Evening star., 1939-11-26
Capital SideIiehts
By Will P. Kennedu

The employees of Congress will be di-
rectly affected by the change of date
OF Thanksgiving Day by the President.
incidentally, the joke is on Congress be-
cause that action of the President
doubtless unintentionally-ma inop-
eratlve for the present year an act of
Congress which the President approved
on June 2 last. A joint resolution au-
thorlzed the payment of salaries to off,
GERS and employees of Congress on the
first preceding work day when the last
day OF any month falls on Sunday or a
legal holiday. Thanksgiving Day this
year would have been the first time this
could have been done. Memorial Day is
the only other holiday on which the ad-
vance payment is likely to be made.
Checks will be mailed out to pay sal
aries for December to all legislative en-
ployes on December 20 This includes
all officers and employees of the Senate
and House, the Capitol Police and the
Office of legislative counsel. The au-
thorization is by permanent law ap-
proved on May 81, 1887. In previous
years when Congress was in session in
December such resolution was passed
for a pay-of when Congress adjourned
over the Christmas holidays. The per-
manent law is even more important now
because in this way legislative employees
who may be back at their homes through
out the States will receive the money
which will enable them to pay railroad
fare back to Washington to take up
their duties at the opening of the session
on January 3.
When Congress comes back it will have
potentially $50 additional employees. This
results from the new clerk hire bill which
goes into effect on January l. 1t in
creases the present allowance for clerk
hire to each member. Delegate or resi-
dent commissioner from 5000 to $500.
1t may or may not mean 438 additional
employees of the house because the mem
Der has the option of dividing the $500
among three instead of two office work.
erS as at present, so long as the present
to any one person is observed Many
members have already indicated their
intention of dividing the additional
money among their present Office force.
The Senate is allowed by this law, which
was approved July Is last, to engage
96 additional clerks at $1,000 each, one
for each Senator, but this is merely
matter of bookkeeping because for
several years they have had these en-
ployes who were paid out of the con-
tingent expenses of the Senate. Each
Senator is allowed an additional clerk
at $l,500, and if the Senator is from
State which has population of more
than 100000 persons he is allowed
still another clerk at $500. There
are "a Senators from IL States who are
eligible to appoint that additional clerk
based on population. So the Senate Is
due to provide Office desks for 100 new
employees.
There are now some 500 Capitol en-
ployes who are contributing toward re-
tirement benefits. Within the next few
months this number is likely to be
considerably increased as a result of
new law provision. When the origi-
nal retirement act extended to Capi-
tol employees the benefits of the re-
tirement system it was optional on their
part whether they should apply. There
were approximately 1900 eligibles, and
the number enrolled has f1uctuated
around 500 An equal number leave
their Capitol jobs, some being trans
ferred to Government departments.
The law allowed six months for the
application to be made, either after
the act went into effect or after a new
employe entered the service. A new re-
tirement bill passed by the last Con-
gress (approved August 4, 1880, which
goes into effect January /, contains a
provision under which anyone who did
not previously apply for retirement en-
rollment Is allowed an additional six
months.