Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-10
BY DONALD A. CRAIG.

BY DONALD A. CRAIG.
In one instance the Bureau of Eff
cheney has admitted that an error has
crept into the data which it has sub
mitted to President Hoover by way of
comment on the recommendations of
the Interdepartmental Pay Board for
pay increases in the Army, Navy, Ma
rine Corps and allied government serv-
ices. The Army General Staff was
the bureau replied that the error had
no effect on the comparative tables and
charts cubmitted with its report to the
President.
In pointing out that its figures show
ing comparative rates of compensation
in the several services and in civilian
life do not exhaust the benefits re-
ceived by the personnel Of the commits
stoned services In the nature of COM
pensation," the bureau added:
For instance, they do not take into
account the value of subsistence and
quarters furnished in kind to officers
at their posts of duty on ship or at
stations, but include only allowances
for those purposes computed and paid
in cash. While the average annual
value of subsistence and quarters fur
nished in kind cannot readily be COM
puted from available data, it is obvious
that it would represent substantial
sum In addition to the figures given"
The figures given" refer, in part, TO
such dement's as retirement and medical
and dental care received by the officers
Of the Army. Navy and allied services,
which the Efficiency Bureau has at
tempted to evaluate and add to the
actual nav and allowances received by
the officers.
Misunderstanding" Is Seen.
This statement is apparently based
on q misunderstanding" replied the
assistant chief of staff of the Army.
"a portion of an officers compensa-
ton is designated as subsistence allow
ance' which Is paid to him in cash
and has been included in the compen-
sation as shown in the exhibits. Com.
miSSioned officers are never furnished
subsistence in kind, even in the field in
time of war, without paying for it.
Another part Of an officers COM
pensation is designated as rental allow
ance,' and Is paid when he has to house
himself When he occupies Govern
ment quarters the rental allowance is
deducted from his compensation. An
officer receives no benefits as to sub
sistence and quarters, which have not
been included by the Bureau of Eff
cheney"
The Bureau of Efficiency readily adj
mitted the error, at least in part, when
it appended the following note to its
report:
"Since this report was submitted at
tention has been called to the fact that
the reference in paragraph IA to sub
siStence, as distinguished from quar-
tiers, was in error. The error, however,
had no effect on the accompanying
tables and charts"
Another fact of some significance"
continues the Efficiency Bureau, "is
found in the so-called commissary
privilege accorded the members of the
commissioned services, emitting them
and fuel at cost from Government
distributing agencies. No attempt has
been made to place valuation upon
this privilege.
Educational Advantages Cited.
can additional benefit of Importance,
which Is shared by q considerable pro-
portion Of the personnel of the COM
miSsioned services, Is found in the edu-
cational advantages furnished free to
cadets and midShipmen at West Point
upon the average minimum cost of
tuition, board and lodging at recognized
colleges and universities, taken as $500
per annun, plus pay at the rate of $3.50
per annum, this amounts to an aggre-
gate OF approximately $1,000 for each
officer graduated from the academies"
For the purpose of "amplifying'' the
information submitted by the Pay
Board in comparing officers salaries
AIInuyQn -
present time, the bureau offers a table
comparing. by length Of service in FIVE
year groups, the average annual COM
pensation received by Army officers in
1908 and 1929.
Commissioned officers with service
from one to five years are shown in this
table TO be receiving now an average of
$S5O less annually than they were in
I9oS In all other groups the table
SHOWS increases over the 1908 compen-
satlon, ranging from $3.50 to $4,000
annually.
The difference between the COMPARE
son made by the Pay Board and that
MADE py the bureau, the latter exnlains
Is Cnat the boards comparison Is based
upon commissioned grades and the
bureaus upon length of service without
regard to grade.
Necessarily, any comparison made
should take account of the fact that in
the Army there is today a considerable
larger percentage of officers in the
higher ranks than in 1903" adds the
efficiency Bureau. "It is to be noted
that while during the first wears of
service officers were paid more liberallv
in 1908 than at present, during slIhse.
quent periods the present COMPENSATION
Is substantially greater than In 1903 for
the same length of service"
Instructors Given Benefits.
The bureau admits also that there
Is today an increasing tendency to pro-
vide retirement dement's for college in
structors," and that this fact sho,Ild he
taken into consideration in stlIdvino
the comparison it has submitted-and
discussed in an article in The Star wee
terday-between college instructors sal
aries and the pay of service officers
The bureau says 1t has no data as tn
the present extent of the practice with
respect to college instructors, and for
that reason could not give it considera-
ton, as in the case of service officers
but admits that "the average annual
value of retirement BENEFITS is nm
doubtedly an appreciate amount in the
case of this group"-the civilian college
instructors.
AS heretofore pointed out in this
series, the bureaus table of comparison
shows that college instructors are re-
ceiving on an average more than Army
officers with. short periods of service
and less than Army officers with
longer periods ct service.