Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-07-02
School Librarians
Seek New RuIinq
On Pay Slash
Increases Paid Out
During Lost Year
TotoI Only $3.50

School officials revealed last night
they had asked Controller General
Fred H. Brown for a new ruling on
the amount public school librarians
must pay back to the Treasury to
bring the average pay of a school
librarian for the past year down to
that of public librarian perform
ing similar work as required by leg
islative rider to the Appropria-
ton Act
The Controller General ruled yes
terday that of the Is librarians
must pay back $40 to make the
average salary of the two groups
equal However, he declared in his
ruling that the rider does not affect
the basic salary scale set up in the
Salary Act of 1924. but only the
automatic increases permitted under
the act 1t is the situation caused
by this latter holding that prompts
the request for the new ruling.
Increases paid out during the last
year, it was learned, amount actu-
ally to about $3.50 which is not
enough when deducted to bring the
average salary of the school employee
down to that of the public library
employe School officials fear that
If the rest of the money must be re-
funded it will have to be taken from
increases given during the year be-
fore. Since that money has already
been paid, it would have to be taken
from the present pay check of those
who received increases the fiscal
year before last
Hope to Satisfy Controller.
School officials hope the control
Ter general will be satisfied with re-
payment of this years increases.
Unfortunately too, it was pointed
out. the blow falls on the lowest paid
employees. There is plenty of money
appropriated to take care of the in
creases, which is an added source of
distress.
In case the Controller General
does require payment from those
who received increases year before
last, it was thought possible the
action might be tested in the courts.
as this was stated to be the only
remedy to the ruling.
Meanwhile the June pay checks
of the librarians have not been
paid and will not be until Mr.. Brown
acts on the request for new ruling.
At the same time more than 100
clerks in the public school system
received reduced pay checks yester-
day to absorb a $705 deficiency Gre
ated by a slash of Congress in the
salary item in the anticipation that
Federal funds would be available
from the George-Deen Vocational
Education Act to compensate for
the cut.
Resolution in Conference.
A resolution restoring the amount
of the deficiency is now in confer
ence and the rest of the pay will be
made up to the clerks as soon as
the resolution is signed by the Presi-
dent. it was said.
Supt. Frank w. Ballou IS also
awaiting congressional action on the
District bill to settle definitely the
recreation question. Under the pres
ent agreement reached in confer
ence the Playground Department
would be merged with the Commu-
nifty Center Department of the
schools and under the joint control
of the Commissioners and the Board
of Education.
DR.. Ballou is holding up DISPOSE
ton of the old Force School, which
was abandoned for classroom pur-
poses this year, until the recrea-
tional situation is decided once and
for all. 1t is thought the old school
might be equipped as headquar-
tiers for the recreation organization.