Evening star., 1943-03-04
Presidents Intention
To Limit Salaries Was
Known, Gore Says
Defends Executive Order
As House Rules Group
Passes Bill for Vote
BY the Associated Press

By he Associated Press.
Strongly denying that President
Roosevelt usurped any powers in
limiting net salaries to $4,000, Rep
resentative Gore, Democrat, of Ten
nessee said yesterday the powers
were granted to Mr.. Roosevelt in
the 1912 Price Control Act and that
some members of Congress knew
the limitation order was contem-
plated even before the act was
passed.
Mr. Cores statement to the House
Rules Committee sharply conflicted
with other Representatives testi-
mony that Congress did not intend
to give the President the power and
had been led to believe no such
power would be exercised.
At the conclusion of the testimony
the committee sent to the House,
for vote next week, legislation
modifying the salary limitations.
Knew 1t Would Be Exercised.
Mr. Gore said there is no justifi-
cation for statements that Mr.
Roosevelt defied the will of Con-
gress in issuing the order of last
October limiting salaries to $25,000
annually after taxes.
II knew the authority for the
Presidents action was contained in
the Price Control Act, and I ex-
pected 1t to be exercised I might
say 1 knew it would be exercised"
ber of thes Banking and Currency
Committee which handled the 1912
act.
Il don't think the President
should be condemned because some
members misunderstood the act"
Representative Michener, Repub-
lican, of Michigan asked how Mr.
Gore knew the authority was in the
act when others believed it was not
there. The Tennessean said his
knowledge was based on a state
ment "by very distinguished"
Government official to few men,
bers of the Senate and the House.
. VIII CaIry f1gnt 10 FLOOR.
Pressed to identify this informant,
Mr.. Gore declined, adding:
There are certain gentlemen in
the Government of such importance
that I cannot quote them"
Members did not press him
further, but Representative Halleck,
Republican, of Indiana observed to
reporters later that generally speak
ing only two Government officials,
the President and the Secretary of
State, are traditionally unquotable.
Legislation to divest the President
of salary setting powers is attached
to a bill raising the national debt
limit Mr.. Gore said he will carry
to the floor his fight against the
salary rider. He assailed it as an
courageous piece of class legisla-
ton" which permits large salary in
creases for executives, but would not
deal similarly with wage-earners and
others
Order Called Confiscatory.
Representative Disney, Democrat,
Of Oklahoma, author of the salary
amendment, told the committee the
presidential order is tantamount to
"a confiscation. really liquidation"
of high salaries paid at the time the
order was issued.
Mr.. Disney's proposal would
specify that nothing in the 1912
Price Control Act could be con-
strued to allow regulations limiting
salaries to less than $4,000 annu-
ally after tax payment or to the
amount received December 7, 194l,
whichever is greater. 1t thus would
put ceiling on high salaries at the
pre-Pearl Harbor level.
Mr.. Disney argued existing con-
trolls available to the Treasury and
other agencies can prevent "unrea-
sonable" wage increases, and de-
MED his proposal would open the
flood gates to imitation"
The Disney measure was approved
recently by the Ways and Means
Committee by a 1910 vote, with
five Democrats sjoining 10 Repub-
licans in favor of it and 10 Demo-
Gratis opposing it.
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