Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-03
NEW CLASSIC Y|NG
MOVE IN CONGRESS
SEEN IN PAY CURB
Senator Dale Says Limiting
Raises Will Stimulate In
tereSt in Measure.
EXTENSIVE HEARING
IN COMMITTEE LIKELY
Calls for Increased Expenditures
for Salaries in Field and
Departments.

HnlnS FeQeTAL salary increases during
the coming year to those required by
law will have tendency to create more
interest in the next Congress in the
proposed bill to set up a new classih-
cation plan for both the field service
and the departments in Washington, in
the opinion Of Senator Porter H. Dale,
Republican, Of Vermont, chairman of
the Senate Civil Service Committee.
Senator Dale had no comment to
make at this time on the announced
policy Of the executive branch of the
Government to curtail salary increases
for the immediate future, but, without
discussing the merits of the decision, he
took the view that it would result in
stimulating interest in the new clasSif1-
cation measure that was submitted to
Congress two months ago.
The Vermont Senator indicated it is
his belief the new classification bill will
be taken up for consideration in COM
mittee soon after the next Congress
organizes and gets down to work. SEN
ator Dale Is refraining from discussion
OF his views on the detailed recon-
mendationS in the bill until it Is taken
up by the committee at the next ses-
sion.
Time to Tell Fate.
Whether it will have a chance for
passage at the next session can hardly
be predicted at present, considering the
length of time that must elapse before
the new Congress meets. The proposed
legislation would call for an increased
expenditure for salaries, applicable both
in the field and in the departments
here, and its chances of enactment,
therefore, are likely to depend on the
trend of economic conditions in the
meantime
The bill embodying this new CLASH
fication plan was submitted to the
House and Senate by the Personnel
Classification Board Just before the
last Congress adjourned. 1t was in
cluded in the report or survey which
Congress directed the board to make in
1928 to form the basis for formal
classifca ton Of the thousands of work.
ers in the field service. The original
classification law of 1928 applied d.
rectly to the departments in Washing
ton, and since that time positions in
the field have been rated to conform
as nearly as possible to the claSSiflca-
ton schedules in the District.
In reporting its survey of the field
service the Personnel Board recon-
mended a complete revision Of the clas-
sification act that would be applicable
DOLI1 4IC1C dAlO LII LtlC 4lCI0 oCAFN~S'
Those For Increases.
The plan recommended would mean
increases, principally for experienced
employees in the lower grades and for
executives in the higher grades above
So 900 a year, who were found by the
survey to be underpaid as compared
with similar workers outside the Gov
eminent.
It also contemplated q new promo
ton system based on a simplifled
method of efficiency ratings. The pro-
| posal was that department heads rate
| employees as being good" fair" or
unsatisfactory" An employe rated
good" would be advanced automatic
! ally once each year to the next higher
salary rate within the range for the
class and grade of position he occu~
pied, provided funds were made avail
| able from year to year by Congress.
! until he reached the maximum rate
for such class and grade.
| The report also contemplated aboli-
ton OF the much disputed average
provision" now in force, which was writ
| ten into appropriation bills in the early
| days Of classification as a means of
/ limiting salary Step-ups within grades
The report explained that the average
provision was included in appropriation
acts 'aS a means of regulating salary
| advancements by keeping the average
| OF the salaries of all employees in any
one grade in each Government organi-
| cation at or below the average rate
; specified in the schedule for that
grade"
| Revised Classification.
! Boiled down, the report recommended
completely revised classification act
which would bring together in one uni
form and simplifled system the classif1-
| cation positions both in the depart
ments and in the field.
( With regard to the cost of the pro-
| posed legislation, it was reliably esti-
mated yesterday that 100000 would
| be required TO bring the field service up
TO the present classification level. In
| ADDITION to that, 1t was said about So
10000 would be required to change the
held service and the departmental Serv-
ice to the new classification level con-
talned in the tentative bill
The report, together with the text Of
the proposed bill to carry it out, was
| presented to Congress a few days be-
fore the last session ended, too late to
be given any consideration before the
| members departed. Because it changes
essential features Of the present claS-
| sification law, it is likely to be the sub
lect OF extensive hearings in the next
congress before any action is taken
on 1t.
| The subject Of Government salary
/ schedules was brought into the fore
ground Friday by the announcement
! that, In view of economic conditions
| and the need for holding down on ex-
| penoltures. only such salary increases