Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-23
EFFORT TO OBTAIN
PAYFOR PER DIEM
EMPLOYEES FAILS
Commissioners viii Refer
Case of District Work
ers to McCarl.
SO HOURS SPENT TRYING
TO END DISCRIMINATION
Complication Faced if Controller
General Announces Decision
After February %.

The last-minute effort to obtain pay
for 5000 District workers employed on
the per diem" basis for Christmas eve
failed this morning when the Commits
sioners decided not to adopt an order
that the amount should be paid. The
Commissioners decided to refer the
matter to Controller General McCarl
for decision.
district Government officials put In
q hectic 36 hours in an effort to smooth
out the discrimination existing be-
tween per diem employees OF the navy
Yard, who will be paid for Christmas
eve, and per diem workers OF the DIS
trtct, who will not.
Corporation Counsel William w.
Bride, Assistant Engineer Commissioner
Hugh p. Oran and Assistant Auditor
Arthur r. Pilkerton unearthed de-
cision by the then Controller OF the
Treasurer in 1901, holding that en-
ployes paid by the day, but who are reg
ulariy employed for long periods OF time
could not be considered per diem"
workers. This decision was made IN
order to authorize payment to most OF
the Federal workers during the three
day cessation of public work following
the assassination of President Mckinley.
Attorney Generals Advice Asked.
More important still was information
received by Mr.. Pilkerson from the De-
partment Of Justice that President Hoo
yer last year had asked the Attorney
General how he should word his exec
utive order for a holiday on Christmas
Eve so as not to discriminate against
Der diem workers. The Attorney Gen.
~ AnnicfnY1
opinion, informed the President that 1t
would not be necessary to refer to per
diem workers in the order as the opin-
ion justified their being paid.
It was further learned that last year,
also working upon this opinion, all OF
the navy yard per diem employees were
paid for their Christmas eve holiday,
although the pay was not forthcoming
until some time in January. 1t is un-
derstood that this year the navy yard
workers will be paid for Christmas eve
In their regular pay checks.
Armed with these facts Mr.. Bride
and Mr.. Pilkerton waited on the Com
uaissioners at their board meeting today,
but after about an hours conference
the Commissioners decided to ask for
decision from the Controller General
before taking any steps.
Knotty Problem Faced.
As the matter stands at present those
per diem workers, who have a day OF
annual leave coming to them must take
Christmas eve on annual leave. Those
who have not must take it as leave
without pay. Should the Controller
Generals decision be favorable those
who took the day as annual leave viii
be given one day extra leave and those
who took It as leave without pay VIII
get o days pay.
There is, however, a knotty problem
stilI in the way of those who take the
day on annual leave. The year Tor
per diem workers begins March and
ends FEBRUARY 2S Annual leave Is not
accumulative, $50 that If the controller
generals decision should be handed
down after February % those who have
taken Christmas eve on annual leave
will never be recompensed, whereas
those who took it as leave without pay
viii all get a days pay. Should the
decision come before February % and
be favorable, then the one days leave
must be used up before February % II
the employe Is TO avail himself Of 1t.