Evening star., 1932-01-31
FIGURES ARE CITED
AGAINST CUT IN PAY
Steward Says Congress Can
Ill Afford to Reduce
u. S. Salaries.

Bureau of the Budget figures disclos-
ing salary groups in the executive
branch Of the Government drew from
several sources last night vigorous pro-
tests against any reduction in the pres
ent level Of Federal pay.
Several members of the Senate and
House were known to have expressed
themselves privately as unequlVOcally
opposed to cutting present pay
Luther c. Steward, president of the
National Federation of Federal En-
plOyes, issued a formal statement in
terpreting the budget figures as plain
indication that Congress could i'll af-
ford to make any cut in pay.
Trend Swings to No Raises.
In circles closely following the whole
movement for pay reduction, it was said
that the trend of Congressional senti-
ment now was unmistakably crystal
lizmg against any cut in the present
level of Federal pay. 1t was admitted,
however, in these same circles that, on
the other hand, there appeared to be
definite signs that sentiment was grow
ing instead for a policy Of no promo
tiOnS, no pay increases and no filling
Of vacancies, except by specific appoint
ment of the President Of the United
States.
The Budget Bureau figures showed
that exclusive Of the legislative eStab-
lishments of the Government and the
Federal judges, Uncle Sam has 1923 373
employees who are paid a total of
. Sl3I5, ,690, ,46712 annually. The state
ment from the bureau was made public
yesterday and consists Of a mass Of
figures listing the civil and military
establishments to show the salary
ranges from less than $1,000 a year to
$4,000 and up. There are SO different
groups of pay listed. The number is
listed in each OF these groups of pay.
for both civil and military, and there
are separate listingS for both the civil
and military groups by themselves. The
vital part of the statistics are published
elsewhere in The Star today.
Steward Interprets Figures.
President Steward interpreted the
figures to support the employees war
against wage cuts.
New that all of the facts are avail
able in regard to the Federal pay roll
said Steward 1T is Strikingly evident
that any salary slash covering all Fed
Cral employees would cut into the mig
gardly pittancC of l24678 employees
who now receive less than $1,000 a
year. and would Submerge 433 1856 en-
ployes who receive less than $4,000 a
year. but over $1,000, which group rep
resents the majority of the civilian
employees of the Federal Government,
and by no stretch of the imagination
can it be COntended that they are now
receiving more than bare subsistence
wage.
THE budget figures disclose that
there are now on the Federal pay roll
1863 $50 civilian employees receiving from
$4,000 TO $4,000 a year, and l25,9 ,93I or
nearly three-fO fOurthS of this group re-
Ceive less than S27OO per annum. This
represents key people in TIE govern
mental service, scientific and profess
sional employees Of long experience and
high professional qualifications the
highly specialized groups trained in
governmental procedure such as those
ENGAGED in collecting and auditing
Federal revenues. 1t also includes the
highly trained inSpectlon2l services
uDon whom the citizens Of the United
States must depend for proper enforce
ment of a great variety OF complex
statutes. such as are found IN mInl-
grafton. naturalization customs, health,
food and drug inspection and narcotic
control.
Above the $4,000 mark there are to
be found only Abs employees. which
group includes cabinet officers, as
sistant secretaries. bureau chiefs and
a comparatively small handful OF high
grade scientists who rank at the head
Of their respective professions.
Would Be Objects of Charity.
'If it were contemplated to make
general cut. which would result IN any
Substantial sum of money, 1t VIII be
necessary to go so far down the salary
scale as literally to force thousands OF
Federal employees to become partial
objects of charity
If 2 cut Is contemplated to affect
only those in the sO-called higher
s2l8rv brackets about $4,000 year, II
will result in a negligible saving IN
money and a tremendous loss IN IN
valuable service. striking as it Will at
the leaders of the greatest business IN
the world. ,,,-.-,-.-
1t must be apparent to all thinking
persons that to attempt to impose any
cut whatsoever will place the Federal
Government in a position OF encourag-
ing the undermining, if not the COM
DIete breakdown, of American stand
ards in destroying the confidence OF
hundreds of thousands OF American
citizens in Federal employ, and
ultimately adding tremendously to the
actual cost of Government
In making the figures public the
Budget Bureau made no official COM
roent 10 interpret the statistics, leaving
them to speak for themselves.