Evening star., 1937-02-12
DELAY IN ACTION
ONPAYB|LL ASKED
BY BUDGET CHIEF
Bell Reveals Comprehensive
Administration Study
Is Under Way.
REQUESTS CONGRESS
TO AWAIT RESULT
Letter Reply to Appeal for Report
on Measure Sponsored by
McCarran.
BY J. A. OLEARY.

Revealing that the administration
is having study made of the whole
subject of classification, pay and re-
tirement conditions in the Government
service, budget director Daniel w.
Bell today recommended that Con-
greSs defer action on the McCarran
pay bill pending that study.
His position was made known In a
reply to the request of Chairman Bu-
low of the Senate Civil Service Com
mittee for report on the McCarran
measure, which seeks to establish
81 500 as the minimum wage for full
time Government workers, with in.
creases for the other salary grades be-
low $500 a year. Bells letter fol-
lows:
Il have your letter of January IS,
inclosing copy of bill S.-741, intro.
duced by Senator McCarran Demo-
crat, Of Nevada) and asking for my
comment thereon.
Study Being Made.
"a study of the general subject Of
classification, compensation and re-
tirement OF Government employees is
now being made with view to making
a report to the present Congress em-
bodying recommendations for the en-.
actment Of legislation In the interest
Of improved personnel conditions.
In these circumstances, feel that
action on this bill, and any other bill
OF like character and import should
be deferred while this study is under
way, and until the President makes a
report to Congress on the subject"
Senator Bulow indicated that the
course suggested by the Budget Bureau
OF waiting for the Presidents report
probably would be followed.
Objects Of Measure.
Although its primary object Is to
provide better compensation for em-
ployes in the lower salary groups,
especially those receiving less than
$500 a year, the McCarran bill also
calls for important changes in the
method Of determining how promo.
tions should be made from one salary
step to another within the classiflca.
ton grades.
The bill would abolish the manda.
tory, uniform system Of maintaining
efficiency ratings under existing law
and substitute an elastic provision that
would allow the Civil Service Commits.
sion to decide to what extent it is
practicable to record the quantity and
quality Of the work of employees. II
such records we're found desirable, the
commission would lay down the rules,
but any records so maintained would
be open to the inspection of both the
commission and the employe.
If the commission decided such rec.
ords are impracticable, employees would
be advanced one salary step within
their respective grades each year, until
the maximum was reached, provided
the head of the department certified
the employees efficiency warranted the
promotion.
Shortly after he had introduced his
bill McCarran had a conference with
the President. Although he did not
reveal what took place, the Senator
indicated later he had received SYM
pathetic consideration.
The McCarran bill did not touch
on the existing retirement law, but
there are separate proposals pending
to hberalize the age limits for op-
tional retirement.
The budget directors letter indi-
Gates that retirement questions also
are being included in the survey
which he said is being made.