Evening star., 1943-02-17
Legality Defended.

Cdii party anu Gilt bcillOSI dliC party
He quoted from both platforms at
this point.
Legality Defended.
AS TO the legality of his executive
order setting the s25,00o Cafter
taxes wartime Limitation on salaries,
Mr. Roosevelt said the Attorney
General attested to its legal status
before its issuance.
when the Act of October 2, 1942
(anti-inflation law was passed" 3"
the President said, 1T authorized me
to adjust wages or salaries whenever
I found it necessary to correct gross
inequities and also aid in the effec-
tive prosecution of the war
Pursuant to this authority,
issued an executive order in which.
among other things, it was provided
, that in order 10 correct gross in
equities and to provide for greater
equality in contributing to the war
effort, no salary should be author
lied to the extent that it exceeds
$4,000 net after the payment of
taxes Provision was made for GER
tain allowances in order to prevent
undue hardships.'
Cites Inequities.
The Presidents letter continued:
The regulation issued under this
order, with my approval. was SO
wceded that it affected only gross
salaries in excess of $1,000. the
amount of taxes due upon such sal
aries reducing them to approximate
ly s25 900 net
"I could not exercise the discre-
ton vested in me by the Congress
to adjust salaries. without finding
that it is gross ineouity in war
time to permit one man to receive
a salary in excess of $4,000 a year
while the Government is drafting
another man and requiring him to
serve with the armed forces for $500
year
Il believe it is a gross inequity for
the president of a corporation en-
gageu in the production of materials
for the Government. to receive a
salary and bonus of $500 900 a year
while the workers in the corpora ton
were denied an increase in wages
under the provisions of the law, and
my executive order.
The correction of such inequi-
ties, I believed. would aid in the
effective prosecution of the war.
Il call your attention to the fact
that the limitation of salaries was.
by the language of the order. lin
tied TO the war period. and that the
law upon which the order was based
expires June 30, 1914. and can be
continued only by the affirmative
action of the Congress
Intention Held Plain.
Wherefore, no fair argument can
be made that the limitation was
intended either by the Congress or
by the Executive TO become perma-
lnent law. TIE intention was made
plain in my original message.
then and there affirmed my belief
that this limitation should be made
in time Of this grave national dan
ger when all excess income should
go to win the war
The IS House WAYS and Means
Committee members who voted for
the Disney repeater Of the salary
order last Saturday numbered 10
Democrats and 5 Republicans
This repeater and its joined pro-
visions were made a rider to the bill
which would authorize lifting OF the
national debt limit from Sl25 ,000,-
000.0 900 to $4,000 900 900
Representative Gearhart, Repub-
lican. Of California contended the
executive order was in direct con-
travention 10 the intent Of Congress
since Congress specifically had de-
clined previously to write into law
q $4,000 (after taxes ceiling on
wartime salaries.
The debt ceiling bill. with the Dis
ney amendment attached, still rests
with the Ways and Means Commit
tee, not yet having been reported 10
the House.