Evening star., 1932-04-27
FOES OF PAY CUT
FIGHT GAG RULE
Hope to Defeat Amendment
Shutting Off Debate on
Omnibus Bill.
Continued From First Page.)

NSOaANAA1dNo TlOIIl FlIot IdSe.t
first of the four possible amendments
will be offered by Representative O'Con-
nor, Democrat, of New York, a men,
Der of the Rules Committee, who will
propose to increase the exemption be-
fore cuts are made in Federal salaries
from $1,000 to $4,000 There is quite
general belief that this amendment will
be accepted by big majority vote.
The second amendment is to be
offered by Representative Cochran, who
is a member of the Economy Commit
tee. He will propose knocking out the
provision to abolish the Saturday half
holiday for Government employees.
Saving Put at $500, ,O0O, 900.
Late yesterday Chairman McDuffie
filed the formal report OF the special
committee, which went into exhaustive
details on the bill and placed the
savings at approximately S2O0000,000.
On the section granting President
Hoover authority to reorganize the Gov
ernment subject to congressional ap-
proval, the report said:
1T is believed this veto power affords
ample security against any possible
abuse or unwise use of the power
granted the President. ="
THE general plan of retrenchment, ~
1t added, "aS embodied in tie bill
naturally divides itself into four parts.
The first has to do with personnel, and
the reduction in compensation to the
employees of the Government; the sec
ond has to do with miscellaneous items
TO be reduced or eliminated; the third
has to do with consolidating with
agencies and bureaus; while the fourth
pertains to the relief of veterans of past
wars.
1T is the last of these categories
enumerated which hangs over the future
of the country like a black cloud. for
under existing laws and assuming there
will be no additional benefits granted,
the cost of veterans relief 10 years
hence will substantially exceed 1,300,-
100000 annually.
City Wage Cuts Cited.
Characterizing the proposed pay cut
as the faireSt method in effecting the
end sought, the report listed the follow
ing cities which have reduced salaries
from to 20 per cent: Chicago. Phila-
delphia, Detroit, Los Angeles, Cleveland,
Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Buffalo. Mime
apolis, Cincinnati and Kansas City.
The report said the scaling down of
benefits to veterans proposed in the
bill would affect 1920 persons and
save the Government S48, 8,7l4,0 900 an
nually by reducing allowances, pensions
and disqualification to persons having
having incomes of $500 if married
allowing $400 for each dependent.
The committee said in view of the
"drain on the Treasury, resulting from
expenditures on behalf of veterans,
which has amounted up to the present
time to approximately $4,000, 100000
and which will continue to require an
nually in the future appropriations of
approximately $1,000, 100000 or more
and the additional needs it was
felt only fair that any person whose
income was equal to or above the
amount specified should be excluded
from benefits"
Items to Be Saved.
Items for which estimates or savings
are given in the report follow:
Elimination of Saturday half holiday,
100000.
Suspension of automatic increases,
$2,100,000.
Retirement of superannuated civilian
employees, S3,000,000.
Reduction of railway mail clerks sub
sistence allowance from 50 to 81 day,
$4,000, 600.
Reduction of Congressmen's travel
allowance 25 per cent. S56,500
Abolition or reduction of Philippine
Scouts, $5,0o0,000
Restriction of transfer of Army and
Navy personnel, 1855, 900.
Abolition of Army, Navy and Panama
fTanSn0rt services 81 500 600.
Reorganization of Shipping Board,
t2,500000
Army and Navy consolidation, $50
900 900 to S100, 100000.
Savings by reducing veterans benefits,
affecting 123,320. $48,7l4.000.
Elimination of pay to employees for
overtime and night work, $5,600,000.
The third amendment will be by Rep
resentative Ramseyer, Republican, of
Iowa, also a member of the Economy
Committee. who will offer the Presi-
dents compulsory furlough plan in sub
stitution for the IL per cent cut
The fourth and last amendment that
can be offered to title l OF the bill will
be to strike out the entire section.
More Liberal Rule Seen.
Should the special rule be defeated
the Democratic leadership has two al
Tentative propositions under considera-
ton, one of which would be to go i'm
mediately to the Rules Committee and
get a more liberal rule, throwing the
economy bill open for more general
amendment, and the other to bring up
the economy bill as privileged matter
under the general rules OF the House,
and to proceed in that way until con-
sideration of all provisions of the bill
has been had up to the point of actual
on6 az fhot RI
cial rule making the amended economy
bill germane as an amendment TO the
legislative appropriation bill.
Amendments Outlined
The first amendment would strike
from the bill section 207 providing no
employe of the Government should be
paid a higher rate of compensation for
overtime work. The section also would
require that as much overtime work as
possible be performed by substitutes, in
stqad of individuals working during the
o.
The second amendment would elm
mate a provision limiting travelling al
1owances Of postal service employees to
81 a day.
The third amendment would kill
section providing suspension of ell pro-
visions of law allowing automatic in
creases in the compensation of Federal
and District government employees,
based on the length of service
The fourth amendment would strike
from the bill provisions authorizing the
Postmaster General to temporarily as
sign post office employees to the duties
OF railway mail clerks and vice versa,
II desired
Seeks Debate Extension.
When the special rule was presented
by Representative Bankhead, Democrat,
of Alabama, Representative Purpen,
Republican. OF Indiana, sought to have
the time for debate on the rule extend
ed from one hour to an hour and a
half Objection was registered by Rep
resentative Schafer, Republican, of Wis
consin, who said: Il can't approve a
gag rule which allows so little time on