The Washington times., 1929-03-01
CON TINUE
PARLEY
L ATER
IN DAY

Conferees on the second de-
Hciency appropriation bill
have reached no agreement in
regard to the Federal pay
items of the measure.
They will meet again this after.
noon, at which time they expect TO
reach a compromise and report the
measure back. The conferees We're
in session for two hours today, but
only discussed the pay items Tor
few minutes. They decided to leave
these items for settlement at the
afternoon session.
The House conferees explained,
however, that they consider the
Senate pay raise amendments new
legislation which should be enacted
In a separate bill instead OF being
attached to an appropriation meas
ure. Their amendment providing
for reduction in salaries is re-
striction on appropriations. and
therefore not technically new legis-
lation, they said.
Representative r. f. Lehlbach
OF New Jersey, chairman OF the
House Civil Service Committee, will
insist upon including in the final
draft of the deficiency bill a pro-
vision giving the Personnel Classi.
eication Board sole jurisdiction over
ALLEGATIONS of Government positions,
he said today.
viii Confer Today
He is to confer with chairman
will r. Wood, of the Appropria-
tions Committee, head Of the House
conferees on the bill. later today.
He will insist, he said, that the
Brookhart pay schedules shall not
be carried in the bin unless his
own provision is likewise included.
The effect of his proviso would
be to insure the classification board
from any further INTERPRETATION of
pay schedules by Comptroller.G Cen
eral J. r. McCarl.
Senator Brookhart and his Senate
colleagues had hoped the House
would yield to the Senate's deman/s
and allow the increase to. remain in
the bill in place of the reductions the
House had ordered.
Government employees are fortC-
nate in the circumstances under
which the bill has gone to confer
ence. The Senate has suddenly be,
come aroused over the debating and
unyielding attitude Of the House in
the matter of appropriation bills
and has sent the bill to conference
determined not to give in to the
House without a struggle.
The bill as it passed the Senate
yesterday contained substantial pay
increases, ranging from $50 to 5000
q year for lower salaried employees,
of the Government The bill would
increase Government salaries about
sS,000,00 year, of which, about
100000 would go to Government
employees in Washington.
AS it passed, the House, the bill
called for salary reductions for 2 800
higher salaried employees totalling
100000 a year.
The Senate will not willingly allow
decreases to the higher paid EN-.
ployes. 1t may have to compromise
and allow modified salary cuts in
order to obtain its increases fer the
lower paid employees, but it will not
be so unless forced to.
Representative Lehlhach, chair.
man of the House Civil Service Com
mittee, is attempting to work OUT a
compromise, though he is not one of
the conferees. Lehlhach would cut
out the decreases, allow the in
ci'eases and give the Personnel Clas-
sification Board full authority to re-
view its ALLEGATIONS and initiate clas-
sification action.
Something OF this kind may be
worked out, though Brookhart viii
oppose any ptoVision giving the
personnel board rlcre authority thar
It now has.
The pay legislation is further en-
dangered by ths possibility that' the
Senate and House conferees will not
be able to agree on other features
of the bill.