Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-01
35% Of District
Pay Staggered,
Officials Find
Hozen and Kutz Soy
Discovery Lessons
Need for Action

the District Commissioners, who
have expressed a willingness to adopt
a system Of staggered paydays for
municipal government employees to
help relieve payday congestion in
banks and stores. yesterday dis
covered the District already has a
partially-staggered system in opera
ton.
Figures made public by Maj. James
r. Lusby, District disbursing ofiicer.
disclosed that approximately IS per
cent Of total of 50 ,332, 900 expended
each month in salaries. pensions and
relief checks is paid out on stag
gered basis.
The District makes about $4,000
payments each month, including
those to police and fire pensioners
and relief clients. Mai. Lusby said.
Approximately 15,000-nearly so
percent-of these payments are dis
bursed on days other than the trsdi-
tional Government paydayS on the
IS and last day of each month, ths
disbursing officer said.
This disclosure threw a new light
on the staggered payday question,
and both Commissioner Melvin c,
Hazen and Engineer Commissioner
Charles w. Kutz expressed belief
that 1t lessons the need for any &C.
ton at the present time on further
staggering the paydays of munici-
pal employees.
Hazen Likes Present System.
Il think We have a pretty good
system in effect now" said Commits
sioner HaZen.
Commissioner John Russell Young,
who first proposed adoption of a
staggered payday plan to the Board
OF Commissioners, could not be
reached for comment Yesterday.
Maj. Lusby told reporters the par
tally staggered system has been in
effect for 20 years.
1t was pointed out, however, that
while almost so per cent of the
monthly payments are disbursed on
a staggered basis they represent
only about 1892 ,000-or approxi-
mately one-third-of the 1882 900
total expended by the municipal
government each month.
This group includes institutional
employees, per diem workers, police
and fire pension payments and
checks to relief clients.
The greater portion of the month";
ly total still is paid out on the ira
ditional 18th and last day of each
month. This group includes APP
proximately $500 employees, includ-
ing l,400 District Building employees,
who are paid in cash. 4,200 police
and firemen and 5000 school teach-
ers, who receive their annual sale
aries in 10 monthly payments, the
payments being made on the last
day of each month.
Receive s1,150.e0O.
OF the total monthly pay roll,
these $500 employees receive ap.
proximately s1,500O0O.
Among the per diem workers. IS
in the trees and parking unit are
paid on the first and third Tues
days of each month, SOB in the Wa
ter Department on the first and
third Wednesdays. $50 in the street
I cleaning division on the first and
third Thursdays. 446 in the Sewer
Department on the first and third
/ Fridays, 400 in the ash and trash
unit on the second and fourth
Wednesdays and 525 in the High
way Department on the second and
fourth Fridays
Approximately 2,700 employees IN
District government institutions re-
ceive their checks on the LIST and
18th of each month, and 1.l50 police
and fire pensioners get their checks
on the 4th and 18th of Zach month.
In the public assistance field. 5000
relief checks are mailed on the first
| dav of the month. and 5000 on the
| 18th: TOO checks for home care are
mailed on the 4th and again on the
10Th, and child welfare relief checks
are mailed on the 18th and 18th.
The Commissioners some time ago
informally approved a system of
staggered pay days for District gov.
eminent workers. but said at that
time that they would wait for Federal
Government action on staggering
Federal paydays before issuing any
orders.
Subsequently Corporation Counsel
Richmond B. Keech informed the
Commissioners that no legislation
would be needed to make a stag
gered system apply to all District
employees except teachers and
! librarians