Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-17
'TiIson Promises D. C. Meas
lres Will Have Day, Whether
Controversial or Not.
5 SIMMONS BELIEVED
ALONE IN OPPOSITION
Approval of Commissioners and Va
rious Organizations Backs
Committee.

The House expects to take up and
pass, one week from Monday. the po-
lice and firemen's pay increase bill,
which passed the Senate late yesterday.
House Leader TilSon has definitely
and specifically promised that this
measure and other District measures
awaiting action on the calendar, wheth-
er controversial or not, will be given
their day in the House on Monday
MAY 26.
The only known opposition is that of
Chairman Simmons of the House SUBJ
committee on District appropriations,
who some time ago warned the tax
payers that this legislation meant an
increase in taxes. This was promptly
followed by many citizens associations
and the Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations declaring for passage of the bill
even If 1t does mean an increase in
taxes
The House District committee brings
this measure before the House for ac-
ton fortified by approval of the Dis
trict Commissioners, the three business
organizations and many other civic as
sociationS.
Representative Bowman. Republican,
OF West Virginia, a member of the
House District committee has answered
Representative Simmons warming by
emphasizing that the Washington
police and firemen protect the Federal
property just as they do District prop
erty, and insists that If an increase in
salary to them means an increase in
taxes 1t should better be provided by
increasing the Federal contribution to
the support of the National Capital.
Simmons Still Opposed.
Representative Simmons declared to-
day that he is still opposed to the pay
bill in its present form, which he con-
siders not scientific and unfair because
it does not give proper consideration
to merit, and automatically gives the
increase to incompetent members of
the force as well as to those who are
alert, progressive and efficient.
As passed by the Senate the bill raises
the entrance salary for privates in the
two department from $1,000 to $1,000,
with annual raises of 500 for five years,
until a maximum of $2,400 is reached.
At present the maximum for privates is
$1,000.
AS amended by the Senate, the bill
raises the superintendent of police and
the chief of the Fire Department from
$500 to $4,000. For other officers in
the Police Department the Senate ap-
proved the following salaries: Assistant
superintendent, $4,000; inspectors,
S4,500; captains, $4,000; lieutenants,
S3,050; sergeants, $2,750.
For other officers in the Fire Depart
ment the following new salaries:
Deputy chiefs, $4,000; battalion chiefs,
$4,000; fire marshal, $500; deputy fire
marshal, $4,000; inspectors, $2,460; cap
tains, $4,000; lieutenants, $2,840; SER
geants, $4,000; superintendent of ma
chinery, $500; assistant superintendent
of machinery, $4,000; pilots, $4,000;
marine engineers, $4,000; assistant ma
rine engineers, $2,460; marine firemen,
S21Gn.
Advocates of Passage.
Those who advocated passage of the
bill as written by the committee were
Senators Robson, Republican, of Ken
lucky; Capper, Republican, of Kansas;
Copeland, Democrat, of New York;
Glass, Democrat, of Virginia, and
Barley, Democrat, of Kentucky.
Senator Phipps, Republican, of Colo
RADIO. who drafted list of amendments,
was absent Senators Bingham, Re-
publican, Of Connecticut, and Jones,
Republican. OF Washington, thought con-
Sideration of the measure should await
the return of Senator Phipps.s
Senator Walsh, Democrat, of Massa-
chusetts, suggested a compromise by
which some of the Phipps amendments
were accepted, which brought the bill
to a vote. The Senate cut down by
$500 the proposed raises for the heads
of the two departments and their i'm
mediate assistants. Senator Jones said
he had no opposition to the amounts
recommended for the privates, but
thought the committee recommends
tons for the heads of the departments
were too high.
One section of the bill gives the Com
missioners power to withhold the an
nual increases of privates who may not
have rendered satisfactory service. The
Senate added an amendment to the
effect that any private who fails to
receive the annual increase for two
successive years would be deemed in
efficient and dropped
The Senate voted down amendments
seeking to change the police and fire
pension law.