Evening star., 1930-12-09
j. s. PAY INCREASE
HALT|NG DISCUSSED
Opposition to Building of
Howard Library Is Ex-
planned to House.

While Representative Woodrum of
Virginia, a Democratic member of the
House Appropriations Committee, was
arguing in the House late yesterday
against the recommendation of the
committee for an appropriation of
$400,000 to start erection of an $500, 900
library building for Howard University,
the question of cutting off increases for
Government employees during the fiscal
year starting July l next was discussed.
Inequality Is Explained.
Representative Woodrulm explained
the inequality in pay throughout the
Government service, which is to be cor
rected under the three-year program
recommended by the President and the
Budget Bureau which the House Ap-
propriations Committee, supported by
the House itself. proposes to not allow
during the coming fiscal year. He said:
"Since the adoption of the classifica-
ton act in 1928 there has grown up this
system Of inequality in pay among Gov
eminent employees. Under that system
we 60 to one department and find an
employe doing a certain class of work
and getting a certain rate Of pay, and
we 80 into another branch of the Serv-
ice and find the same class of work
being done at a different rate of pay.
We find certain employees getting period
ical raises and other grades held sta
tionary.
Here is a grade with five steps in it,
and the classification act provides that
the salary shall be as of the average of
the grade, provided an employe has
been there certain length of time and
his efficiency ratings will justify 1t.
Many of the employees have been there
n 1AaA % m
cheney ratings have justified it, but they
have never been promoted out of the
minimum grade because the Congress
had not made the appropriations so
they could be provided for.
Employees Owed Debt.
Now. the Congress and the Presi-
dent and the bureau have all realized
that this Is really a debt owing to the
Government employees. The President
and the Budget Bureau put it in the
budget this year that we would make
certain appropriation this year, an
other one next year and another one
the third year to raise that group up
to their standing within the grade to
which they were entitled.
We must not confuse promotions
with adjustments in the grades If an
empleye Is now IN the minimum grade
and promoted another grade and that
grade carries an increased salary, he
gets that promotion, but not within the
grade. II he Is promoted and taken
out Of one employment and put into
another, and the employment he is put
INTO carries greater rate of pay than
the one from which he is promoted,
taeon ne gets the increased pay.
IAN that the Wood amendment pro-
vtdes = that an employe doing q GER
tain JOB, 1t he continues in that Job in
tnat eFade, this year shall not have his
salary increased" he explained,
=, Gxnaalnlng his position in supporting
the Wpod amendment, and in breaking
away nom his COMMITTEES in opposing
the Howard University building item.
AepresentatiVe Woodrum said:
kSPiains Building OppositiOn.
Very much against my personal in
ei1nata0n yielded to the policy of the
Appropriations Committee not TO an
pPopr1ate Tor the salary adjustments
cnis pear because of the condition we
are facing believed they ought to be
adjusted when we can get to it, and
! hope We can set to it in the next Gem
De done now, and do not think the
Government clerks ought to press the
matter at this time.
How are you going to justify, how
can the Appropriations Committee
justify, and how can the Congress
justify, saying to the Government CLERKS
that though we recognize the fact that
we owe this money TO them in salary
adjustments, though the Bureau of the
Budget and the President have said 1t
ought to be paid, yet because we are
facing deficit in our Treasury and
because OF the large appropriations we
must make in this crisis we are going
TO withhold it? How can we say that
20 this group of Government employes
and then turn around to private edu-
cettonal institution, which Is not a
Government agency but which Is the
Denenc1ary OF large Government ap-
propr1ationS, and embark on a large
and extensive building program?
CramtOn Explains Library Item.
Chairman Cramton Of the subcom-
mtttee which drafted the Interior De-
partment bill then under consideration
IN the House, which carries the Howard
University item and also q provision
similar to the Wood amendment to the
TreaSury-Post ONCE appropriation bin
prohibiting salary increases to Govern
ment workers, explained the Howard
University library item.
He explained that only in. q limited
way are the facilities of the Library of
Congress available to the 1000 students
OF Howard University, some TOO or 300
OF whom go to the Library each day.
There Is no library In the city where
that number would be welcome" he
said. They can watt" he continued.
'as they have waited for many years.
but he expressed the hope that in their
enthusiasm for the Wood amendment
his colleagues in the House would not
oppose any meritorious construction
Item such as serves TO give employ
fnent to those who are out of lob,
because the next deficiency bill will no
doubt have large number of such
items"
Applause loud and long greeted Rep
reSentative Woodrum's concluding state
ment that If our Appropriations Com
mittee Is going TO take up items of this
sort, gratuitous items, turned down by
the Bureau OF Efficiency, want TO see
the Government clerks get what is COM
ing TO them"