Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-08
Rule Of Pay
Bylaw, Not
Edict, Urged
Method Of Limitotion,
Not Ceiling Itself,
Seen as Issue
BY DAVID LAWRENCE,

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
When President Roosevelt asked
the House Ways and Means Com
mittee to wait little while till he
could submit his views on their
proposal to nullify his Executive
edict limiting salaries to a net of
$4,000 an important climax was
reached in the history Of represen-
tative government in America.
The President. disregarding the
express action of Congress which
twice before rejected his point of
view. made a new law himself-a
plain act Of usurpation. If this goes
unchecked it means that the whole
American system of government has
been sacrificed on the altar of ex-
pediency. 1t means a President can
undo tax law whenever he pleases.
The idea OF stabilizing salaries at
the $4,000 level or any other level
Is not the real issue. AS a matter
Of fact, inasmuch as the limitation
now has been made, it might be
argued with considerable persuasive
ness that the stipulation should be
retained and only that the manner
Of achieving 1t be regularized.
Provides Method.
Thus, II it is desired to limit all
salaries to SIS 900 year, the simple
way to do 1t is to tax 100 per cent
the revenue over and above that
sum. That's the way to get revenue
for the Treasury anyway, a fact
which the Presidents improvised
scheme overlooked.
Congress cannot afford to upset
the $4,000 salary limitation with
out opening up 4 Pandora's box Of
troubles for the whole wage freezing
plan now in effect, and hence the
logical course available to 1t is to
put into legislative form the entire
wage-control program, including the
freezing OF wage levels along the
lines Of the Little Steel" formula.
At present this can at any time
be upset by the arbitrary action OF
an executive agency not at all re-
sponsible to Congress For this is
4 one-sided' administration, which
has insisted from the start that
wages should 60 up and that the
American people be saddled with a
time and a half overtime penalty
that has sent the costs of this war
soaring to fantastic heights. The
workers In the end will pay the bill
In higher living costs.
Congress Can Supply Solution.
The only way to solve the eco
homie. dilemmas of the country is
for Congress to take a hand and to
legtslate. The Executive has had
plenty Of power granted and has
usurped plenty of power and the re-
suit has been 4 colossal failure and
an infationary trend that is dan
gerous to the future stability Of
the home front
The Presidents failure, of course,
Il due to his advisers. He still keeps
radicals and adroit twisters of the
statutes in his encourage and then
when he gets into hole, as he
did with the CIO demand for .
ceiling on salaries, he finds 1t I'M
possible to extricate himself with
out violating . law or disregarding
Congress.
To insure against iusurpation is
much more important than to re-
move the $4,000 ceiling on salaries.
The men Of talent and ability in
the management class can endure
these prosecutions, but the coun-
try cannot endure 4 precedent
whereby anybody in the executive
department OF Government can
twist = law into any meaning de-
sired by the simple means Of calling
It regulation.
Punishment Could BE Applied.
If the citizen violates a law or
II he can be indicted and sent to
jail for . business step about the
legality Of which, especially in COM
pick economic matters, there may
BE- doubt, it would seem that every
single Government official should
also be held responsible for violating
q statute.
A simple provision calling for re-
moval from ONCE or imprisonment
for any Government ofdcial tried
and found guilty of issuing a regu-
lation In definance OF the expressed
action OF Congress, whether re-
corded in committee or by either
House, and when existing law does
not specifically permit or plainly
imply such action, would be a salu-
tary influence.
It would serve notice on the ap-
pointees Of Presidents, cabinet ON
GERS and bureaucrats generally that