Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-08
BY DONALD A. CRAIG.


tusting the pay of the Army, Navy, Ma
Tine CORPS. Coast Guard, Public Health
Service and Coast and Geodetic Survey
in accordance with present economic
conditions, the mass of facts ana the
arguments in favor of "a proposed pay
increase, which have been marshaleo
by the Interdepartmental Pay BoarC
from the point of view of the six serV-
ices, will not be permitted to stand un'
challenged.
THE members of the joint congress
sional committee, created by the Eeeo
resolution. are under instructions from
the House and Senate Ito make an IN
vestigation and report recommends
lions. by bill or otherwise, to their re-
Spective Houses relative to the read
justment of the pay of the commits
stoned and enlisted personnel of the
several services"
When they come to draft their report
the five Senators and five Represent.
atives on this committee not only viii
have the findings of the Interdepart-
mental Pay Board, but also the results
Of independent inquiries by other Gov
eminent agencies regarding economic
conditions within the six services anc
in other branches of the Government
as well as in industrial, educational and
engineering fields outside the Govern
nent.
Differences Develop.
President Hoover submitted the pay
boards report, as already pointed out
in this series, to the Bureau of Efhci-
ency for comment, and differences CT
opinion have developed between the
bureau on one side, and the War and
Navy Departments on the other, over
conditions in the services and the rela-
tive compensation and advantages OF
persons in comparable fields outside the
Government service.
In giving all sides of this question
as fairly as possible, The Star will pre-
sent in considerable detail the Bureau
IT Eficieney's criticism of the pay
DvaIu report, as contained in the pre-
liminary comments of the bureau sub
mitted to President Hoover. To lead
up to this, the case in favor of the pro-
posed increase will be here summed up
from the facts and arguments prepared
by the pay board and by officials
of the several services in order that
the criticisms of the Efficiency Bureau
may be more clearly understood.
The pay Of the Army, Navy, Marine
Corps and allied services has remained
practically stationary for % years,
Army and Navy officers declare. The
present pay schedules, they point out,
are virtually those adopted away back
in 1908; for the Joint pay act of 1922
was merely readjustment that did not
increase the budget total and even re-
suited in loss of pay to certain OFF,
GERS. The total increase in pay granted
to these services since 1908, they con-
tend, has amounted to only IL per cent.
Service Point of View.
Here is the case from the service
point of view:
Recent statistics gathered by the De-
partment Of Labor show that the cost
of living in this country has increased
104 per cent in the last 20 years
They also show that the pay of prac-
tically all classes of citizens, from the
day laborer to the high salaried execu-
tive, has been increased TO keep pace
with the growing cost of living. The
pay of officers and enlisted men, how
ever, Of the Army, Navy, Marine Corp:
and allied services still is based on a
pay schedule adopted by Congress in
1908 and practically unchanged since
Twice since 1908 Congress has con-
eidered the question Of Army pay. In
the period Of inflated costs Immediately
following the World War Congress
granted these six services, in common
with all other branches of the Federal
Government, bonus intended as a
temporary aid in meeting the rising
cost Of living. Upon the expiration in
1922 Of the period during which the
bonus was effective, Congress again
considered the question of service pay
In 1922 the cost of living in the
United States had passed its postwar
peak and was on the downward trend
Congress was influenced, the officers
point out, by belief that prices were
about to return to their pre-war level
and while some changes were made in
the 1903 pay schedule with the purpose
Of remedying obvious injustices and in
consistencies as between the various
grades, the total increase in pay, as
heretofore stated, amounted TO only II
per cent over the 1908 schedule.
Other Federal Pay Raised.
While the pay Of these six services
remained virtually stationary for %
years since 1908 the pay of other
branches of the Federal service has
been increased from rs per cent to It's
per cent in the effort TO meet the
rising costs of living and to retain In
the Federal service the high-class Of
personnel desired.
The following schedule, compiled
from recent Government data, shows
the percentage of increase in pay FOL
a number of Federal services based
upon the rates prevailing in 1908:
Foreign service, ITS per cent; civi
service, mechanical, 1875 per cent: pub
lie schools of the District of Columbia
ks6 per cent assistant secretaries, Ill
Nr cent; post Office inspectors, 80 pei
Gsslt; civil service, clerical, 81 per cent
judiciary, 81 per cent; Congress, 80 PEI
cent; cabinet members, Is per cent
Army and Navy, IL per cent.
The rising cost of living, amounting
to l04 per cent since 1908, reduces the
present value of the dollar, measured
In terms of its purchasing power, Il
only 40 cents as compared with IL
value % years ago, 1t Is pointed out
1t Is declared to be clear, therefore
that, considering the slight increase II
nay given the six services in 1922, tin
personnel today Is receiving bur littl
more than half the remuneration re
ceived in 1903 when Congress presum
ably placed a fair valuation upon tn
services of the officers and enlisted mel
in the services under then existing
economic standards
Comparison with the salaries paid 3
professional men of corresponding quail
ifications in civil life is difficult, be
cause the pay of the latter usually
based upon their estimate earning
power to the corporation. Obviously
the military services are not conducte
for financial profit and there is n
estimated earning power, in dollars, O
the labors of responsible officers. tn
continued efficiency of the military an
allied services requires, however that
attract and retain, particularly in it
of11cer personnel, men of ability an
high professional attainments It /
held that some parallel with men Q