Evening star., 1937-03-28
'CARRAN REVIEWS
PLEA FOR BOOSTS
IN j. s. PAY SCALE
Urues Consideration at This
Session of Bill for Gen.
eraI Revision.
Halls RECENT ACTION
PROVIDING INCREASES
But Points Out Only Small Per.
centage in Lower Brackets
Are Being Aided.
BY J. A. O'LEARY,

Recent action of House and Senate
In voting small pay increases for a
limited number of low-paid custodial
workers in the Treasury-Post Office
supply bill encouraged Senator Nc
Carran, Democrat, of Nevada. to make
a new plea last night for consideration
at this session of his bill for general
revision of the lower salary brackets.
Meanwhile, a Senate subcommittee
was ready to begin work this week on
the State, Justice, Commerce and La
Dor appropriation bill, in which the
House also has made provision for a
few pay increases for low -salaried
clerical groups in the foreign service
and in Federal courts.
Back at the Capitol yesterday after
. Western trip. Senator McCarran ex-
pressed qualification at these develop
ments in the two pending appropria-
tion bills and expressed hope they will
be enacted in that form.
Although the modest increases that
have been written into these two sup
ply bills affect comparatively few of
those who are near the bottom of the
Governments pay scale" McCarran
said, ''it is a partial recognition of the
problem my bill seeks to correct,
namely. to give those in the very low
brackets a living wage"
The Nevadan said these steps also
indicate willingness in Congress to
consider alphabetically the question
of revising the low brackets when the
opportunity is presented.
Group Affected.
Many Of those who would be given
slight raise in the Treasury-Post
Office and in the four-department bill
are now receiving around 81 ,080 or ST.
160 a year. For those in the custodial
service working in post Offices and
other buildings under the Procurement
Division, the increase allowed in the
Treasury-P Post Office bill would be only
$50 year, or S5 month, applying to
about 10000 employees.
These are merely salary step-ups
which can be made under existing law
whenever sufficient funds are available
to department, and the Appropria-
ton Committees, in the cases men,
toned, merely have increased the sums
appropriated for that purpose, as dis
tinguished from the McCarran bill,
which would be new legislation revis-
ing the basic salary schedules in the
classification law
Consideration of the McCarran bill
Is being delayed by the Senate Civil
Service Committee, at the request of
the Budget Bureau, until the President
submits report on survey which the
bureau said is being made of compen-
sation and other personnel problems.
McCarran said he hoped the data
would be ready in time to permit con-
sideration of his bill later at this ses-
sion.
Purpose of Bill.
The bill seeks primarily to Ak
$500 as the minimum wage for full
time Government employment, with
some increase in other brackets up
to $500. 1t also aims to promote
efficiency by giving the Civil Service
Commission and the President more
latitude in establishing methods Of
efficiency rating, in place of the pres
ent uniform system Of efficiency
rating.
The $775,740 which Representative
Connery Of Massachusetts, had placed
IN the Treasury-Post Office bill for
custodial workers in post Offices
throughout the country. has been ap-
proved by both Houses. The Senate
added $4,000 to the bill to apply
the same increase to custodial work.
ers who come under the Procurement
Division of the Treasury, and this Is
awaiting action Of the conferees.
In reporting out the State, Justice.
Commerce and Labor BILL which
passed the House Thursday, the
House Committee decided immediate
steps should be taken to afford q
measure of relief and fair play to
clerks in the foreign service, who.
the report pointed out, receive less
than l,080 per annun. Accordingly,
the committee made approximately
$4,000 available for small merited
increases" The committee expressed
its feeling that the additional money
In the bill should be spread as far
~ possible among the lower paid
employees specified"
Fund for More Clerks.
Again, in the same report, when the
committee came to the item for deputy
clerks in Federal courts, under the
Justice Department. 1t granted funds
for employment of more clerks where
the volume of business requires it, but
added:
1T is the thought Of the committee
that approximately s50,000 Of the in
crease, instead OF being employed for
the appointment of additional deru-
ties, should be used to give some ad-
nainistrative promotions to the lower
paid deputy clerks and make necessary
readjustments. Many Of these en-
ployes are paid less than $500 per
year. It is felt that reclassif1ca-
ton Of these positions should be made
with q view OF establishing uniform
standards of classification and salary
for this group Of employees"