Evening star., 1934-11-01
General Advance Urged.

workers"
General Advance Urged.
In this latter connection, the recent
convention of the federation in New
York went on record for a general
advance in all basic salaries, over and
above the amount of the reduction.
When the 5 per cent cut was con-
tinued in July, by Executive order,
after it had been brought down to
that figure by overriding a presiden-
tial veto, Mr. Roosevelt said the living
cost index was 1864, or 20 per cent
under that of June 30, 1923, which
the law prescribes as the comparable
base. Last December, the difference
was 239, which meant an increase of
3.9 in the six months.
On the basis of the Presidents s
statement, indications are the 20 per
cent differential will have disappeared
by next July.
In the past two months, studies by
the Labor Department have registered
a gradual decline in food prices, the
level on october 9 standing IL below
that of September IL. This drop fol-
lowed steady increase, from April "a
to September IL, when the index rose
from 1918 per cent Of the 1918 level
to 1853.
Living Cost Factor Opposed.
When the campaign for pay restora-
ton starts, however, it seems certain
that linked with it will be an effort
to eliminate cost of living as a factor,
as this basis for figuring pay has been
bitterly criticized. This principle was
embodied In law in the first economy
act passed in the Roosevelt admins
tration.
Other economy act provisions also
are due for attack, inasmuch as these
are operating as pay cuts. Since July,
1882, there has been ban on increas-
ing pay by reallocation of positions,
which, it is pointed out, has served to
nullify the classification act and has
resulted in different scales being paid
for the same sort of work Admin
istrative promotions also were banned
in their entirety in 1882, but some
slight relief was effected in this re-
gard last July, when the law was
amended to provide that such ad-
vances could be made provided saw
ings on personnel allotment could be
made in other directions to absorb the
cost.
Employees also are prepared to COM
bat continuance Of the involuntary
retirement feature of the economy act,
which otherwise expires next July, and
will seek instead a provision for op-
tional retirement after 80 years serv-
ice. End of administrative furloughs
also will be sought.
Executive Pay Roll s9S,6O4,611.
Restoration of the per cent will
add several million dollars to the pay
roll locally, this figure running in ex-
cess of $1,000. 900 on the basis of the
latest employment figures for the ex-
ecutive establishment alone.
The Civil Service Commission yes
terday made public the monthly per-
sonnel statement for September, which
showed the total executive pay roll
was s98. 8.604,6 Gil for 678,237 employees,
92,557 of whom are employed here.
Employment here showed gain Of
1912 over August, and nationally,
4,484
President Roosevelt once before ex-
pressed himself on the retroactive pay
restoration matter, having returned
to Congress without his approval the
independent Offices appropriation bill.
which provided for restoration of 10
per cent of the IS per cent pay cut,
and specifying that per cent of the
restoration should be retroactive from
February /.
In this same message, explaining