Evening star., 1932-12-07
DRASTIC PAY CUT,
IN NAVY PROPOSED
$500 Civilian Workers Here
Would Be Affected in
$12,675,0 600 Economy.

Drastic reduction In wages being paid
civilian employees in naval establish
ments over the country-including the
$500 workers at the washington Navy
Yards in prospect, to clip pay en-
velopes down to the figures being paid
similar trades outside the Government.
This became apparent today with'the
publication Of estimates for the next
fiscal year for the Navy, released by
the Bureau Of the Budget. The es-
Inmates lop of some $12, ,675, 900 in cur
rent and ordinary operating expenses"
most Of which include wages for cf-s
villain workmen. The $4,000 900 item
for emergency construction under the
Bureau of Yards and Docks, made
available during the current fiscal year
as an aid to employment, disappears
in next years estimates. There Is,
ship construction, officials explaining
that this years building has been pos
sible through carry-over funds unex-
pended in prior fiscal years. bal. =
Dealing with the civilian salary
slashes, the Bureau Of the Budget gen..
eral statement contains this significant
passage: THE principal reductions pet- J.
tanning to ordinary maintenance and I
operating expenses are due to the re- /
duction in enlisted strength of the Ma
rine Corps, and reduction In the es-,9
tinated amounts that will be required
for labor, based on the assumption
that wages of navy yard employees viii
be fixed by wage boards for 1884, as
contemplated by the act approved,
July 16, 1862"
Wage Boards Purpose.
The wage boards throughout the3
country are set up to bring naval I
wages paid civil employees to a parity Z
with those paid in like trades in the
same locality. This plan was devised,
officials said, SO that no unfair adj I
vantage might be given the Govern
ment or civilian employees. Inasmuch
as it Is believed that wages in nom
governmental life will be lower, during
the coming fiscal year than they now
are in navy yards, the Bureaus pro-
gram anticipates an appreciable saw
ing in this direction. For the past
couple of years the wage boards over
the country, which are supervised by.
the Navy Wage Board in the Navy De-
partment, before which hearings are
heard, have not been called upon to lay
the groundwork to advise the Secretary
OF the Navy what wages should be. The
local boards are summoned to present.
scale for their own regions and the
Navy Wage Board here then recon-
mends the scales to the Secretary.
The 1884 estimates, presented by the
Bureau Of the Budget, place the Navy's
operating expenses in the coming fiscal
year at $309. .64y536, drop Of $l0,900,-s
100 under this years figure.
In the various bureaus it is story
Of decreased appropriations, due mainly
to reductions in labor costs and cur
tailed programs. The Bureau of En-
gineering loses 81, ,395, ,450; the Bureau
OF Construction and Repair, $1,518,4oo;
the Bureau of Ordnance, 81, ,028, ,300;.
the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts,
S1,250, ,357; the Bureau of Medicine and
Surgery, $164,705; the Bureau of
Yards and Docks, S1,609, $751; the Bu7
reau Of Aeronautics, $500, 0,570a the
Naval Academy, $421, ,979; the Marine
Corps, $1,307, ,437 reduction, principally
due to slash in the average enlisted
strength to 13,600 men from the present
15,543, and a reduction In rations and
labor costs. AZ :
Reduced Requirements. q
Concerning modernization of battle
ships, the prospective reduction of 50, .
100000 is due to reduced requirements
and slash in labor costs. A reduction
OF SoI,zoU Is registered IN Navy De-
partment salaries, as being due to q
reduced number of civilians required.
Summarizing the naval strength, the
Bureau of the Budget comment has
this to says In general, the estimates
for 1884 provide for operating the feet !;
under the approved force operating !.
plan and schedule of employment
maintaining the same enlisted strength
Of the Navy as for the present year, a
reduction in the enlisted strength of 1
the Marine Corps to an average Of
13,600 men; completing the moderniza- !
ton OF the Mississippi and New Mexico
and continuing work on the Idaho; Y
continuing at a normal rate of prog
ress work on ships now under con-
struction; to commence work on one
eight-inch cruiser to be laid down in.l
January, 1888; another such cruiser to
be laid down in January, 1884, and four
deStroyers to be laid down during 1884; s
the commissioning of newly constructed 1
vessels as they may be completed dur
ing 1884, and to provide for continue
alton of public works projects in prog,
ress Of construction, but no new prof.
ects are provided for" !