Evening star., 1942-06-03
Pay Bill Would
Benefit $4,000
U. 5. Workers
Duration Bonus
Move Is Opposed
By Budget Bureau
BY ]. A. FOX.

Approximately 726.000 Federal
employees would benefit under the
administration plan to pay overtime
at the rate of time and one-half
for more than 40 hours work, Edgar
B. Young, personnel officer of the
Budget Bureau today told the House
Civil Service Committee as the hear
ing on wartime pay legislation con-
tinued.
The legislation is designed pri-
marily to aid the white collar"
groups which never have been COM
pensated for extra work.
Cost Put at Sill 100000.
The average" pay of those who
would benefit is $1,000. Mr.. Young
explained. He reported that the cost
is estimated at $171 10000 the fig
ure furnished when the hearing
stated yesterday. Mr.. Young also
said the Budget Bureau is opposed to
bill sponsored by Government
unions generally to give all Govern
ment employees $500 bonus an
nually for the duration of the war.
The measure Is being urged Wig
srously by postal groups which would
benefit less under the overtime bill.
Mr.. Young said the fiat payment
an addition to basic rates-would
not cure the ineouities at which the
administration bill is aimed-to pro-
vide for uniformity in overtime pay
ments. At present overtime is paid
in about half of the Government
service. The bonus payment also
would be in conflict with the admin
istration program for stabilizing
wage rates and warding off inf1a-
ton, he added
4S-Hour Week Seen Fixed.
About 90 per cent of the Govern
ment service now is on a 44-hour
week. and War and Navy are work.
ing 48 hours and Mr.. Young said
he believed there would be a uni
form tendency to fix the working
hours at 48.
Chairman Ramspeck asked if it
would be the Budget Bureau policy
to reduce staffS" in those agencies
where inauguration of the longer
work week created a surplus of
personnel.
ut probably would be, but we
have not decided on that" the
Budget official answered. He re-
iterated, however, that the Gov
ernment was going to have to make
the fullest use of the dwindling sup
ply of civilian manpower.
II don't see how we can meet the
manpower needs of this Government
by working A hours" he said at one
juncture.
Asked by r. E. Rees. Republican.
of Kansas if he thought the work
week should 60 over 48 hours, Mr..
Young said he was not ready to
pass on that point.
You have to be careful not to
work too long" he continued, be
cause you don't want to decrease
efficiency by cumulative fatigue"
He recalled that England had gone
on long work hours after Dunkerque,
but later returned to a modified
program because it was found that
efficiency was being reduced.
Chairman Ramspeck asked how
the Budget Bureau would view an
amendent to the bill setting the
minimum work week at A hours to
insure that all employees would par
ticipate in the overtime pay. When
the witness replied that he could
not answer that question off-hand,
Mr.. Ramspeck asked that study" be
given to that point.
On the general subject of working
hours, Mr.. Young insisted that the
bill should be flexible enough to per-
NIT the several agencies to arrange
their hours to suit their needs. 9th
erwise, he said, he feared complica-
tions. For that reason, he said, the
bureau would be opposed to setting
an arbitrary 48-hour standard in the
bill.
$4,000 Won't Qualify.
The witness told the committee
that approximately 10000 employees
could not qualify for overtime under
the bill. these including the brackets
above the $4,000 ceiling applied by
the measure, and such postal service
classes as rural carriers, special de-
livery messengers and clerks in
third-class. He advocated special
legislation to care for these. but re-
fused to express an opinion as to the
form it should take. Certain postal
employees now getting overtime at
the straight-time rate would get
time -and-a a-half under the bill.
In urging the need for overtime
compensation, Mr.. Young pointed
to the IS per cent increase in living
costs since the war started in 1889,
but said that the pay of salaried
employees in the Government had
remained stationary. At the same
time, he continued, wage rates in
industry have gone up At per cent.