Evening star., 1934-01-09
Executive Cites Labor De-
partment Survey in Refus-
ing to Grant Relief for Fed.
eraI Workers Until July.
RAIL ROAD LABOR UNIONS
JOIN FIGHT FOR REPEAL
Senators and Representatives to Be
Urged to Give Their Support to
Legislation to Repeal Economy
Act Provisions, Granting Relief
to Employees.

President Roosevelt today
signed an executive order contin-
uing the IS per cent reduction in
salaries of Federal and District
employees until June 80.
The President was prevented
from restoring any part Of the
pay cut because the living cost
study made by the Labor Depart
ment did not reveal sufficient in
crease to warrant lifting the bur-
den of the reduction from the
Government workers.
BY his executive order. announcing
the index figures of the cost Of living
for the six-month periods ending June
30, 1923, and December 81. 1888, the
President officially continued the Is
per cent pay cut for six months COM
mencing January l. He also made
public brief statement explanatory OF
his action.
Reveals Survey Findings.
This statement said:
THE Department of Labor reported
two sets of findings. The first. based
on the cost of living for families of
wage earners and lower salaried work.
ers in 80 cities scattered throughout
the United States, reveals that the av-
erage cost of living for these groups
in our population was, during the last
half of 1888, 21.1 below the average
of the base period of December, 1927,
and June. 1928. In this set of findings
"a Il tx. % Evr,rl
the District of Columbia for similar
families was 17.9.
"The second set of findings resulted
from special study of the cost of liv-
ing of Government employees in the Dis
tSjct of Columbia, and was made dur
ing the past three months by the Labor
Department. These show decline in
the cost of living of 146 per cent.
"In view of the above and because
the law provides for index figures COW
ering all parts of the country, it is
necessary to continue the present scale
Hntil June 80, 1884"
Five Per Cent Due July 1.
Although the President does not refer
10 it in this statement or the executive
order itself, he has made arrangements
for restoration OF 5 per cent OF the
pay cut in the preparation of the bud
get estimates for the year beginning
July l next.
The Presidents executive order. while
dated today. is operative from midnight
December 81, and reads as follows:
BY virtue of the authority vested in
me by sections and 3, title 2. of the
act, entitled. An act to maintain the
credit of the United States Govern
ment, approved March 20, 1888 public
No. 2, 73rd Congress- hereby an
nounce, first. that the index figures
on the cost of living are:
"(a) 171.0 for the six months period
ending June 80, 1928, the base period,
and
"(b) 1850 for the six months period
ending December 81, 1888:
Second. that the cost of living index
for the six months period ending De-
cember 81 is 211 per cent lower than
the cost of living index for the base
period. and
Third, that this per centum being
in excess of the maximum per centum
prescribed by section 3 (b). the per-
centage of reduction applicable under
section CD in determining the COM
pensation of officers and employees to be
paid during the period from January I,
1884. to June 80, 1884, inclusive, is
fifteen per centunl.
"(SignedD
The Presidents order denying the
restoration of any part of the pay slash,
which had been eagerly awaited for the
last two weeks. while it will serve as a
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