Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06
|BROOKHART BILL
TO INCREASE PAY
GIVEN APPROVAL
Senators to Make Deter
mined Effort to Win House
Concurrence.
GEORGE AMENDMENT
ON FURLOUGHS FAVORED
McReynolds and Steward Present
Data on Plan to Correct
Inequalities.

vovably the Brookhart bill to give Gov
ernment employees the salary increases
advocated by the Senate last year, but
which were pared down in conference
before the WEIGH law was finally
enacted.
| Several members of the committee
made it clear in the discussion which
preceded the favorable vote that they
have the House agree to the measure
at this session, which would give all
employees who come under the classifi-
cation act raise of two salary steps
above what they received prior to the
Welch law.
McReynolds Testifies.
w. H. McReynolds, assistant director
Of the Bureau of Efficiency, told the
committee yesterday that under the in
depreciation placed on the WEIGH act
when it was being put into effect last
! Summer, only those employees in the
| first, second and third steps of their
grades were advanced two salary steps,
while those occupying the fourth, fifth,
sixth and seventh steps were advanced
only one step. The Brookhart bill
would give the additional step to these
latter groups.
In some cases the WEIGH law re-
suited in $50 increase for groups that
would have received $120 under the
Brookhart bill, and Sl00 raise for
many who would get 5000 under this
BILL
McReynolds told the committee yes
terday that 1t has been found since
the last session of Congress that the
Brookhart bill will not add as greatly
to the cost of the present law as it was
then thought would be the case. He
said the present estimate of $4,000, 900
as the additional expense of the Brook
hart bill is smaller than the estimate
given last year. because at that time
sufficient data was not available to de-
termine exactly the effect Of these in
creaSes.
George Amendment Wins.
Before reporting the bill the COM
mittee agreed to an amendment to be
offered by Senator George, Democrat,
of Georgia. which would require certain
Government agencies, particularly the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing, to
pay employees when they are required
to take involuntary furloughs of one
or two days month. Senator George
told the committee he had learned
that in some cases these involuntary
furloughs absorbed the increases OBJ
tanned by some employees under the
Welch law.
Another important development yes
terday was the testimony of Mercy
noldS that In the report which he will
soon submit to Congress of a survey he
is making Of the classification system,
he will recommend elimination of over
tapping which now exists in the salary
steps of adjoining grades
For illustration, in grade Of the
custodial service. the three highest
salary steps are the same as the three
lowest steps in grade S. There are SINH
lar cases OF overlapping in other serv-
ices.
Another outstanding incident of the
meeting was the testimony of Mercy
nolds that the classification board has
virtually been deprived of its authority
to reallocate positions from one grade
interpretations placed on the WEIGH
law by the controller generals Office.
He told the committee the present situ-
alton is such that the classification
board might as well be abolished, or its
authority defined.
Question May Be Revived.
The committee took no action on this
question. but members indicated it
would be given further study before
the bill is taken up in the Senate. It
was explained that under the present
condition. If 1t is deemed necessary
to change the grade of a position, or
that position was graded too high or
too low in the first instance, 1t can
only be reallocated by the board upon
recommendation of the department.
AT the outset of the meeting several
members called attention to reports that
Representative Lehlbach, chairman of
the House civil service committee. who
would not agree to the Senate bill last
year. was still of the same view.
Senator Brookhart said he did not
believe the Senate group would meet
with the same opposition in working out
the bill this year. Earlier he told his
colleagues he had had telephone con-
verSatlon with Mr.. Lehlbach regarding
the salary legislation
Senator McKellar, Democrat, of Ten
nessee, strong supporter of the Brook
hart measure, advised Senator Brook
hart to seek to have Mr. Lehlbach agree
ii he hoped to get the bill through this
year.
Steward Gives Views.
In response to this, Senator Brookhart
indicated he intended to stand firmly
for the Senate bill this year and added
that he thought Mr.. Lehlbach would be
more reasonable" than some others.
Senator Dale asked McReynolds what
form OF legislation was being proposed
IN the House to correct the inequalities
which have developed in the operation
OF the WEIGH law. McReynolds said he
had furnished Mr.. Lehlbach with sta
tiStics asked for and had recommended
the course followed by Senator Brook
hart. but explained that he could not
speak as to what form of bill would be
introduced in the House.
Luther c. Steward, president of the
National Federation of Federal EN-
ployes, told the committee he had con-
ferred with Senator Brookhart and was
In hearty accord with the purpose of
the bill.
Stewarc told the committee there
were some groups of employees, particu-
larly in the field activities of the War
Department. who did not benefit from
the WEIGH law. because, he said, of in
| terpretations of the law by admins
| trative officials. He presented an amend
ment to take care of such cases, and
the committee took 1t under considera-
ton