Evening star., 1934-01-10
PAY ACTION AWAITS
! FIGHT IN HOUSE
Independent Offices Measure
Continues Economy Re-
StriCti0nS for 1885.
Continued From First Page.)

(CODLlIlueQ rIOll rlloV uSC0
When the previous question is moved
for adoption of the rule the Republican
leadership will start its fight and,
whether the rule is adopted or not,
Will determine whether the House fol-
lows the Presidents recommendation
on salary restoration or whether 1t Will
fight out the question for a more lib
eral restoration of salaries.
House Leader Byrns announced on
the floor that if consideration of the
independents office appropriation bill
can be completed under special rule
by Friday night the House will recess
until Monday.
The Veterans Bureau appropriation
request was cut to 100000 less than
the budget estimates of $553,210,000,
which were SAG, ,627,909 less than ap-
propriations for this fiscal year.
The reduction was effected through
cuts in allotments for Civil War and
private bill pensions, which probably
will be made up in deficiency bill at
the next Congress.
Appropriations for the bureau in the
current year amounted to S602 ,838, 900,
compared with $948, ,800,418 in 1888, in
dicating saving of 1885 962, Alb, largely
through the economy act.
100000 Veterans Dropped.
At hearings before the subcommittee
headed by Representative Woodrum, 1t
was developed from Brig. Gen. Frank
T. Hines, veterans administrator, that
100000 veterans had been dropped from
the preSumptlve rolls under the econ
omy act.
Of veterans remaining, Hines said,
42.76 per cent were allowed to stay on
the rolls by the review boards. The
others are appealing their cases before
the appeals tribunals set up by the
President.
They (the 1913 review boards) han
died 81, ,397 cases. Hines said, made
up of tuberculosis, -psychiatric
and general medical and surgical cases"
He added the Veterans Administra-
ton had been criticized for our lib
eral policy" but said that generally
speaking, the work of the boards has
been excellent" The administrations
policy, he said, was one "of resolving
the doubt in favor of the veteran"
In commenting upon plans to attack
the Federal pay cut section, it was dis
closed that Chairman Buchanan OF the
Appropriations Committee was holding
in reserve a letter to him from the
President reporting that just-com-
pleted survey of living costs would make
unjustiflable full restoration of the Is
per cent pay cut ordered year ago.
The Appropriation Committee followed
the President and Lewis Douglas, the
budget director, all down the line in
the independent Offices bill
Only two increases over budget esti-
mates were included-S50,0 900 for re-
pairing the White House and $4,000
for the Smithsonian Institutions print
ing account.
At that, the bill was S1o3 3,Qooo 900 un-
der this years appropriations. And it
was $455 982 600 under the 1888 fiscal
year appropriations, the year before
the economy act.
Main Items in Bill
Among the items in the 1885 fiscal
year bill were: White House. s429,-
4l9: board of mediation, Sl25. .564; Civil
Service Commission, S1476000; En-
ployes Compensation Commission, S4,-
353,410 Federal Trade Commission, ST.
242, ,730; General Accounting Office, So
461,920: Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, S5,430970: Smithsonian InStitu-
tion, S924.024; Veterans Administration,
S546, ,oo0
Explains Promotion System.
In discussing the matter of automatic
pay promotion, the committee report
declared:
"The committee feels that in con-
tinuing the general economy legislation
for the fiscal year 1885 there should
not be a total relaxation In the prohlbl-
ton against automatic promotions and
that whatever is done continuing the
prohibition in that respect should be
based upon equal treatment TO all per-
sons in all the automatic groups The
ban upon automatic promotions is.
therefore. continued for the next fiscal
year modified in one respect to correct
an Injustice resulting more from inter-
pretaJion than from legislative intent,
the explanation of which appears here
matter.
THE pertinent provision it is proposed
to continue does not exempt the Army.
Navy, and Marine Corps, as proposed by
the budget submission. These three
services were companions Of the Coast
Guard, the Public Health Service, and
the Coast and Geodetic Survey in the
Joint pay act of June 10, 1922 (U. S. c.,
title 37(, and Congress then placed all
six services practically on an equal
footing with respect to rates of pay
and allowances and the committee feels
tnat 1t should not apply a different
rule to any of such services irrespective
of the merits such proposal may or
may not have.
Status Is Equal.
"The Army, Navy and Marine Corps,
and their companion services, the
Coast Guard. Public Health Service.
and Coast and Geodetic Survey, have