Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-25
NAVAL EMPLOYEES
TO FILE PROTEST
Petition Against LehIbach Bill
to Be Sent Wilbur
at Once.

Navy Department employees, stirred by
the complicated legislative situation in
Congress, arranged to terminate the
circulation of the petition opposing the
Lehlbach bill and submit the petition to
Secretary Wilbur this afternoon, with
the request that it be forwarded to
the chairmen of the Senate and House
committees on civil service.
The petition now contains 1928
names, 1t was explained, and as 1t ap-
plies equally to the personnel provision
Of the second deficiency bill, Navy
Department employees sponsoring oppo-
sition to the Lehlbach measure said
that prompt action was necessary. The
second deficiency bill, they charged:
contains the Objectionable features OF
the Lehlbach bill, plus the reduction
in salary feature, which will mean the
loss of at least 100000 on the Gov
eminent pay roll In Washington ana
81 $50. 900 in the field service.
"A guessing contest" will be started
in Washington should the second de-
ficiency bill. with its provision for an
arbitrary reallocation downward OF posi-
lions. be enacted, it was said, as tC
which of the 1875 persons in the Dis
trict will be reduced one grade with
corresponding loss in pay.
Information in Hearings.
Clyde Reed, special assistant to Rear
Admiral c. Morris. paymaster genera
of the Navy acting as spokesman Tor
the Navy Department employ =, said TO-
day:
THE hearings before a special sub
committee of the House committee or
appropriations on compensation undel
the classification act Of 1928, as amend
ed. which have just been made public
although they were held November %
1928. contain information which Is OF
vital interest to 1905 employees In the
District of Columbia.
In view of the provisions in the Sec
ond deficiency bill for an arbitrary re-
duction of positions in the professional
| and scientific services from grades to
9, inclusive, and in the clerical, ad-
| ministrative and fiscal service, from
grades IL to Is, inclusive, there will
Immediately be started guessing con.
test as to the 1875 individuals who are
slated for reduction of one grade
with corresponding loss in pay.
The hearings disclosed that the re-
duction proposed by the Personnel Clas-
/ SiLiAdbIOiI IoOdi0 Will NC Oloti lOutCo cP-
| proxlmately as follows:
! Professional and scientific service
| From grade S TO grade 4. 746 out OF
l .407 employees at an average salary loss
of S682: from grade 7 to grade 6, 4;
out OF 80 employees at an average sal
sry loss of $804: from grade to grade
! 7, "a out of So employees, at an average
salary loss of Sl.382
| Clerical. administrative and fiSca
service-From grade IL to grade II, 25;
out Of 42l employees, at an average sal.
airy loss Of 1852; from grade Is to grade
| Ia. 10 out of 81 employees, at an aver.
| age salary loss of $l315.
No Divergent Views.
THE employees of the Navy Depart.
ment point out that there is no diver.
gence of views on the part of Fedora
ishing the Personnel Classification
Board, transferring its duties to thu
| Civil Service Commission. establish
ment of a Board of Appeals and elimi
mating the inequalities in the WEIGH &C
by the promotion of lower-paid EN-
ployes.
This program has been adopted b,
the National Federation Of Federal EN-
ployes by Mrs. WorreIls organization
tthe League Of the American Civil
Service and is advocated in the petit
ton Of the Navy Department employees
$50 far as is known to Navy Depart
ment employees who are supporting thi
program, there is no Federal employe
with the possible exception OF member
of the Personnel Classification Boart
and Edwin Evans of the General AS
counting Office, who is opposed to thi
program" Mr.. Reed asserted.
Mrs. Margaret Hopkins Worrell, pres
ident of the League of the American
Civil Service. which has championet
the cause Of the loW-paid Government
clerks today came out in fiat opposition
to the rider on the second deficienc.
bill which would force half-million