Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-17
Chairman of House Commit.
tee Defends His Salary
Measure.
CIVIL SERVICE GROUP
RESUMES ITS HEARINGS
No Bill Under Consideration Would
Broaden Classification Body's
Powers, Sponsor Says.

Defending his bill to correct alleged
inequalities in the salaries of Govern
ment employees under the Welch act,
Chairman Lehlbach Of the House civil
service committee today charged that
Controller General McCarI had usurped
the rights, duties and functions invested
in the Personnel Classification Board
when the committee resumed its hear
ings.
With growing sentiment In favor of
the Brookhart-Celler bill because Of the
impression that his own measure would
broaden the powers of the Personnel
Classification Board, MIR. Lehlbach de-
clared that neither his bill nor any of
the other legislation under consider
alton Is intended to increase the boards
authority.
My bill is designed to restore to the
board the rights, duties and functions
vested in it in 1928 and unlawfully
usurped by the controller general" said
Mr.. Lehlbach. Neither my bill nor
any other bill contemplates increasing
| the powers OF the board. When the
controller general says the board can
junction in allocating positions he M
simply multiplying existing law"
When a suggestion was made that
possibly the Attorney General could
correct the controller generals decision
| on the WEIGH act Mr.. Lehlbach replied:
1t has been the experience Of Con.
greSs that when it becomes necessary
to curb unreasonable decisions of the
controller general 1t must be done by
legislation. You can't get him to pay
attention to anything else"
Workers Group Appears.
A large group Of representatives Of
Federal workers appeared before the
committee today to present their views
on the several bills under consideration.
Those heard up to luncheon recess
were: William r. Valance and Edwin
A. Mess. both of the Federal Bar AS
sociation. composed of lawyers in the
Government services; j. Ernest Down
Ing OF the Veterans. Bureau. George
Warren Of the Solicitor Generals
ONCE OF the Interior Department, and
Mrs, Margaret Hopkins Worrell presi-
| dent OF the League Of American Civil
| Service.
Valance told the committee that s.,-
ployes IN grades l, 2 and who did not
get but one step up under the Wslch
act should be advanced another step
and pointed out that increases granted
by this legislation already had had the
effect OF reducing the turnover in the
professional groups in the Govern
ment departments, although their sal
aries now are not as high as those Of
professional men outside the Govern
ment service.
The section of the Lehlbach bill en-
powering the Personal Classification
Board to make ALLEGATIONS was opposed
by Mess, who declared that some of
the employees in the Government de-
| t.Aa
Justly treated by the board. Mess also
indorSed the Brookhart-Celler bill, as
will as the Fish bill, which would make
81 200 the minimum annual salary Of
all classified Government workers.
Downing spoke in opposition to the
Lehlbach bill and in favor Of legislation
which would give two step-ups In the
various grades, while Warren urged leg
islation which would give equality of
benefit" to all steps and advocated the
transfer of the duties Of the Personnel
Classification Board to the Civil Service
Commission. In reply to question he
expressed the belief that the majority
Of Federal workers would approve such
a change
In the midst of Warren's testimony
Representative Dallinger. Republican. Of
Massachusetts,. declared that 1t was the
intention of the committee In the Welch
act to give every Government worker q
living wage, but that the increases ap-
parently had gone to the higher-pald
employees.
THAT is the fault of Congress" said
Representative Bachmann, Republican.
Of West Virginia.
Mrs. Worrell opened her testimony
with an attack on the present efficiency
rating system in the Government de-
partmentS, declaring it should be
abolished and the old system restored.
The present rating system, she declared,
is merely smoke screen" She In
dorSed the provisions of both the
Brookhart-C -Celler and the Cerrovich
bills The latter would give substantial
increases to the employees allocated in
the lower grades. which. she said, are
greatly in need of q living wage Dis
content is rife among the lower paid
workers. she said, because of the mig
gardly salaries.
The committee resumed It's hearing
at two O'Clock, following a luncheon
recess Those to be heard this after
noon are Loren H. Witner, chairman
of the departmental classification pro-
test committee. Edwin Evans, repre-
senting the Government and the
public at large" and Mrs May Hen
naghan of the National States Rights
Association.
DR.. George F. Bowerman, librarian
at the Public Library, who was repre-
Sented at the hearing yesterday as hav-
ing obtained $4,000 increase through
the Interpretation of the Welch act,
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