation of District of Columbia en-
ployeS. In order that the financing of
that portion of the accrued liability
which is properly chargeable to District
of Columbia personnel may be borne
by the District of Columbia instead of
by the United States the Committee
has recommended separate section In
the bill transferring from District reve-
nueS the sum Of $300,0 900, composed Of
Sl50,000 each for the fiscal years 1929
and 1880, to the credit of the United
States. For the next fiscal year, and
thereafter as long as it may be neceS-
Sary, it is anticipated that a regular
Item for this purpose will be budgeted
and carried annually to meet the Dis
trict'S share of the accrued liability
The sum of $l50.000 for each of these
years Is based upon as accurate an eSti-
mate as it is now possible to make of
the portion that should be borne by
the District. AS better data become
available in future years the annual
amount can be readjuSted to meet the
situation of the accrued liability then
existing or to adjust any underesti-
mate or overestimate of the Districts
share year by year."
Salary Raise Item Eliminated.
The report accompanying the bill
points out that the omission of the
second year appropriations in the two
year program adopted last year of
bringing District employees salaries up
TO fair average with those in other
departments of the Government is due
to the fact that the committee believes
the effect of the WEIGH pay bill has
been to take care of this situation and
that lin comparison with the Federal
departments the average salary rates of
the District government employees are
most favorable" The report says:
Last year when the committee had
the estimates for the District of CO.
lunbia under consideration it went par
ticularly into the question of the SAL
aries of employees of the District of
Columbia, under the classification act
of 1928, operative at that time. The
salary rate of teachers, firemen, or po-
iicemen, were not included in the study.
as these were and are all covered by
legislation apart from the act men,
toned. A comparison was made of the
average number of employees, the aver
age salary rates, and the total salary
obligations for all employees in the
District of Columbia, listed under the
different Federal establishments, includ-
ing the District of Columbia, for the
years 1927, 1928, and 1929. With the
exception of employees under public
buildings and public parks of the Ma
tional Capital-which service was hard
ly comparable, as most of those en-
ployees are grouped under the custodial
gradeS-the average salary for the en-
ployees of the District of Columbia was
the lowest of that for the 33 depart
ments and bureaus listed. The COM
tnittee then ascertained the total
amount that would be necessary to
bring the salaries of the District en-
ployees up to the average salary rates
of the grades specified in the then
applicable classification act of 1928.
The amount having been estimated at
S340, $50, the committee at that time
determined to appropriate this amount
Of money over a two-year period dis
tributing 1t under the respective bu
reaus and divisions of the local gov
eminent. A sufficient amount of money
was included in the bill and appropri-
ated last year over the Budget esti-
mate, and there was actually expended
or allocated during the current fiscal
year, prior to the enactment of the
Weleh pay act, $l75,64l.
Taken Care OF in WEIGH Bill.
"The committees action, of course,
In planning this two-year program of
salary increases, was not predicated
upon the passage and application of
the pay rates contained in the WEIGH
pay act. When this law became oper-
Rtiye, the effect of its provisions, SO
Tar as the salaries of the employees of
the District of Columbia were con-
cerned was TO add an additional net
amount of 1857 ,802 to the pay roll Of
The District government, over and
above the original $175,641. The total
of &these two amounts, therefore.
1888, 433, represents what actually has
been obligated and allocated for salary
increases during the current year and
the salary amounts covered in this bill
for the next fiscal year maintain this
schedule. When the District Commits
sioners submitted their supplemental
estimates to both the Bureau of the
Budget and to the committee this year,
they included an item Of $165,000, the
purpose of which was to finish the
second part of the tWo-year Salary-in-
crease program which the committe
had embarked upon last year. The
Bureau of the Budget eliminated this
estimate in view Of the subsequent effect
of the WEIGH pay act. and the COM
mittee in reporting out this bill has sus-
tanned that action. From data, testi-
mony, and tables contained in the hear
ings this year it will be observed that
in comparison with the Federal depart
ments, the average salary rates OF the
District government employees are most
favorable"
Start of Municipal Center Promised.
Promise of appropriations commit
tee support for the new municipal cen
ter legislation and the related projec
of a new police court are given in thu
rerort, .ogether with approval Of thu
supplemental estimates for importan
public Improvements aggregating ST.,
674.000. The report says:
1.-THE original estimates submitted T.
the committee for its consideration
amounted to $36,883,l22, which repre-
sented a reduction of 1854, 1876 unde
the current appropriations. The est
mates as they first appeared for exami
nation were lacking in many importan