Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-22
BROOKHART HITS
WOOD WAGE PLAN
Denounces House Leaders
Plea for Drastic Cuts
in u. S. Salaries.
Senator Smith w. Brookhart OF iowa,

Senator Smith w. Brookhart OF iowa,
author of the salary step-up plan for
Government employees, took direct issue
today with the proposal of Representa-
tive Will r. Wood Of Indiana, chairman
of the House Appropriations Committee,
that there should be a 5 to 10 per cent
reduction in the salaries of Government
employees, including members of Con-
gress.
Brookhart took the stand that the
accumulators Of great wealth must be
taxed severely and that source of reve-
nue. depleted before he would counte-
nance any reduction in salaries of the
Government workers. He and others
who have been in close touch with the
Government pay roll and salary sched-
ules, members of Congress, leaders
among the federated employees and Gov
eminent officials, when interviewed to-
day, declared they saw little, If any,
chance of Congress passing any of the
proposals that are to be made for cut
ting the Government salaries.
Alarmed by Wood.
The rank and file of Government
workers had been alarmed earlier by an
interview granted by Chairman Wood to
a group of newspaper men late yester-
day. This followed receipt of dispatches
yer'S appeal to the American Legion
Convention to support no measures that
would increase the costs of Government.
Wood advocated 10 per cent reduc-
ton of all Government salaries in ex-
cess of $4,000, including the salaries
OF members of Congress. He favored a
reduction of per cent in salaries be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000 and per cent
on salaries between $4,000 and $4,000
He emphasized that there are many in
the Government service whose salaries
are twice those of members OF Con-
gress."
He said that 'every country except
the United States has reduced the sal
aries of Government employees, nine
tenths OF the States have cut the SAL
aries of State employees and the City
OF New York reduced the pay of mu-
nicipal employees.
All this has been done without any
great furore and in the present dis
stressing emergency I think no one
should object to a reasonable reduction
In salary" concluded Mr.. Wood. He
expressed the opinion that ''every
member OF Congress ought to feel
kindly to such proposal to reduce
their salaries from $4,000 to $4,000.
Brookhart Is Aroused.
The chairman of the Appropriations
Committee has no present intention to
introduce bill providing for this re-
duction. He pointed out that the re-
duction should be authorized by law
after consideration by a legislative COM
mdttee. His committee is not rated as
legislative" and so he feels that the
chairman of some such legislative COM
mittee as Ways and Means or provid-
ing for various Government depart
ments should offer the proposal.
Aroused by this proposal, Senator
Brookhart declared his intention of
going after the excess profits of big
corporations ito see that they are ex-
hausted before we reduce any Govern
plent salaries" He pointed out that
in 1880 such excess profits were $685.
100000 greater than in 1929, which he
said was evidence sufficient that the
big corporations have not been taxed
heavily enough.
I'm going to see If they can pile up
such excess profits in 1884," he COM
mented. The Iowa Senator also de-
clared ernphatically for an increase in
the estate tax.
In the meantime. Government EN-
ployes through their national organi-