Evening star., 1932-01-03
CONGRESS SALARY
CUTFOESALARMED
Approval of Plan to Cut Pay
! Over $4,000 Feared
! Despite Opposition.
Continued From First Page.)

NNbIlllluEN AOAll Il AAtt 49,
limited to cut their pay in time of
depression. when it is well understood
that no increases are given them when
times are booming.
No figures are available at present
from governmental sources to show just
how much of a saving salary cut for
Government employees would amount to'
AS Of June 80. 1881. there were on the
Federal pay roll in the District OF Co
lumbia II ,693 persons On the same
date outside of the District of Colum-
bia. there were a total of 545.l44 Fed
eral employees. making a grand total OF
6l6.837 persons on the pay roll OF the
Government All of these were clVll
employees II the Army, Navy and Ma
rine Corps were added the number OF
persons employed by the Government
would be increased by between 100000
and 25O,O00
The total civil service pay roll including
members Of Congress and other officials
not listed as civil service employees,
would amount perhaps to Sl,2OUO UOUO,UOU.
If the whole civil service OF the Govern
ment was wiped out, the saving to the
Government would not come anywhere
near balancing the Treasury accounts.
The Washington Board of Trade, IN
a survey of Washington publlSheo IN
1880. placed the number Of those in the
District of Columbia on the pay roll OF
the Federal and District Governments
at 79137. This figure included mem
bers of the Army, Navy and Marine
Corps. The total annual pay roll OF
these persons was placed at Sl74,035.-
600, with an average salary OF $22O9.
The average salary of the Government
employees in the classified service was
S2,l03.
The income groups of Government
employees was given as fololWs: SlO,OOU
and over, 745; $4,000 to $4,000, 1888;
$4,000 to $4,000, 9,O43; $4,000 to $3'Ooo'
q O5l; under $4,000, 46,66O.
The estimate of the total Federal
nav roll for 1880. furnished by the bud
get. is $l.494, ,OO0,O This includes
compensation for the personnel in the
legislative, executive and judicial
branches Of the Government, to active
and retired officers and enlisted per-
sonnel of the Army Navy, Marine
Corps. Coast Guard. Coast and Geo
detic Survey and the Public Health
Service.
Borah Finds Support.
On the other hand, members of Con-
gress proposing salary cuts contend that
some steps are absolutely necessary 10
reduce governmental expenditures. Iney
saw that a reduction Of the higher sal
aries would be a step in the right di-
rection and good psychology. some
of them believe, too, that move 10
reduce Government salaries would be
extremely popular out in the country,
where salaries and wages both nave
l. the dpnrpSSiOn
Senator Borah of Idaho, one OF those
who has been most outspoken in favor
of salary cuts, has received upward OF
900 letters from persons In private
life commencing him for the position
he is taking.
So far the movement has not actual
" crystallized for the reduction OF GoY-
ernment salaries. Senator Borah ap-
parently is ready to go ahead with the
matter unless it should be initiated in
the House.
AS a matter of fact, the Senate is
looking to the House to act first II there
is to be salary curtailment. whether
a legislative measure fixing limit on
salaries above a certain figure will be
introduced, or whether an e1ort Will
be made to put a rider on the appro-
priation bill fixing the salary cuts, re-
mains to be SEEM
ments proposing to reduce appropria-
tions are held to be an order as gen
eral proposition. Senate leaders insist
that attempts to Ak salary limits as
proposed by Senator Borah and others
would be legislation, and swbject TO
points of order from the floor OF the
Senate.
However, a point of order can be
overturned by a majority vote Of the
iC {y1 tho pnnNH
Or the rules could be suspended by
two-thirds vote to make an order an
amendment for salary cuts.
Byrns Opposes Slash.
Chairman ByrnS Of the House Appro-
priations Committee has declared him
self against salary cuts as a means OF
reducing Government expenditures un-
til every other avenue Of Government
saving has been tried out, If there are
to be salary cuts, he believes that they
should be confined to the higher sal
aries, including members Of Congress.
Representative Rainey Of Illinois,
Democratic floor leader Of the House,
has taken the same position. On the
other hand. Representative VIII Wood
of Indiana, who was chairman Of the
Appropriations Committee, while the
Republicans controlled the House, was
one of the first members of Congress
to advocate a slash of Government sal
aries.
In drafting an amendment for salary
cuts care would have to be taken not
to work injustices. For example, II the
amendment provided that all salaries
above $4,000 should be cut 10 per cent
and let it go at that, an employe re-
ceiving 5000 would receive less pay
after the cut had been made than a
$4,000 employe.
Any attempt to cut all salaries paid
by the Government would bring hor-
nets nest buzzing about the heads OF
members of Congress. Although the
District of Columbia has a great con-
Centration Of Government workers here,
a far greater number Of Government
employees is scattered about the coun-
try, all of them with friends and with
a certain measure Of political influence.
The provisions Of the Constitution
state specifically that the salary Of the
President of the United States shall
not be increased or reduced during the
period for which he shall have been
elected. and also that the salaries Of
the Federal Judges shall not be dlmin-
ished during their continuance in office
Only by amending the Constitution
would 1t be possible TO make salary cuts
apply TO the Chief Executive and the
judiciary.
Senator Pat Harrison Of Mississippi,
who has offered a resolution declaring 1t
to be the sense Of the Senate that
$500 900 900 should be cut from the
budget estimates in making appropria
tions, and other Senators are looking
into the question Of salary cuts, and
how much saving would be made.
A majority Of the committee Of which
Mr.. Cochran is chairman is believed
to be opposed TO the salary reduction
bills and ready to table these measures
after the hearings.
Mr.. Cochran said last night:
1T would be a most serious mistake