Evening star., 1942-05-23
$50 Minimum
Voted by House
Is Rejected
Plan for Government
To Poy Half Of War
Risk Leeds to Cut
Earlier Story on Page A-3.)
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

House and Senate conferees
today agreed to raise the en-
trance pay of men in the fight
ing forces from s21 to s42 a
month, rejecting the $50 mini
mum voted by the House.
For first-class privates and Sec
ond-class Seamen the conferees also
took the Senate scale of s48 instead
of the House s54 proposal.
Senator johnson, Democrat, Of
Colorado explained that in rejecting
the $50 pay level for privates. the
conferees had in mind the fact that
in the separate bill now being
drafted for family allowances a
Senate subcommittee has recon-
mended that the Government pay
half the cost of the soldiers war
risk insurance.
At present this insurance is op-
tional, but if taken out the soldier
or sailor pays the full premium Of
s6.37. Under the proposed change
the insurance would be mandatory,
with the Government and the soldier
each paying about 1925. Conferees
pointed out if this goes through it
would be equivalent to a further
pay increase Of S325.
Increase for Foreign Service.
The pay bill also still provides
for 20 per cent increase for mill
tary service outside the continental
United States.
The House and Senate already
were in agreement on the increases
for other levels up to master ser
geant and petty officer, as follows:
Corporal and frst-class seamen,
from S54 to S66 a month.
Sergeant and third-class petty
officer, $50 to s78.
Staff sergeant and petty officer,
second class. from s72 to sos.
First, or technical sergeant, and
petty officer first class, from s84
to STA.
Acting chief petty officer in the
Navy or Coast Guard. s99 to SIPS.
Master sergeant and chief petty
officer, from $126 to s133.
The bill, which adjusts the paw
rates of the Coast and Geodetic
Survey and Public Health Service
along with the Army, Navy. Ma
rine Corps and Coast Guard. is
estimated to cost S285 900, 900, but
with the higher House rates for
privates it would have been SITS
100000 more. These figures were
based on the size of the military
establishment as of January.
The conferees retained the sub
stance of the Faddis amendment,
requiring the War and Navy De-
partments to report to Congress
every so days the names of all per-
sons given commissions without prior
military training. but struck out
language declaring such commits
sions could only be given when mill
tary necessity requires the service
of persons with technical qualifica-
tions.
Offer Special Allowances.
The Navy and Marine Corps are
permitted to offer special re-enlist-
ment allowances ranging from SIS
to 5000, depending on length OF serv-
ice in various ranks. and under
existing law the Navy Department
may double these allowances. The
conferees retained the payment Of
such an allowance, but without the
doubling feature. The allowances
are limited to the Navy on the
ground that when the war is over
it will be more important to en-
courage retention of personnel to
man the two-ocean Navy.
The conference agreement is ex-
pected to be ratified by the House
and Senate early next week. The
House passed the bill with the $50
rate by a vote of 359 to l, but it is
expected it will accept the confer
ence report.