Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-03-12
Workers Heads
Back Budgets
Pay Hike Plan
Steward Sees End
To Determinations
In Promotions

The Budget Bureau plan Tor perl
edic pay increases for executive
agency employees is designed to pre-
vent determinations in promotions
Luther C. Steward, president of the
National Federation of Federal EN-
ployes, today told the House Civil
Service Committee, which is holding
hearings on the proposal.
Chairman Ramspeck asked If 1t
were not possible, now, for the same
group of employees in any establish
ment to get raises year after year
while their associates were ignored
The N. F. F. E. head agreed this is
true. adding that employees in sight
and in mind" were more apt to get
consideration from their superiors
than the fellow behind the sun"
Then this will act as a check
against what we might call uncon-
scious partiality?' queried Mr.
Ramspeck, who has introduced bill
to carry out the Budget Bureau plan.
II don't see how it can help but
do So Mr.. Steward responded.
Stengle Backs Plan.
Under the budget plan employees
earning less than $4,000 annually
and those whose pay is not fixed by
special statute would be eligible for
pay raises at stated intervals when
their efficiency ratings justified
them.
Mr.. Steward was joined by
Charles I. Stengle, spokesman for
the American Federation of Gov
eminent Employees in advocating the
bill.
Several committee members asked
Mr.. Steward if the efficiency rating
system by which promotions would
be graded works out satisfactorily
and he said it had not been true in
the past He said steps are being
taken to improve this system of
rating the employees work and added
he believed the pay raise plan could
be equitably administered in accord
ance with the efficiency ratings.
Mr.. Steward described the plan
as an important step in the de-
velopment of proper personnel pro-
eedure in the Federal service" He
added that it carries out the origi-
nal intention of the Classification
Act"
Hoover Proposal Recalled.
The N. F. F. E. said that while
this act, which was passed in 1923,
contemplated periodic increases for
deserving workers, the intent had
never been carried out. He re-
called that President Hoover in
1880 asked Congress for funds to
raise substandard salaries, but that
the proposal was turned down.
Shortly thereafter, he continued, the
Government went into the economy
cycle and in consequence the pay
rise plan has not been followed. Mr..
Steward emphasized that the Budget
Bureau is now behind this plan and
said that it was the first time to his
knowledge that the bureau had ad-
vocated benefits for the workers.
Questioned as to whether some de-
partments had been more remiss
than others in giving promotions
within their available funds Mr..
Steward said that he hesitated to
point out the comparative short
comings of agencies. He added,
however, that lover long period of
years" the War Department had
Jagged behind other agencies in pro-
noting persons in the lower brackets.
VERY substantial" improvement is
being made in this respect, now at
the department, he added. Mr..
Steward also described the Home
Owners Corp. as "a horrible ex-
ample" in this respect in the early
days of the organization.
Sees Increased Efficiency.
Representative Beckworth, Demo-
erat, of Texas asked how many en-
ployes would be unable to meet the
standards that would entitle them to
periodic raises and Mr.. Steward re-
sponded that with proper Supervis-
ION and administration I feel that a
negligible proportion of employees
would fail to meet these standards"
Mr.. Stengle declared that from
the standpoint of the Government
itself it was important that the
pay raise system be instituted, argu-
ing that 1t would increase efficiency.
He said failure to regulate pay
standards in accordance with the
Classification Act had been weak
spot" in Government personnel
practices.
Representatives Sweeney of Ohio
and Dingell, Democrats, of Michigan
appeared before the committee to
urge that provision be made in the
bill to provide for periodic increases
for customs employees. Both Mr..
Steward and Mr.. Stengle opposed
this suggestion. however. They
pointed out that customs workers
are paid under special statute and
that if their compensation plan is to
be changed it should be done by
separate legislation.
Both of these witnesses told the
committee that inasmuch as the
Budget Bureau was committed to
this particular program that is now
embodied in the RamSpeck bill they
felt it was unwise to go outside of
the limitations which it sets.
The committee will continue its