Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-17
Ruling Which Enforced Mini
mum Salaries Reversed by
Controller General.
VETERANS BUREAU TAKES
UP CASE WITH OFFICIAL
Previous Plan Attracted Wide At
tention When Scale
Was Reduced.

Controller General McCarl held In an
important ruling today that employees
Of the Government may be transferred
or reassigned to other services without
loss of salary.
The ruling in effect reversed a de-
ciSion Of the controller general handed
down on November 20, 1924, and, in
addition to having widespread effect
on all future transfers in the Govern
ment, probably will lead to readjust-
ments of salary in numerous cases.
Under the previous ruling it was held
in effect that an employe transferred
to another service would be regarded
as new entrant and should start at
the minimum salary rate of the grade
For example, person graded PSI,
whose salary was $4,000 annually, If
transferred to grade CAF-12, where the
minimum salary was $4,000 per annunl,
necessarily would have to take the
lower salary This condition has
attracted considerable attention in
the flve-year period since the ruling
was handed down, and there have been
numerous complaints of salary injus-
tees brought about by operation Of the
rule.
Requested by Hines.
The case forming the basis of the
controller generals latest ruling came
from the Veterans Bureau. Brig. Gen.
Hines, director Of the bureau, advised
McCarl he wished to transfer an en-
ploye now serving in grade PISS at a
salary OF $4,000 per annum to vacant
position which already had been allo-
Gated by the Personnel Classification
Board to grade CAF-12. May the en-
ploye be transferred without loss of SAL
ary?" the Veterans Bureau asked. The
controller general answered in the af-
firmative and pointed out that the rule
of 1924 was made, at a time when 1t
appeared that the general intention of
the classification act and the average
provision Cthe provision covering aver
age salaries in individual gradeS) was
that all new differences into a grade Of
whatever nature, should be at the mini
mum salary of the grade"
In other words, an employe reallo-
Gated and transferred to grade in
ferior to that held at the time of
transfer would be regarded as a new
employe. SO far as concerned the grade
to which he was transferred.
Has Two Purposes.
Subsequent changes in policy respect
ing the Personnel Classification Boards
description of various grades and the
qualifications held necessary for en-
ployes within their range led McCarl to
make this observation:
The change in the average provision
to authorize transfers between grades
without reduction in the salary of the
person transferred may be considered as
having two purposes: Cd to save the
cmploye from loss Of salary and 90 to
afford the administrative offices more
leeway in the adjustment of personnel,
both interoffice and intraoffice, to meet
the varying needs of the service.
The qualifications of a person whom
1t is proposed to transfer from one Sery-
ice to another as, for instance, from
PISS to CAF-12, as in the instant casa
(the case from the Veterans Bureau, is
exclusively matter between the admin
istrative Office and the Civil Service
Commission"
Original Act Applicable.
McCarl said further that if such a
transfer meets the conditions prescribed
by regulations, which may be issued by
the President through the Civil Serv-
ice Commission or otherwise, it is be-
lieved that provisions of the average
provision and the original classification
act are applicable.
Therefore," said the controller gen.
eral, 1.-The rule of November 90, 1924,
whereby transfers between services were
COklSiOcIcO dS IlcW Go 1lO
longer for application"
Throughout the period the old rule
was In effect wide difference of opinion
obtained as to whether the transfer of
an employe from one grade to an in
ferior grade constituted a reflection on
the abilities of the person transferred.
Many Views Of Question.
One view was that an employe trans
ferred to a grade where the minimum
salary was lower than that which he
left should start at the minimum sal
airy and not come in immediate COM
petition with employees already in that
grade who by reason of service mad
reached higher ratings within the
grade.
Another view was that the various
classificationS of employees under the
classification act served to congregate
employees especially fitted in the various
qualifications and that transfer from
one to another might well mean that
the employee transferred was going
merely to q division of work to which
he was better suited, and, therefore. he
would do more effective work. Under
such an Interpretation, which was that
held generally, among the employees, it
was held that the person transferred
should not suffer financial loss.
This latter view, which is held to be
substantiated in large part by the con-
troller generals latest ruling, is expect
ed to operate Immediately to Offset any
salary injustices that may obtain as
the result of the old ruling and to lay
down the broad general policy as out
lined by McCarl.