Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-14
PAY INCREASE BILL
OFFERED IN HOUSE
2,496 Employees of Congress
VIII Get Higher Salaries
Under. Measure.

Carrying increases for 2.4S6 employees
of Congress amounting to s877,897.e0
and providing for six new positions Of
assistant clerks to various committees,
the pay increase bill for employees at the
Capitol was introduced today by Chair
man Wood of the House appropriations
committee. This bill was prepared by
a Joint commission composed of Sena-
tors Warren. Watson and Robinson Of
Arkansas, who was succeeded by Sen
ator Bratton last April, and Repre-
sentatives Wood, Murphy and Byrns.
The 2,496 employees are exclusive of
I'll pages in the Senate and Al In the
House who are paid ON q per diem rate,
The present pay roll for these Capitol
employees is s4,722 ,5e7.40 The RECON-
mended salaries total s5,e0o.4ss
Under the readiusted compensation
the average Of the salaries In the legis-
lative group becomes $2,240 as com
pared with the general average Of
S2,lo0 In the executive branch. The
average Of all salaries under the legis-
lative branch in the fiscal year 1928
was approximately $I,765. Under the
readjusted compensation recommended
In the bill introduced today this aver
age becomes S2,240, or an increase of
S475 in the general average, or 26s
per cent, since the fiscal year 1928 In
the executive departments the aver
age OF all salaries has risen from 81 $50
to So, 100 for 1880, an increase of $3.50,
1928.
Pay Travelling Costs.
Chairman Wood points out in his
report that while the average of the
salaries IN the legislative branch Is
slightly higher than the average In the
executive department the joint cem-
mittee believes this variance to be en-
tireiy justified, considering the differ
ence IN employment conditions, and
particularly in view Of the expenses
of travel to and from Washington,
which the great majority of the en-
ployes OF Congress must defray.
He also emphasizes that under the
automatic promotion possibilities which
exist In the executive departments. the
average OF S2,i00 will slightly increase
from year to year, while the salaries
recommended In this bill will become
rigid statutory Law to remain In effect
until changed by specific enactment
Consequently, 1t will be only q short
time before the average Of the salaries
In the executive departments will be
equal to, II not more, than the average
OF the salaries recommended In the
bill just introduced.
Allowance Increased.
In connection with the increase Of
ss77 S97.6 so, Chairman Weed said IL
should be borne In mind that approxi-
naately cns half of this sum Ia due to
the increase in the clerk hire allowance
of members. which involves q total au-
thorized force Of a80 clerks, leaving
the other half Of the increase applicable
to the remaining 1900 persons.
The six new places recommended In
Mr.. Woods report are: Assistant clerk
to the conference majority of the SEN
ate at salary Of $2,S8o, assistant clerk
to the Senate committee on agriculture,
salary, $4,000: assistant clerk to the
Senate committee on contingent funds.
salary, $3.50; assistant clerk, Senate
committee on commerce, salary, 81, 400;
assistant clerk, HOUSE judiciary COM
nittee, salary, s1,sS0; assistant clerk.
House committee on roads, salary,
s1,740. This makes . total Of si3.680
for salaries for the six new positions
recommended.