Evening star., 1932-02-24
BAN
RETAINED HOUSE
State, Justice, Commerce and
Labor Feature Same as in
Agriculture Bill.
BY WILL p KENNEDY.

BY WILL p KENNEDY.
The House late yesterday defeated an
attempt to strike from the State, JUS
tice, Commerce and Labor appropria-
ton bill the prohibition against any
promotions or the filling of any va
cancies before July l, 1888, identical
with the prohibition already carried in
the Agriculture appropriation bill.
The same prohibition is included in
the Treasury Office appropriation
bill. reported to the House today by
Chairman ByrnS of the House Appro-
priations Committee, who yesterday
took the floor and led the fight against
the motion Of Representative La Guar
dia of New York to eliminate this re-
strictive sections.
these prohibitions unfair, unjust and
eceSsary-designed to cut off pay
increases which, under the classifica-
ton act of 1923. Congress is morally
bound to provide" He emphasized that
the saving to be made by these pro-
visions is negligible compared to the
great injustice that will be done to
Government employees" He warned the
House that "the Senate Appropriations
Committee has stricken this provision
from the Agriculture appropriation bill
this BILL"
Supported BY Connery.
He was supported in his fight on be-
half of the Government employees and
for maintaining the morale of the Fed
eral service by Representative Connery
of Massachusetts,, chairman of the
House Committee on Labor. Repre-
sentative Carl Mapes Of Michigan op-
posed the application of this prohibi-
ton to the Coast and Geodetic Survey,
which Is done in the Treasury-Post
Office bill reported today, claiming that
only $11, $50 would be saved and AZ per
cent Of this would come out of the
pockets of employees drawing an average
of only $1,719 a year.
Replying to Representative Mapes,
Chairman Byrns said that the same
prohibitions would be adapted to the
Army, Navy and Marine Corps, as well
as to the Geodetic Survey.
In reporting the Treasury-Post Off1ce
bill today Chairman Byrns explained
that the same prohibitions are included
to correspond to the policy heretofore
pursued in connection with previous
bills relative to increases Of compensa-
ton and filling of vacant positions
modified so as to adapt such sections
to the services covered by the bill. The
section pertaining to compensation pre-
vents any increases between the date of
the approval of this act and June 80,
1888. except as herein explained, other
than such as may come incidental to
advancement of qualified persons in
lower grades to fill vacant positions in
higher grades and appropriate language
has been incorporated to prevent dur
ing this period automatic promotions to
clerks in the field service of the Gus
toms Service. privates of the White
House police force, and employees of the
Postal Service, and advances in pay
within grade to commissioned officers
Of the Public Health Service and CON-
missioned officers and commissioned
warrant officers of the Coast Guard.
Automatic Advancements.
Salary advancement for these groups
Is automatic under the law unless spe-
ciflcally prohibited. The exceptions
specifically made are enlisted men of
the Coast Guard and postmasters or
postal employees whose compensation is
fixed, or from time to time adjusted.
upon the basis of the postal receipts or
other variable factors of business Of
their respective Offices, and carriers in
the rural mail delivery service, whose
compensation is fixed upon the basis
Of the length of their respective routes.
The section relative to the filling of
vacancies is modified so as to eliminate
its application to temporary, emergency,
seasonal or cooperative positions, and
to the commissioned and enlisted per-
sonnel of the Coast Guard. The total
active personnel of the Coast Guard
provided by 1882 appropriations is l2,-
691, Of which number 11,137 are en-
listed men. In view OF the nature OF
the service and the very large number
OF losses occurring during the year in
the enlisted force through expirations
and other causes, numbering over 5000
in the fiscal year 1881 out of a total
enlisted personnel of over 1000, 1t is
deemed advisable to this exception.
The section relative to vacancies is
further amended in an endeavor to Sc
cure for substitute employees in the
postal service just consideration in con-
nection with permanent appointments
when they are performing regular Serv-
ice. To that end the following proviso
has been incorporated:
Provided, that when any vacancy is
caused by the retirement, removal,
resignation or death Of postal employe
in a position the duties Of which make
it necessary to assign permanently a
substitute for an eight-hour daily period,
or when it is necessary permanently to
utilize a substitute on an auxiliary route
for eight hours daily, then the Post
master General shall so advise the
President and request written authorize
tion to fill such vacancies by the ap-
pointment of additional regular en-
ployes"