Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-10
House Amendment to Treas.
ury-PoSt Office Fiscal Bin
Stricken Out.
MEASURE LIKELY
TO BE REPORTED TODAY
Leaders for Settling Question at
Once to Avoid Delaying
Short Session.

The Senate Appropriations Commit
tee today decided to strike from the
Treasury Postoffiae appropriation bill
the House amendment which would
have prevented any increases in salaries
Of Government employees within grades
OF the classification law during the next
fiscal year.
In taking this step the Senate Com
mittee supported the subcommittee
headed by Senator Phipps. Republican
OF Colorado, in charge of the details
OF this bill. The subcommittee Is I'M
derstood to have recommended elinli-
nation of the House provision.
The bill probably will be reported TO
the Senate this afternoon and may be
taken up tomorrow on the floor. It Is
expected that the Senate will support
the action of its committee on the sal
airy question.
The budget submitted to Congress
when 1t convened contained 80 per cent
OF the amount required to raise the
salaries Of those Government positions
throughout the service which have been
found to be below the average. In
recommending this amount the idea
was to spread over two or three years
the cost Of bringing up these under
average salaries. The proposal Is in
tended TO carry out the intent Of the
original classification law Of 1923.
Adoption Of Amendment.
The House Appropriations Committee.
however, succeeded last week In having
the house adopt an amendment which
would have prohibited such increases
during the next fiscal year. It was
this amendment which the Senate
committee has decided to cut out.
Senate leaders feel that unless this
question Is fought out and settled on
this first appropriation bill it will recur
on every appropriation bill and slow
up the work OF the short session.
AFTER knocking out the House limi-
tatlon, the Senate Committee put back
In the bill total of 81 .l90,380 to pro-
VIDE Tor the salary step-up In the
Treasury and Post ONCE Departments
during the next fiscal year. This amount
Is within the estimate recommended by
the Budget Bureau to take care of 50
per cent Of the amount needed to bring
up the under-an-average salaries, the
plan being to take care of the re-
mainder in the next two years.
The Treasury-Post once bill as re-
ported to the Senate this afternoon
carries a total of $l,0s4, 399, 1903. This
- AACO AANACttSC ONCI Tile HOUSE Dill
OF $645,360. The Senate COMMITTEES
made number Of increases through
out the bill, but also made some de-
creases In other items producing the
net increase mentioned above.
In the Post ONCE Department, the
Senate Committee made the following
decreases: Under the heading of COM
pensation to postmasters, 100000; VII
lage delivery service, 100000, and car
fare and bicycle, $4,000.
Meanwhile today Representative La
Guardia, Republican, of New York,
served notice he intends to continue his
hight against the Wood amendment.
Representative LaGuardia claims he.
and not Chairman Wood of the Appro-
pr1ation Committee, is spokesman for
the President and the administration in
this fight and defies Chairman Wood to
prove the contrary
The fight is on and no one can say
that ever quit in fight" said Repre-
sentative LaGuardia in announcing his
determination to carry the salary fight
through to finish on behalf of the
Government employees.
I am prepared to refute every one
OF Chairman Woods wild statements
and believe that my case in behalf
OF the Government workers Is in better
shape today than 1t was when we
hnoCkeu out the general blanket prohi-
oltion against increases which Chair
man Wood endeavored to have APP
proved in the Treasury, Post once ap-
preparation bill
Il challenge Chairman Wood to prove
his statement that the cost of living
has gone down 80 per cent. The cost of
rent, of fuel, food and clothing has
not gone down. If Chairman Wood
pred1cates his case against the Govern
ment workers on that ground he is
easily refuted.
Chairman Wood has always boosted
that he stood by the President. Here
we md him running out on the Presi-
dent. who has in his message and
through the budget recommended
these increases and the carrying for
ward OF the three-year plan of the ad-
ministration to bring up under-average
salaries. Mr.. Wood cannot persuade the
(COntinuad On pann b C,nl,I.,s.. . \