Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-05
BY DONALD A. CRAIG.

the pay of men in the Army Navy,
Marine Corps and allied Government
services shall be made generally pro-
portionate to that of corresponding po-
sitions in civil life" and shall represent
a proper valuation" of the services
rendered to the Government in the
light of present economic standards.
the Interdepartmental Pay Board rec
ommends increases in the pay of COM
miSSioned officers averaging A per cent
above the present pay schedule and SO
per cent above the 1909 schedule.
Tt recommends that rental and sub
siStence allowances for commissioned
officers as established by existing law
be discontinued and that such officers
receive annual pay consisting Of base
pay, with certain increments thereon"
Increments Based on Service.
The increments upon the base pay
under the new plan would be based
upon length of service, and are specified
in a table submitted by the board.
They would apply to all grades except
those Of brigadier general and major
general and the corresponding grades in
the Navy and other services.
Substantial pay increases for the
other grades below those of commits
stoned officer also are recommended,
as heretofore pointed out in this series,
and they viii be explained in Q later
article.
At the outset of its inquiry into the
pa. question the board takes its stand
upon the proposition that the pay act
of l922-the present law-was passed
under abnormal conditions of post
war rehabilitation of the services; re-
adjustment of the wartime imitation of
currency, and an expected increase in
the purchasing power of the dollar"
1T Is evident" says the board, that
those rates were predicated on an ex-
pected immediate decrease in the cost
of living, which did not materialize."
The board, Furthermore, calls atten-
ton to the fact that the 1922 law was
framed merely to readjuSt the pay of
the varying grades Of officers and men
without increasing the demands upon
the budget" and that in some cases
officers actually receive less under this
law than under the prior laws of 1908.
Reverts TO 1908 Act.
In formulating its proposals for "cor-
receive legislation" the board has re-
verted to the pay acts Of 1908 for the
Army and Navy. which, it points out,
were passed in normal periods. With
OF the services or in the economic con-
ditions within the country"
It Is assumed by the board that the
pay acts of 1908 represented the eval-
uation by Congress of the worth to the
Government of the services of the per-
sonnet of the Army and the Navy under
then existing economic standards" By
comparison of those standards, as
measured by salaries paid in industry
and the actual cost of living, with the
standards of today the board has worked
ont the npw nav schedules
With respect to the new schedule
rec commended for commissioned officers,
the board says:
This schedule represents approx
mately so per cent increase over the
1908 schedule, which is by no means
diSproportionate to the increases eff
fected since that date in other govern
mental services of the United States,
and which is, in fact, less than the In
crease in the cost Of living"
Base Pay Is TabuIated.
The proposed new schedule of annual
pay for commissioned officers of the six
services using the titles Of the Army,
and also relating to officers of corre-
spending rank in the Navy, Marine
Corps, Coast Guard Public Health
Major general-Base pay, $4,000; in
crease, none.
Brigadier general-Base pay, $4,000;
increment, none.
Coionel-Base pay, $4,000, with $500
more after three years service in the
grade.
Lieutenant colonel-Base pay, $8,700.
with $500 more for each three years
service in the grade, not to exceed nine
years, to a maximum total of $1,000.
Major-BaSe pay, $4,000, with $500
l1-Jre for each three years OF commits
stoned service, not to exceed "a years,
to a maximum total of S8,400.
Captain-Base pay, $500, with $500
more for each three years OF commits
stoned service, not to exceed 81 years.
to a maximum total of $1,000.
First lieutenant-Base pay, $4,000,
with $500 more for each three years OF
commissioned service, not to exceed Is
years, to a maximum total of $4,000.
Second lieutenant-Base pay, $4,000,
with $400 more for each three years OF
commissioned service. not to exceed IL
years, to a maximum total Of $4,000.
Temporary Service Rate.
Officers temporarily serving in grades
corresponding to general and lieutenant
general would receive while so serving
additional pay of $4,000 and $500, re-
spectively, annually.
The commandment of the Coast Guard,
the director of the Coast and Geodetic
Survey and the surgeon general OF the
Public Health Service would receive the
pay of a major general.
How this proposed schedule compares
with that of the present law is shown by
table prepared by the board on the
basis of grade and length of service
A major general with 40 years service
at present receives $9.7O0, so that his
increase would be A per cent. A briga-
der general with 36 years service now
receives $500, and his increase would
be so per cent. A colonel with 80 years.
service now receives 81 200. and under
the proposed schedule would receive
$40 500, an increase of 46 per cent.
A lieutenant colonel with IS years
| service now receives $6,997, and under
| the proposed schedule would receive
! $1,000, an increase of SO per cent. A
major with 20 years service now re-
| ceives $5,757, and under the proposed
schedule would receive $1,000, an in
crease Of SO per cent. A captain with
IA years service now receives $4.278,
and under the proposed schedule would
! receive $4,000, an increase of a. per