Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-28
BR0OKHART SALARY
INCREASE ADOPTED
Deficiency Bill Amendment
Passes Senate-Pay Cut
ProviSo Eliminated.

The Senate today adopted the Brook
hart amendment to the second defici-
ency bill to grant salary increases to
hundreds OF Government employees who
were raised only one salary step last
Summer
Just before agreeing to this amend
ment. the Senate also approved the
action of its appropriations committee
in striking from the deficiency bill the
House provision, which would have re-
duced the pay of approximately 1000
other Government employees in the
higher positions of the Federal service.
This places the whole subject of
salary adjustments for Government
employees in conference, where managers
for the two branches of Congress final
ly will determine between now and ad-
journment next Monday what is. to be
done.
The reductions in pay. which the
Senate cut out would have affected
technical and scientific workers whose
salaries range from $4,000 upward to
$4,000.
Lehlbach Seeks Compromise.
Meanwhile Chairman Lehlbach of the
House civil service committee was max
ing last desperate try today to get
an agreement with House leaders. Sena-
tor Brookhart and members of the SEN
ate civil service committee on COM
promises to relief bill with some
assurance that it can be passed at this
session of Congress. II he fails in this
before the close of the present session.
Mr.. Lehlbach will take the floor and
place the blame for failure of this relief
measure on the shoulders of certain
large groups in the Government service,
who, Tor selfish interests. as he claims,
will have thwarted efforts to give in
creases in salary to the low-paid en-
ployes whom Congress intended to
benefit under the Welsh act.
The purpose of the House provision
to the deficiency bill was to meet the
contention of the personnel classifica-
ton board that. in carrying out the
WEIGH law. many OF these employees
we're allocated too high. The Senate,
however, was unwilling to approve the
salary reductions
The salary increases provided for by
the BrOOkhart amendment will go
largely to employees in the lower grades.
When the WEIGH law was put into ef-
feet, some of these employees were
moved up two steps within their re-
spective grades, but hundreds of others
were advanced only one step.
AS the deficiency bill came from the
Senate committee yesterday it already
had eliminated the pay cuts which the
House sought to bring about, but had
not allowed the increases for the lower
paid workers.
Just before the consideration of the
bill was completed today Senator
Brookhart offered the amendment to
grant these salary increases, beginning
with next month.
Warren Raises Point of Order.
Senator Warren of Wyoming, chair
man OF the appropriations committee,
said it probably was good legislation,
but that nevertheless it was legislation
on an appropriation bill and that he
could not avoid making a point of order
against it.
1t Is an appropriate matter for the
Senate to send to conference, in view
of the fact that the House took action
on a part of the salary question:" Sem
ator Brookhart replied
The Iowa Senator then appealed to
senator warren TO accept the amend
ment by reminding him that this is the
only opportunity for getting action at
this session.
Senator Warren said it was his duty
to insist on the point of order.
Senator FeSs. Republican. of Ohio,
who was presiding at the time. said that
while legislation ordinarily is out of
order on an appropriation bill. Vice
President Marshall has laid down a
precedent to the effect that when the
House opened the door by putting into a
bill language that is subject to a point
of order, it is in order for the Senate
to make other amendments along the
same lines.
Fess Leaves 1t to Senate.
Senator Fess, said. however, that he
would not rule on the point of order,
but would submit the question to the
Senate. The Senate, without record
vote, held the amendment to be in order
and moment later adopted the amend
ment on viva-voce vote.
Chairman Lehlbach in his fight in
the House for the pay relief bill is will
ing to accept the Brookhart schedule of
salary increases for employees in the
lower grades. He is willing to grant to
the personnel classification board power
on its own motion to make realloca-
tions and that its say so shall be final
He is willing to have the bill so drafted
as to allow those in the higher salary
ranges. who under the controller gen.
erals de"ision got subst increases
-