Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-10
BACHMAN ATTACKS
LEHLbACH PAY BILL
Brands Proposal "Demotion
Measure" in Minority
Report.

Filing a minority report on the
Lehlbach pay bill which was recently
reported out favorably by the House
civil service committee, Representative
Carl G. Bachman Of West Virginia, q
member of the committee, yesterday
branded the Lehlbach measure as "a
demotion bill and not a bill to increase
| salaries"
He objected to both sections Of the
bill, but more particularly to that which
would give the Personnel Classification
Board more power, which he declared
would result in many demotions
| throughout the Government of some Of
the most valued employees.
Discussing the section of the Lehl.
bach measure which adds step to the
top Of the grades to make the number
of steps the same as they were in the
original classification act before the
WEIGH act cut the number from seven
to six, Mr.. Bachman declared there
! had been omitted a mandatory clause
. to make promotions necessary, and that
| the bill, therefore, would not give the
promotions to employees which were
promised by sponsors of the bill.
An amendment TO the section which
added the extra grade should have beer
put on, he explained, If it is intended
to give promotions to employees. In the
Brookhart bill, introduced in the Sen.
| ate. there is q mandatory clause pro.
viding that heads Of departments shall
promote the employees who failed tc
receive an increase in salary the
equivalent Of two steps, or salary rates
under the WelcE act.
Says McCarl Not to Blame.
Mr.. Bachman also declares that
blame for any inequalities for admins
tration Of the WEIGH act rests with the
| language Of the act, and Congress. and
not with Controller General McCarl
who has been sharply scored by Chair.
man Lehlbach for his Interpretation Of
| the WEIGH act.
Criticizing granting Of what he
claims is additional power to the Per-
sonnet Classification Board never CIV
en- In the original classification act, The
| minority report declared that If these
| new powers and functions were put into
effect by the board there is no cues
ton but that there will result wholesale
reductions in present salary rates to a
large number of the Governments most
efnclent. most experienced and most
essential employees In the higher (pro-
| 1ess1onal, scientific and administrative
grades, as well as possible ultimate re-
auctions to the employees In the lower
gradeS. These employees constitute the
backbone OF the Government struc-
ture. It is all too hard now for the
Government to retain their services -
While the bill has for its PURPOSE the
obtaining of small additional increases
to certain Of the employees, the minority
report continued. the measure actually
gives no certain increase to any, and
undoubtedly will result in denotions
Tor great many. It thus can be termed
.demotion bill, and not a bill to in
crease salaries"
Boards Power Explained.
Flatly objecting to enactment of the
measure with its Additional powers
FOR the board, the minority report de-
clared that the matter of Extending.
enlarging or in any way changing the
powers, duties and functions Of the
Personnel Classification Board is of
such far-reaching import that IL should
not be tackled on a bill which has for
its main purpose the revision of salary
rates, but should be made a matter OF
separate legislation so that ample time
and full opportunity may be had for all
concerned to properly study and thor
oughly understand the various prob
lens Of personnel classification in the
civil service of the Government"
Nowhere in the WEIGH act" said
Mr.. Bachman, In his report, can any
thing be found which will in any way
decrease. take away from, or repeal
any of the functions or powers Of the
Personnel Classification Board.
After the WEIGH act was passed.
he said. "the controller general of the
United States rendered an opinion as to
the intent Of the administrative provi-
sion Of the act. His ruling evidently
did not meet with the approval of the
Personnel Classification Board, nor did
1t satisfy those employees who, under
the ruling, were advanced only one
salary step instead of two, this situa-
ton being brought about because there
was a reduction Of steps in the grades
in the WEIGH act from seven to six.
In other words, there were seven steps
in certain grades under the original
classification act Of 1928, and the WEIGH
act reduced these steps to six.
Amendment Is Urged.
From a legal point Of view, the con-
troller general made the only ruling
xsvft nA& b. al 80
vision OF the WEIGH act that was pos
sible for him to make according to the
provisions of this act The Congress
not the controller generals RESPONSE
BILE for the language used In the act.
MAINLY to correct the Inequalities
brought about by the operation Of the
WEIGH act, number of bills were in
PRODUCED at this session Of Congress,
adding another step in those grades
where many of the employees only re-
ceived one step up, for the purpose of
uniformly giving each employee two
steps up in the grades affected. This
also is the intent of Fl. r. 16643 Uehl-
bach bilD in section thereof.
Therefore, there Is no objection to
section of the Lehlbach bill, provid-
ing a proper amendment to the bill is
made directing some agency or agencies
Vi tLlc GOVeIIlIIlcalt W pun t1lc ulCIcdSSS
therein provided, into effect on or be-
fore April l, 1929, and that there may
be some authority for the creation Of
deficiency in order to take care Of
these increases.
"This Is essential because the bill with
the amendment proposed. as now
worded, merely provides that the rates
of pay provided shall take effect April
1, 1929, and makes no provision what
soever for the actual promotion of or