Evening star., 1934-06-30
PAY RESTORATION
ADDS S15,0DO,0)D
u. S. Salaries to Be Boosted
to 95 Per Cent of Basic
Scale at Midnight.

The second per cent Of the SIS
pay restoration, voted in March, will
be returned to the Federal establish
ment at midnight tonight, adding
millions Of dollars to the pay roll This
will bring salaries to s5 per cent OF
the basic scale and result in an in
crease locally of upwards of sl5,000,-
600 annually in comparison to the rate
prevailing as Of February /, when the
first per cent Of the original Is per
cent was lifted
Should the President decide that
advancing living costs justify the
move, the remainder of the reduction
may be done away with on January /,
next.
First Pay Is July Is.
The added increment is expected
to be reflected materially in a busl-
ness pickup. 1t will be paid first
July Is.
TWO other cheering notes were in
jected into the pay situation also, one
when Controller General McCarl gave
ruling that cleared up a question
that had arisen in connection with
the lifting OF the ban on automatic
promotions, also a part of the new
legislation under which Government
employees will work after midnight.
and another when it was announced
that 5 per cent pay raise would be
given TO the 3.678 public works en-
ployes here and in the field, effective
at midnight.
McCarls decision 10 the Treasury
held that restoration of automatic
promotions meant that those affected
should be given the two steps denied
them in 1928 while the ban was
on, as well as that due this year.
These promotions usually are made
around July l.
II covered customs clerks but vas
considered equally applicable to Dis
trict firemen, police and school teach
erS. park police. White House police.
members of the armed services. Public
Health Service. Coast Guard and Coast
anu NJtOGtlIC survey.
Automatic promotions were restored
in the independant Offices act, but
McCarl had held that workers could
not get credit for the two years served
while the ban was on New leeisla-
ton was passed TO take care Of this.
but the question was again raised as
TO whether there was still not a con-
fiict with the independent Offices act.
McCsrl held the last legislation should
be given full force, however. and the
decision is expected to point the way
for another for municipal employees. in
response to a question raised by Dis
strict Auditor Donovan.
The pay increase for the p W. A.
workers is being brought about bv
executive order. Controller General
McCarl had held they we're not en-
titled to the SIS restoration. because
their pay had not actually been cut.
although it had been fixed on
schedule comparable TO the prevailing
reduced schedule.
After McCarrs ruling, Secretary
Ickes reclaSsified nearly all employees.
Some were regarded and reclaSSi-
fed under an executive order issued
by President Roosevelt on November
l8 last and others were reciassified
under another executive order OF June
21. 1t was understood that nearly all
P. w. A. gross salaries were changed
under these two orders.
Some P. w. A. workers. when re-
classified, took 10 per cent cuts based
on their new salaries as OF June l.
Nil hor ~ ,ie
cut now.
The per cent increase. it was said,
will affect every employe in the P. w.
A. whether reclassified or not The
per cent increase will be based on
the gross pay.
The pay restoration was the prin-
cipal change effected in the economy
legislation which has ruled the Gov
ernment for the past two years. A
measure of additional relief was sf-
forded by removed Of the ban on auto
matte promotions step-ups-
in the armed services. customs service.
public health. Coast and Geodetic
Survey, foreign service, postal and
immigration service and in the Dis
trict. police firemen and school teach
anu WHltc anu pal pOlitt
An element of doubt, however, now
has been injected into the question Of
just how far the automatic promo
tions may go. AS the legislation was
originally passed in the independent
Offices bill it carried an indefinite sp-
preparation to finance the liberalizs-
ton, but prohibited back pay and
was construed by Controller General
McCarl to provide only for the pro-
motion that would have been given
on July l, 1882. for service prior to
that date, had not the ban been ap-
piled.
The new legislation also permits ad-
miniStrative promotions where the
various agencies can save enough from
their allotments to make them. but
they have been ordered by Budget
Director Douglas to use savings as
much as possible to absorb the SIS
pay restoration. and in consequence.
there is not expected to be much left
for these promotions within grade.