Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-12-21
McCarran 10 Back
$1,000 Minimum Paw
For u. 5. Employees
Senator Opposes
Economy at Sake Of
Workers Salaries
Star Staff Photo.
BY J. A. O'LEARY.

Senator McCarran, Democrat, OF
Nevada announced today he will
support efforts to have Congress
consider this winter the Bulow bill
to make $1,000 the minimum wage
for full-time Federal employees, with
small increases for other salary
steps near the bottom of the CLASH
flcation Act schedule.
Although the Nevada Senator
originally advocated a s1,5CO mini
mum rate for the Federal service
several years ago and still has a
bill pending for that purpose, he
said he will support in any way he
can the alternative proposal of Sen
ator BuloW, Democrat, of South Da-
kota, because it would benefit the
lowest paid groups of workers.
Senator Bulow made known few
days ago that at the first meeting
of the Senate Civil Service Commit
tee, of which he Is chairman. ne
will urge hearings on his pay bill.
Opposes Pay Cuts.
Just back from the West. Senator
McCarran said that, while he hopes
Congress will economic wherever
possible, he does not favor any
blanket percentage cut in appro-
priations and also would oppose any
revival OF the old economy legisla-
ton OF six or seven years ago, which
cut Government salaries, because
1T affected those least able to pay"
He said he would not favor any
move that would affect adversely
the rank and file of low-paid en-
ployes."
Discussing the general legislative
outlook for the session, Senator Nc
Carran came out against renewal of
the Reciprocal Trade Act, which ex-
pires in June, predicting that the
Democratic party lis very liable to
lose the West in the coming election
II 1t persists in the present trade
agreement program.
He expressed hope increased taxes
can be avoided and that the ma
tlonal defense program will be kept
on a sane and safe" basis.
Hopes 1--WE Won't Go Wild"
Il hope we will not go wild on
the question of national defense. -
said the Nevadan. Sane and safe
expenditures should be considered
but not on the basis of the immi-
nence of war, because this country
is not going to war. favor q
Navy sufficient and adequate to de-
tend our rights at sea and along
our coasts and an Army adequate
to strike quickly and effectively in
the Nations defense. I favor an
air force to keep abreast of the best
IN the world, but that doesn't mean
we should lose our heads or forget
economy"
Discussing the Wagner Labor Re-
latlons Act, Senator McCarran said
1t lis apparent from recent state
ments that all factions are looking
for changes, and recent develop
ments indicate there should be some
changes"
The Senator said the Wagner
Act was "a bold venture in a broken
field of legislation, and if expert
mentation has brought about con-
dltions not in the interest of fair
play 1t is the duty of the legislative
boy to consider changes" The Sen
ator emphasized, however, that the
primary object of the law, for both
industry and labor, was good and
worth while"
In explaining his opposition to
the Reciprocal Trade Treaty Act
Senator McCarran said "the Inter-
mountain and Western States are
raw material areas, with no process
ing activities to any great extent
wherever the act has touched the
raw material States it has been to
the detriment of those States, with
no reciprocal benefits"