The Washington times., 1937-01-15

M'CARRAN BILL
GAINS FAVOR
AT CAPITOL
Sen. BuIow Promises
Immediate Action
on Salaries

Immediate hearings on the Nc
Carran Federal employees pay raise
bill, setting a $1,500 minimum and
raises up to $500 was promised
today by Senator William j. Bulow
CD, South Dakota, chairman Of
the Senate Civil Service Commit
tee.
Senator Bulow made his an
nouncement at the same time he
expressed an opinion favoring prin-
cipleS Of the McCarran measure.
Although no date has been set
for hearings, Senator Bulow, at the
urging Of Senator McCarran, Is
prepared to give his prompt atten-
ton to the matter. In this con-
nection, Senator Bulow intimated
he also would hold hearings in the
near future on bills to extend the
merit system. Extension Of the
merit system, he indicated, would
be considered first by the full com
mittee, in view of the fact that this
proposition was advanced in the
Presidents message on reorganiZa-
ton.
Plan Conference
Senator McCarran conferred
with Senator Bulow late yesterday
afternoon and will meet again To-
day to consider the request for a
special subcommittee, to begin
work as soon as possible.
Senator Bulow said today:
although I have not had an
opportunity to consider all Of
the details Of the bill introduced
by Senator McCarran / am in
favor Of the principle it in
wolves. intend to hold hear
ings on the bill as soon as I am
able to get them started"
Senator McCarran said:
Il want hearings to be held
on my bill. / want everyone
interested in the matter to have
an opportunity to express their
opinion, so that we may have q
bill that will meet the approval
of these lOwer-paid Government
employees who ] am trying to
help. AS it is now drawn it
might not meet the requests of
the class who will be most bene.
fitted and / want to know about
it."
One phase Of the classification
act, which he hoped to straighten
out, Is the rule, of allowing sal
aries UP to only the average for
each individual grade. The Ne
vadan said that he was going to
study just what effect the pro
visions of his measure would have
on this rule and he hoped that in
the hearings this angle and all
others. would be thoroughly
thrashed out.
King to Study Plans
Coming as it did at the time
that President Roosevelt is advo-
eating an expansion of the Gov
ernment service, the McCarran
bill, observers point out, has an
excellent chance for considerate
handling. The only hurdle that it
will have to jump is the opinion Of
several Senators, that Government
expenditures should be cut instead
of increased.
Senator William H. King OO,
Utah, today declared that he
would have to give the McCarran
measure considerable study before
he would make up his mind
whether or not to support it.
He said that as a general propo-
sition he was opposed to raising
the cost of Government and that
following this thought he also
would oppose the Presidents re-
organization plan where it in
volved an increased cost in Fed
eral departments.
He said, however, that in the
near future he expected to famil-
iarize himself with all the differ
ent proposals before the Senate
and would be prepared soon to ex-
press himself on all proposals to
extend the Federal service. expand
the merit system and raise pay.