Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-03-11
Program Urged
For Promotions
In u. ). Bureaus
Automatic Wage
Increases Asked for
Level Under $1,000

@SNOi Sh6St ~ ESSS
Declaring that undoubtedly the
Government is currently losing q
number of highly competent persons
because of the absence Of any salary
advancement plan, Harold D. Smith,
director of the Budget Bureau, testi-
fed today before the House Civil
Service Committee in behalf of a
Budget Bureau program for auto
matte pay increases throughout the
executive agencies.
The bureau program would pro-
vide scale Of increases that would
permit employees receiving less than
$4,000 annually to reach the top of
their grade in nine years and those
above $4,000 in 10 years. To qualify
for these yearly increases an en-
ploye would have to have an eff
cheney rating of good" Employees
having rating of very good" or
excellent" would have an opportu-
nifty to advance above the proposed
standard scale.
Exempt from the plan are en-
ployes getting $4,000 or more an
nually, and those whose pay is fixed
by special statute-Such as postal
workers.
Would Affect $4,000.
Mr.. Smith estimated that the plan
would open the way to advancement
of $4,000 employees in the first year.
1t was originally figured that it
would cover 100000, of whom $4,000
are in the District. On the basis of
advance forecasts now it is figured
that $4,000 employees will be af-
fected by 1912, with a corresponding
increase in the proportion locally.
The pay raise plan was mapped
by the Budget Bureau at the Sug-
gestion of the House Appropriations
Committee a year ago when the
committee denied new funds for pro-
motions and said that the matter
was one to which study should be
given in order that an overall pro-
gram could be drafted, rather than
to treat the question piecemeal year
by year.
In this connection Mr. Smith told
the committee that 1T obviously is
of very great Importance that there
be uniform approach to this prob
lem in the next fiscal year"
Increased Efficiency.
If the plan is carried out it is
proposed to seek deficiency appro-
priation. Over the full 10-year pc
Rod it has been estimated that the
net cost to the Treasury would be
IN excess of $4,000 900, but propo-
nents have argued that this would
be Offset by the reduction in turn
over and increased efficiency.
Mr.. Smith was followed by E. D.
Young. also of the Budget Bureau
and Ismar Baruch, head of the
Division of Classification of the Civil
Service Commission. Mr.. Baruch
said that the commission favored
the plan and looked upon it as an
essential supplement" to the CLASH
fcation Act of 1923. Mr.. Baruch
said that the commission believed
that this act contemplated that
employees would receive periodic in
creases, but pointed out that it had
not worked out that way.
He explained that one of the
drawbacks to proper scheme of
promotions was the so-called aver
age provision" which had been at
tached to appropriation bills since
1925. Under this provision, the
average salaries of all the en-
ployes with grade may not exceed
the average of the rate prescribed
for that grade. This, he said, had
resulted in holding down salaries.
Pay Below Average.
Mr.. Baruch said that the average
provision had been adopted by the
Appropriations Committee of the
House in the first instance to pre-
vent administrative officers from
@oAoA1A6 IAAO pay Va Oh CuIplOyCO W
the maximum of their grade. The
upShot, he continued, is that the
average pay of employees in any
grade is mot anywhere near" the
average for the rate the Classical
ton Act prescribeS for the grade.
Representative Beckworth, Demo-
crat, of Texas wanted to know if the
witness believed that under this bill
administrative officers would be re-
quired to do justice to employees and
see that they got the raises to which
they were entitled.
Il think the Technology of the bill
establishes legal right of employees
to advancement if they meet the
qualifications of the bill" responded
Mr.. Baruch.
Representative Ramspeck, Demo-
crat, of Georgia, the committee
chairman who has introduced the
bill at the request of the Budget
Bureau, plans to continue the hear