Evening star., 1932-03-17
Byrns Says Economy Bill
May Be Reported Out
Next Week.
PROPOSED REDUCTIONS
EFFECTIVE FOR 2 YEARS
Subcommittee at Work on Legis-
lation-Cochran Fights Move
to Pare Pay.

A bill drastically cutting salaries Of
all Government employees is being
drafted by the2Special House Economy
Committee.
Chairman Byrns of the economy
group said off the floor "a bill cutting
salaries probably will be reported out
by the committee next week"
Estimates of savings to the Govern
ment. he said, ranged from S50,000,000
to 100000, 900, depending upon the
percentage of cuts to be made.
A 20 per cent cut in the salaries Of
members of Congress and employees
making $4,000 and over is expected
to be adopted.
Certain of Drastic Cut.
The Tennessee Democrat said the
committee had not decided on the linn
its and exemptions of the bill, but was
certain to adopt drastic cut. Sugges-
tions that fiat 10 per cent cut be ap-
piled are being considered along with
a graduated reduction plan, he said.
A little later William Green, presi-
dent of the American Federation of
Labor, said in a statement he regarded
1t unsound to place the United States
Employees Compensation Commission
under the Civil Service Commission.
Green said such plans had been pro-
posed as a part of reorganization OF
Government departments.
He argued that the award of dam
ages to workers injured during en-
ployment could best be done by an
agency created especially for that pur-
pose.
The proposed slashing of salaries
would be for an initial period Of two
years.
The subcommittee appointed to draft
the salary reduction measure is COM
posed of Representatives McDufde,
Alabama; Douglas, Arizona, and Wood,
Indiana. 1t was Representative Wood,
former chairman of the House Appro-
priation Committee, who last year
started the drive for wholesale re-
duction of Government salaries. This
subcommittee is already at work on
the bill. Chairman ByrnS is one of
those who declared himself opposed to
any fiat rate reduction of salaries, as,
for example, ruthless 10 per cent
cut. He declares himself as IN favor
of a graduated reduction somewhat
comparable to tax levies under the in
come tax law. The greater the SAL
ary, the greater the cut that can be
taken, SAID Mr. ByrnS.
Divergence of Opinion.
There is considerable divergence of
opinion regarding the rates of reduc-
ton. No definite decision has been
reached, but only an informal discus
sion by members of the committee.
Representative Byrns said it would
be possible to cut in such a way as to
save S100,000,000, but he strongly in
timated that such a severe cut would
not be made and that the rates applied
would probably be to raise a much
smaller amount He declared that he
himself would tentatively set the grad
uated reductions running from to
20 per cent This would depend, how
ever. on how low in the salary scale
the reduction would start. On small
salaries, he said that personally he
ton even Of per cent.
Chairman Cochran of the House
Committee on Expenditures in execu-
tive departments, which tabled earlier
bills providing for salary reductions,
declared emphatically in the commit
tee today that he is opposed to any
salary reductions at this time. This
is no time to cut salaries" he said,
when we are going to put this sales
tax on the people, thus increasing
their burdens, and if the Stegall-
Glass measure works as is hoped, its
purpose is to initiate prices, which
makes the financial burden CT the
people much heavier"
Average Salary S1,44O.
Representative Cochran pointed out
that the average salary of the civilian
employees OF the Government is 81 ,44O,
according to the table furnished by the
Bureau of Efficiency, and including both
civil and military employees the average
is S1,2l2. With the average family
being four persons, he said he could
not see how Congress could conscien-
tlously order a reduction in these
Representative Cochran declared that
both IN committee and on the floor of
the House he will stand stubbornly
against any salary cut. He said that
II there are too many employees in the
Government service and if the Govern
ment pay roll is too heavy, the way to
handle that situation is by perma-
nent rather than temporary arrange
ment.
He is in favor of declaring against
the filling OF any vacancies that may oc-
cur by death, retirement or resignation
Tor period of two years, and in that
way permanent reduction of force
with considerable saving in salaries
can be effected. However, he believes
a general reduction in salaries is un-
Just and affords only temporary relief
from the conditions complained about.