Evening star., 1941-07-06
Ramspeek- Bill
Passage Expected
Within 1ODays
Quick Senote Action
Likely on Uniform
Promotion Plan
BY J. A. OLEARY.

The Senate may pass the
Ramspeck- Mead uniform promotion
plan for Government employees this
week or within 10 days. according
to indications at the Capitol yes
terday.
The fact that the second def
cheney bill, which became a law
Thursday, prohibits any Within
grade promotions this fiscal year
unless Congress adopts uniform
system for advancementS. is ex-
pected to hasten passage of the
Ramspeck-Mead measure.
In adopting this temporary ban
on salary stepups in the deficiency
bill. the House Appropriations Com
mittee had in mind the prospect of
early passage of the Ramspeck-
Mead measure and merely wanted
to require all departments to. hold
in allegiance any further in-grade
promotions until the Uniform sys-
tenn can be established. The rider
in the deficiency bill specifically
states it shall cease to operate
whenever a uniform system goes
through.
Approved by the House June II,
the Ramspeck-Mead plan was re-
ported favorably by the Senate Civil
Service Committee last week. Sena-
tor Mead, Democrat, of New York
is expected to take steps tomorrow
to find out when it can be con-
sidered in the Senate.
To Cost About S5,000,000.
Designed to put an end to
haphazard promoting, with wide
creases granted in different
agencies, the bill provides:
That employees below the $4,000
salary level shall move up one step
within their respective grades of
the Classification Act each 18
months. assuming their efficiency
rating are satisfactory.
That employees above the $1,000
level would move up one step within
grade each 80 months, if they have
the required efficiency rating.
The bill states that an employe
whose rate of compensation is below
the middle rate of the grade would
be advanced on an efficiency rating
of good or better than good" If
an employe has reached or gone
above the middle rate of the grade.
further promotions would require
rating of better than good"
For the first year the uniform
system would cost about S5,000,000,
but statisticians say it would go
down gradually to an annual aver
age of about s2,900,000 over a 10
year period 1t is calculated that
about $4,000 would be eligible for
promotion the first year.
Based on Budget Bureau Survey.
The Ramspeck- Mead bill is the re-
suit of a survey the Budget Bureau
made at the request of the House
Appropriations Committee. which
disclosed inequities in he distribu-
ton of promotions from year to
year, as between different agencies
and groups of employees.
One of the reasons given by the
House Appropriations Committee
for placing a temporary ban on pro-
motions until the uniform system
is enacted was that agencies hav-
ing large sums available for ma
tional defense work might make
many within-grade promotions, if
they saw fit to do so and in that
way attract employees away from
old-line departments not in a posi-
ton to compete in salary induce
ments.
Supporters of the pending bill be-
Ieve it will not only eliminate the
inequities in the distribution of
promotions throughout the service,
but also benefit the Government by
improving morale and efficiency.
There is every indication that if
the uniform plan is enacted into law
the Appropriations Committees will
recommend the funds necessary to
carry it out. One of the difficulties
in the past has been that some de-
partments have at times had more
money available for within grade
promotions than others.