Evening star., 1939-01-31
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

BY J. A. OLEARY.
Conferees reached a final agree
ment today on the s725, 900 600
w. P. A. relief bill, after extracting
some of the teeth from the drastic
anti-political amendments inserted
by the Senate Saturday.
The conference report also would
prevent any Government worker, no
matter where employed, from having
civil service status extended by the
Presidents executive order if the lob
is being paid out of relief funds.
About $4,000 employees will be
barred from civil service by this step.
The most important change in the
political amendments was to narrow
the scope Of the rule against solicit
ing campaign contributions from
Government employees so it will ap-
ply only to those paid from relief
funds. This was accomplished by
striking out the words "or any other
act of Congress-" which were added
IN the Senate on motion of Majority
Leader Barkley. Those words would
have prevented soliciting contribu-
tions from any one whose salary Is
paid in whole or in part from an
act of Congress.
Senator Adams, Democrat, of COL
orado, in announcing the change in
this amendment, said the confereeS
were taking out language which
would have placed a ban on such
fund-raising events as the Jackson
Day dinners.
The Amendments.
AS finally agreed on, the political
amendments provide:
/. That it shall be unlawful for
any one to promise employment
either out of relief funds or any
other act of Congress to any person
as reward for political activity
or for support of or opposition to
any candidate or party. The broad
language of the Barkley amendment,
applying to any act of Congress,
was left in this amendment.
2. That it shall be unlawful to
deprive or threaten to deprive any
one of a job out of the relief ap-
preparation on account of politics,
race, color or creed. This is con-
fined to the relief agency.
3. That it shall be unlawful for
any one employed in supervisory
or administrative capacity out OF
relief funds to use his official au-
thority to interfere with or influence
the results of an election. Such
supervisors would be confined to the
right to vote as they pleased and
to expressing privately their opinions
on political subjects without taking
an active part in campaigns.
4. That it shall be unlawful for
any one to solicit or knowingly be in
any manner concerned in soliciting
contributions for campaign expenses
of any individual or party from
any employe paid out of relief funds.
1t was at this point that the broad
Senate amendment to extend this
protection to all Government en-
ployes was eliminated.
$1,000 Fine and Jail.
The penalty for violation Of the
first, second or fourth rule remains
felony, punishable by $1,000 fine,
not more than one years imprison-
ment, or both. Punishment for vio-
lation of the third rule would be
immediate removal from Office.
Senator Adams indicated the civil
service ban was left in the bill to
avoid any recognition of the Works
Progress Administration as a per-
manent agency. He said the bill
would not affect the status OF any
employe who may now be under
civil service, but would mean that
one paid from w. P. A. funds could
have civil service extended to him OF
her by the executive order OF last
June, even though they are working
in permanent agencies.
There is large number of Gov
ernment employees in such perma-
nent agencies as the General Ac-
counting Office, Treasury, Justice,
Agriculture and several other OFF,
ces who are paid out of ALLEGATIONS
made to these departments out OF
relief appropriations. Under the
House bill, they would have been
left eligible for civil service under
the executive order, but the House
yielded to the Senate.
Wage Differentials Not Settled.
The only issue in the bill not
completely settled was whether to
place a limit on wage differentials
fof the same class of work on W..
P. A. in different localities. This
will be reported in technical dis
agreement and put up to the House
for separate action when the con-
ference report is submitted to that
body, probably tomorrow. The Sem
ate will not act until after the
House.
There was no disagreement IN
conference over the $725, ,000, 900 fig
ure, both houses having voted for
it by defeating the New Deal drive
to obtain President Roosevelt's esti-
mate Of $875, 100000 The House
conferees accepted the following
three Senate amendments relating
directly to the relief rolls:
That not more than per cent Of