Evening star., 1934-03-18
Senate and House Con-
ferees Are Expected to
Decide on 10 Pct.
VETERANS ALLOWANCES
STAND is UNCERTAIN
Difference of Opinion Exists on
Restoration of Some of
Benefits.


independent Offices bill are expected
to meet early this week in an effort to
reach an agreement on Government
salaries and war veterans allowances,
two issues that have hurg in the
balance for the greater part of this
session of Congress.
A belief prevails at the Capitol that.
on the salary question, the conferees
will be able to agree at least on the
program of restoring per cent of
pay cut Immediately and another S
per cent on July /.
The conferees. it Is believed, will
have more difficulty in reaching a
middle ground on the question of
restoring to war veterans the pensions
and compensation allowances taken
from them by the economy act In
connection with this part of the bill,
the chief differences are over the ex-
tent to which payments should be re-
stored 70 Spanish War cases and to
the presumptive disability World War
group, whose compensation was stopped
under the economy act. =
Plans for Conference.
No definite arrangements for the
first conference had been arranged
yesterday. because several of the Sen
ate conferees were absent from the
city. The Senate conferees are Sena-
tors Glass, Byrnes, Russell. Hale and
Steiwer. The House conferees are
Representatives Woodrum, Boylan.
Hastings, Granfield, Wigglesworth and
GoSs.
Senator Byrnes, who handled the
bill when it was IN the Senate. is due
back from South Carolina tomorrow
and it is probable that some time dur
ing the day spokesmen for the Senate
and House groups will fix time for a
conference, possibly Tuesday.
On salaries, the Senate voted two
weeks ago to restore per cent as
of February l and all of the remain
ing 10 per cent on July l. Since the
House, few days ago, recorded itself
in favor of 5 per cent as of February
! l and another 5 per cent on July l.
the problem confronting the confer
ees on the pay questions has been
narrowed down to a question OF
whether to make restoration Of the
remaining 5 per cent on July l man.
datory or leave it to be determined
by the President according to price
! levels.
Differ on Benefits.
On war veterans, the House has
recorded itself in favor of restoring
some of the benefits, but not to the
extent for which majority of the
Senate voted. The House amend
ments, however. are substantially
along the lines proposed by Senator
Byrnes. In the Senate, however, Sen
ators Steiwer, Republican, of Oregon
and McCarran, Democrat, of Nevada
succeeded in having more liberal pro-
visions adopted.
On presumptive disability cases, the
! Senate voted for restoration on loo
per cent basis, while the House voted
last week for a rs per cent restora-
ton. The Senate amendment also
was more liberal on Spanish Wal
| cases.
If the conferees succeed in reach
ing an agreement this week, their rec
concentrations will go back to both
| House and Senate for final determine
/ ton, or the conferees may go back tc
! their respective houses for further in
: structions. Administration spokesmer
at the Capitol have been predicting
! the President would veto the bill II
/ the form in which it passed the Sen
ate. What will happen to it in the
event OF compromises in conference
is difficult to predict, and is likely te
depend on the nature of the revision:
that may be made in conference.
Letter Sent to President.
Protest against the imposition oi
administrative furlough or an equiva'
lent imposition" upon civilian en-
| ployes of the Government was voicec
last night by the National Legislative
Council of Federal Employees Organi'
cations in letter to President Roose.
welt.
The council hit administrative fur
| loughs, or an equivalent imposition
"such as the drastic reduction II
/ equipment allowances for rural letter
carriers"
"Our membership" the councils
letter to the President declared, "i'
made up of citizens and taxpayer:
who, if anything, have a double in
terest in assisting to bring about
economic recovery with the least pos
sible delay 1t seems to us apparent
that an example set by the Fedora
Government as an employer. in giving
its employees full-time occupation, will
have a much greater influence upor
other and smaller employers than any
amount of precept."