Evening star., 1934-01-31
Subcommittee Amendment
Gives President Discretion
on Later Action.
CUT WOULD BE LIMITED
FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR
Change in Independent Offices Bill
Would Alter Original Plan
Passed by House.

Restorati ton of per cent OF the Gov
ernment pay cut from February l to
June 30 and at least per cent more
on July was decided upon this after
noon BY the Senate subcommittee ham
ding the independent Offices appropria-
ton bill.
The amendment adopted by the sub
committee leaves the President to de-
termine on July l. whether the remain-
ing per cent cut should be continued
after that date. depending on the cost
of living data al that time. The cut
could not exceed 5 per cent. however,
after July l.
The controversial veterans question
was expected to be decided later in the
day.
Changes House Bill.
Under the bill as passed BY the House.
Federal workers would have been given
only 5 per cent of their cut back, ef-
fective July l.
The full Senate committee has vet to
act. then the Senate and then the
House again before final approval is
possible.
The subcommittee also voted to suS-
pend the freezing of pay in the six
Services-Army. Navy. Marine Corps
Public Health. Coast and Geodectic
Survey and Coast Guard-the effect OF
which would be that members of the
groups would get increased pay b;
reason of length of service placing them
into new pay periods.
The pay restoration amendment IS
Worded. in substance. as follows:
From February l to June 80. the
duction in Government salaries sr
not exceed 10 per cent: after July
reduction shall not exceed 5 per {
1t was explained that during
fiscal year beginning July l, Presid
Roosevelt will continue to have
authority contained in the ecenc
act of last year to determine at
end of each siX-month period whe.
the remainder of the pay cut should
continued or repealed
Byrnes Back of Plan.
This proposal was approved by the
subcommittee on motion of Senator
James F. Byrnes, Democrat. of South
Carolina
Since Senator Byrnes is generally re-
garded as rejecting the viewpoint of
administration forces on economy ques-
tions, 1t is believed this program will
have no difficulty in getting through the
Senate and that it will be concurred to
by the House. In fact. a considerable
number of the Senate membership is
favorably disposed toward elimination
of the pay cut entirely after July /.
Action Due in Few Days.
While the subcommittee amendment
makes it possible to continue per
cent cut after July l, it does not close
The door against full pay restoration. If
the President finds on that date that
commodity prices justify elimination OF
the remaining percentage of reduction.
If the subcommittee is able to settle
the questions affecting veterans this
afternoon. the independent Offices bill
will then go before the entire ApprOprla-
tions Committee for ratification within
the next few days.
Senator Glass, Democrat. of Virginia
chairman of the subcommittee, was
prevented by illness from attending the
subcommittee meeting today He is also
chairman of the Appropriations Com
mittee.
Costs Estimated.
The cost of restoring per cent Of
the pay during the five months until
June 80 was estimated at S26 5000, 900.
The cost of restoring 10 per cent for an
entire fiscal year. beginning July l. was
estimated at S126.435 900.
These figures are based on statistics
in House hearings recently and take in
all of the independent establishments
and all of the executive departments,
including the War and Navy Depart
ments 1t represents the cost covering
! Government employees all over the
country.
After the subcommittee action be-
came known prominent members of the
House promptly disclosed the eagerness
of House members to vote for restoration
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