Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-11
0'ConorP Pledges
State Emp|oye
Wage Bonuses
Governor Moves
To Insure Worker
Continued Service
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, Dec. 11.-State en-
ployes today had Gov. O'Conors
pledge that they will receive salary
bonuses as soon az enabling legisla-
ton can be passed by the General
Assembly after it convenes on jan
uary 6.
The Governor said virtually all
State workers, and particularly those
now receiving less than SO 1000 a year,
should be given salary increases to
insure the continued service of
State employees"
Gov. O'Conor declared he had
asked State Budget Director Walter
N. Hickman to compute the degree
to which such bonuses would cut
into Maryland's $10,000,O00 surplus
after allowing for reductions of
both the State and real estate tax
leyies.
Confer on Fiscal Problems.
He and Mr.. Hickman held a day
long conference on fiscal problems
yesterday, following which the Gov
ernor announced he would ask the
State Legislature to provide for sal
airy bonuses.
He also announced he would ask
the Legislature to shift the start of
the States fiscal year from October
to July l. thus conforming with
Federal Government practice, and
also to adopt the recommendations
OF the State Salary Standards Board
submitted to him recently.
He asserted the State income tax
would be reduced because that was
pledge of his recent successful
campaign for reelection, when he
told voters he would ask the Assembly
to reduce the State income levy by
Is per cent. He said the State real
estate tax reduction would take
about 100000 annually from the
State surplus.
Abstract Ready.
Gov. OConor said the recommen-
dalton for salary bonuses were now
in Mr. Kickman's hands in alb
stract form, adding that it had not
yet been determined how the
bonuses would be allocated, or in
what amounts.
He said one State fiscal adviser
had proposed that bonuses be paid
to all employees now earning less
than $4,000 a year, but that he was
not certain that suggestion would
be followed
That's only a good indication of
how some members of the admins
tration feel about the bonus pro-
posal," he added
He said he had instructed Mr.
Kirkman to consider, in drawing up
scale of pay increase. the length
of service of State employees.
While the Governor did not say so,
it was anticipated by capital sources
that any salary adjustments would
hold good for the duration of the
war State Employment Commits
sioner Henry G. Jones and other
State officials have repeatedly said
the State cannot hope to compete
with the Federal Government and
with private industry for the serv-
ices of many of its present employees
unless salary adjustments are made.
Fiscal Year Changes.
[ Gov. O'Conor said he favored
changing the start of the States
fiscal year to July for these four
reasons:
/. The start of the fiscal year
would be brought closer to the time
Of meeting of the Legislature, en-
abling legislators to gauge conditions
more accurately. The start of the
fiscal year would be only six months
from the convention date of the
Legislature, instead of nine months.
2. Laws passed by one session of
the Legislature usually become eff
fective in June, but there are no
funds available for enforcement
until October and no provisions
to make funds available sooner.
g. 1t is now virtually impossible to
compile final cost figures from many
State governments, as of the end of
a fiscal year, in time to draft APP
propriate legislation for the subse-
quent session of the Assembly.
4. An awkward arrangement is
necessary when the State must
match Federal funds, since the Fed
eral fiscal year begins three months
ahead of the States.