Evening star., 1932-04-10
SALARY CUT FOES
PLAN FINISH FIGHT
Bitter House Battle Also to
Be Staged Against En-
forced FurIoughs.
Continued From First Page.)

We will fight this proposal just as Wig
orously as we have been fighting the
fiat rate slash of all Government SAL
aries-and we have that licked
Personally, I can take reduction in
salary and still exist, but 1 will fight
cutting salaries of members of Con-
greSs just as earnestly as those in de-
partment or field service. The whole
principle OF salary cutting is wrong, eco
nomically unsound and unjust.
"A member of Congress who supports
two homes and a family cannot live on
less than he is now receiving 1t Is all
a part of the same scheme, to take pub
lie service out Of the life of a poor man,
to drive the representatives of the work
ing man and the common people out of
the legislative body, and to make it
rich mans club.
'1t is part OF the plan to punish us
in Congress who have not obeyed the
dictates of big business and special in
terests. They propose to cut Govern
ment salaries but that is only a prece-
dent to cut all salaries and firmly es-
tablish poor class who will be in COM
petition for the jobs"
Representative John j. Cochran, chair
man of the House Committee on Ex-
penditureS and the one member of the
Economy Committee who has stood
steadfaSt in opposing cuts in salaries,
discovered his alternative proposals to
avoid salary reduction incorporated with
the salary slash proposals.
Ready for Finish Fight.
Connery and many other members
last night assured Representative
Cochran they stand ready to follow him
to the finish in fight against either
the IL per cent fiat cut or the Presi-
dents recommendation Of enforced fur
loughs without pay. They claim they
have the votes to defeat both proposals.
Members of Congress and the people
must not be deceived about the fur
loughs-that is merely camouflage for
pay cuts" Connery emphasized.
Representative Mansfield Democrat,
of Texas anticipated President Hoover'S
proposal that Congress members should
at once set to work cutting their own
salaries, those of the cabinet and the
President, by introducing such bill late
yesterday. The Mansfield bill would
make each of these high officials take
81 500 cut. He would reduce the Sala-
ries of the Vice President, Speaker of
the House and cabinet members from
$4,000 to $13,400, and the salaries of
Senators, Representatives and Terrific
rial Delegates from $4,000 to $8,400.
That's the first place cuts should be
made to meet the wishes of the people
back home" said Mansfield last night.
He declared himself in favor of q rea-
sonable reduction in Government sala-
ries, but opposed to heavy levy against
small salaries.
Mansfield is making out his own econ
omy program by introducing series of
bills toward this end, all of which he
declares his intention of pushing for
enactment.
Would Abolish Franking.
Another bill he introduced late yes
terday would prohibit members of Con-
gress from franking their speeches
through the mails He has been In con-
ference with postal officials and declares
big saving would be effected in that
way.
He put in another bill providing for
consolidation of all the engineering and
construction work, but instead Of Great
ing a new general magaging executive
in charge of this consolidation, he would
turn the entire job over to the Chief of
Engineers of the Army.
Representative Thomas L. Blanton,
Democrat, of Texas, declared last night
he intends to fight bitterly against any
reduction in low salaries. He says any
salary under $4,000 should not be
touched because 1T is scarcely enough
to live on, and he will do his utmost
to protect all salaries under $4,000.
He has introduced joint resolution
which he intends to press. 1t would
make all salaries above $4,000 drop back
to their status in 1928 before the CLASH
f1cation act was passed. He would
abolish the Classification Board and
repeal the classification act.
Blanton advocates cutting salaries of
members of Congress from $4,000 to
$500 and proposes that no salary shall
be paid to any Government official in
excess of $500, except such as are
protected in the ConStitution-the
President and judges. He declares that
all quasi Government institutions, such
as the Federal Reserve Board and other
cooperative agencies drawing subsidy
from the Federal Government, shall
not pay any officer more than $500
year, or get no more subsidy from the
GoYernment.