Evening star., 1934-06-28
Past Two Years Credited
to Workers With Respect
to Advances.
$4,000, 900 INCREASE
IN PAY ROLL HERE SEEN
Many on District Roster Made
Eligible for Higher Rating
Under Law.

As all Government employees looked
third of their pay cut on July l,
President Roosevelt signed bill which
further liberalizes the terms for re-
sumption of automatic promotions for
those groups of Federal and District
workers affected by the automatic
promotion system.
The bill just signed by the PreSi-
dent means that the t. years during
which automatic promotions were
suspended by the economy act shall
be credited to the employees so they
will be promoted to the grade to
which they would have progressed il
the economy act had not been in
force
When Congress voted into the in
dependent Offices act several months
ago a provision to begin a gradual
return of the pay cut throughout the
service, it also ordered automatic pro-
motions restored as of July /. but it
was held subsequently that the inde-
pendent Offices act meant only that
automatic promotions would be re-
sumed next month where they left
off on July l, 1892.
Special Measure Passed.
In the closing days of the session,
however, the House and Senate put
through the measure which the Pres
ident signed yesterday, giving credit
for the intervening two years. AS re-
ported from the House Post Office
and Post Roads Committee, this
liberalizing measure applied only to
postal workers, but on the floor of
the House it was amended by adding
and other officers and employees"
In the District government, the
groups entitled to automatic promo
tions are policemen, flremen and
school teachers. In the Federal serv-
ice. the automatic promotion system
applies to the Army, Navy, Marine
| Corps, Coast Guard. Coast and Geo.
detic Survey and certain employees OF
the Public Health Service, the 1mn1i-
grafton Bureau, Customs Service and
few other agencies.
S15,OO0,OOO to Be Added.
Government workers here get a
SIS 100000 pay boost at midnight
Saturday.
At that time. the end of the fiscal
year, the second 5 per cent slice is
taken from the pay cut. bringing the
Is per cent reduction which started
out in April, 1888, to one-third Of
that amount. This will restore SAL
aries to a higher level than has pre-
vailed since July l, 1892, when the
retrenchment wave hit the Federal
structure under the Hoover admin
istration, and an 813 per cent cut was
applied through the medium of the
24-day furlough plan.
The estimate of $4,000, 900 for the
increase locally is based on the budget
statement that the cost nationally Of
the pay restoration, voted over PreSi-
dent Roosevelt's veto. would be
| s126, 100000, annually 1t is perhaps
low. inasmuch as it makes no allow
anceS for the liberalization Of the
automatic promotion legislation, pass
ed in the closing days of Congress
and just signed.
Benefits Problematic.
| Beginning July l, also, the ban on
administrative promotions is lifted in
part, but the benefits to flow from
this are entirely problematical AS
the law was amended, the Govern
ment agencies were to be permitted
to make such promotions whenever
they could save enough on their per-
sonnel appropriations to finance them.
However. Budget Director Douglas has
ordered that the "5-5" pay restoration
be absorbed by the agencies them
selves, so far as possible. before they
will be allowed to incur deficiencies to
care for it, and under such conditions
| the outlook for any surplus for pro-
motions is not especially bright.
The prohibition against promotions
Continued on Page 2. Column 81