Evening star., 1932-12-15
HOUSE NEARS VOTE
ONCONT|NUANCE.OF.
PAY CUT.
Issue Will Be Decided in
Passing Treasury.Post
Office Bill.
ADDITIONAL SALARY
REDUCTION IGNORED
Interior Measure Reported Being
Second to sidetrack
New Slashes.

The House today. neared decision
on whether it wanted to continue for
another year the s1-3 per cent pay
cut for Federal employees, including
members Of Congress.
A provision to extend the paylesa
furlough or sl-3 per cent reduction
was in the pending 1851 ,000, 900 Treas
ury-Post once appropriation bill.
Before voting on this, however, the
House took up an amendment by Rep
resentative Mead. Democrat, Of New
York, which would have allowed en-
ployes entitled to automatic promotions
to take the higher positions and In
creased pay. These automatic promo
tions were prohibited by the economy
law passed last session.
Prohibition Declared Unjust.
Mead said this prohibition was "un-
Just" to many Federal workers. while
Chairman Byrns OF the Appropriations
Committee warned the House acceptance
Of any amendments OF that kind Will
increase expenditures.'
Representative La Guardia, Repub-
lican, of New York, said the economy
law as enforced took 8ls per cent OF
the salaries even Of substitute clerks
and mail carriers who make as little as
81 to $40 a week.
IF you want to bring up commodity
prices you've got to bring up wages,
La Guardia said.
Last year We were told the economy
law was to last only one year. But the
fact that it Is now proposed to continue
some of its other provisions doesn't
worry me.
what bothers me Is the psycholog-
ical effect on the rest Of the country.
After we cut Federal pay last year.
industry and business generally fol-
lowed with 10 per cent reductions"
The Interior Department appropria-
ton bill was reported to the House TO-
day without the additional IL per cent
reduction in Federal salaries recon-
mended by President Hoover. The fur
Tough plan is continued in the bill.
It carries q total Of $43,I92, ,904.
which Is $23,o90, ,780.35 less than the
current appropriation. and $2,89l ,025
less than the budget estimate.
In this total is included $2,1l7,530
for four institutions in the Distrios Of
Cutmbia-St. Elizabeth's Hospital. Co
l1as,e 3nstisntion , for the Des1; s,,g HSEssd
which Is $ls4.so3 less than current ap-
propE1ations.
The Interior Department bill reported
today does not increase any budget es-
innate above the amount requested by
the President and does not include any
item not contained in the budget.
Salary Situation Explained.
In making his report to the House
Representative Taylor Of Colorado,
chairman of the subcommittee that
drafted the bill, explained the salary
situation as follows:
In the budget estimate deductions
were made from salary appropriateness
based upon the continuance Of certain
provisions Of the economy act for the
fiscal year 1894. In most instances the
sub-items Of appropriation shown on the
face Of the estimate were not reduced
by the budget on this account, but the
total of the paragraphs was decreased
by the amount Of the estimated savings
on account of the economy act con-
tinuance In framing the bill the COM
mittee has made the necessary deduc-
tions in the sub-items so as to make
them conform to the total Of the para
graphs by decreasing each sub-item In
the amount Of the estimated saving
therein due to continuance OF the
economy act.
"During the fiscal year 1888 the es-
timated saving In salaries effected BY
the economy act Is approximately ST..
o83, ,75s. and the amount deducted
from the 1884 estimates on account Of
the proposed continuance Of the act Is
placed at $l,7l8,615."
st. Elizabeth's Expenses.
The bill proposes for st. Elizabeth's
Hospital a total expenditure Of $l,ll6,-
TOO for support. clothing, ETC., which Is
the amount recommended by the
budget and $128,953 below the current
possible by the reduced cost of supplies
and other items required for the sup
port Of the institution and also con-
templates an increase Of 342 patients.
An estimate for the expenditure of
$3.50, 900 from funds accrued under the
act of February 2, 1909, for the replace
ment Of boilers and remodeling Of the
power plant is recommended. The es-
innate providing for the reappropria-
ton Of an unexpended balance Of $780,
900 under q contract authorization Of
$750,000 for the contraction Of fe-
male receiving building IS also recon-
mended by the committee.
The Federal contribution to the
maintenance Of the Columbia Institute
for the Deaf Is continued at $122, 200,
which Is decrease Of $500 below the
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