Evening star., 1932-04-21
TRIPLE WAGE CUT
FACED BY FLYERS
Officers Alarmed at Prospect
of Being Hit by Three
Pending Bills.


and Marine Corps are facing triple re-
6uctions In pay II proposals now under
consideration at the Capitol become
effective, It was learned today. Ofdcers
of the three flight services are alarmed
by the situation, which is regarded as
the most serious blow TO morals OF the
flying services in many years.
Reduction of Navy flight pay is due
for consideration On the floor of the
House today and reduction of Army
flight pay will be considered in connec-
ton with the War Department appro-
priation bill.
Flight officers Of the three services
will suffer reduction of base pay, as will
all Federal employees, if the general pay
cut proposals are passed To this re-
duction they are not raising objection
If such reduction is considered neces-
sary to the welfare Of the Nation 1t was
pointed out by officers.
Would Reduce Base Pay.
Reduction of the base pay, however,
also will carry with it an automatic
reduction of flying pay, which is COM
puted as percentage Of the base pay
In addition to the proposed reduction
OF base pay and the resulting auto
matte reduction of flight pay in the
same proportion, Congress is consider
ing a further straight reduction OF
flight pay.
The extra pay for flying service, it
was pointed out, has been the only
incentive for young officers to take up
flying. They are not compelled to take
to the air and If there is no incentive,
such as extra pay, many of them Will
not take the risk of the extra-haZaro-
Gus service. If there is a double re-
duction of flight pay, such as is being
considered by Congress it was predicted
many flying officers will apply Tor trans
fer to non-flying duty and it will be
impossible to fill the ranks of the COM
bat SQuadrons.
If the triple reduction goes through"
one Army flying officer predicted,
there won't be enough room in the
Air Corps storage warehouses to hold
the airplanes which will be put out OF
service for lack of pilots to fly them"
1t is the practice of many flying
officers to use their flight pay to buy
life insurance for the protection Of
their families. Because of the hazards
of their duty they are forced to pay
higher premiums than officers in less
hazardous branches of the service. The
extra premiums for flying insurance
range from $40 to $50 per 81 900 above
the normal rates.
Want Families Protected.
"If the flight pay is reduced twice,
many officers I know personally will be
unable to carry their insurance" an
oficer declared. They are not going
to continue to fly If they cannot pro-
tect their families. If they are forced
to fly against their will under such
circumstances, the results are going to
be disastrous to morale and efficiency"
The House Appropriations Commit
tee has been informed that l ,448 off,
GERS of the Army are receiving addt-
tional pay for flying, amounting to
$1,S66,793 and 958 officers of the Navy,
receiving flight pay amounting to
Marine Corps receive flight pay amount
ing to $142,498
In order to earn flight pay, the young
ofhcer must face year Of training at
the Army or Navy flying schools, In ad-
dition to the training he receives at
West Point or Annapolis.
The flying officers of the services
are not seeking to avoid their share of
pay reductions which may be necessary
to balance the budget" it was explained.
"If the pay of all Government employees
take the same reduction that Is applied
TO all
Opposed by Admiral Moffett.
The reduction Of flight pay is bitter
ly opposed by Rear Admiral william A.
Moffett, chief Of the Navy Bureau OF
Aeronautics, who declared "the prin-
ciple Of extra compensation for extra
hazardous duty is SO well recognized
as to be automatic, and that flight pay
has been so recognized by both law and
custom"
Figures show, Admiral Moffett de-
clared, that the accidental death rate
of the aviator in the Navy was 80 times
that Of his brother officer during the
past five years, the average annual
death rate Of naval aviators amounting
to 81 "a per 1000, as against an acci-
dental death rate Of OIL per 1000 for
all officers OF the Navy, including naval
aviators.
''I wish 10 call your attention TO the
fact that personnel Of the Air Force
In the air come nearer to operating
under war conditions, 50 far as the
hazard Of their profession Is concerned,
than any other naval personnel" Ad-
nairal Mo1ett said
Aside from death or injury in acci-
dents, the naval flying chief declared,
Lie hNldUOI - COflSJdIlI4y suffering III
furious effects from military flying,
chiefly to the eyes, ears and heart.
United States naval aviation Is on
sound foundation" the admiral said.
Why do anything especially of a
doubtful nature, to shake this founda-
ton. to upset and undo all We have so
carefully and laboriously built up?
Remove flight pay or drastically change
II and you will ruin United States naval
aviation morale as it exists today, and
also Army aviation. I say this ad-
visedly and from an intimate knowl-
edge not only of naval aviation, but
also OF the Navy as a whole"