Evening star., 1943-03-02
Prompt House
Action Pledged
On Po|icePaY
Burton Measure
Passed in Senate
BY Close Roll Call

OO9S0 III 0SbB0NS
BY Close Roll Call
Chairman Randolph of the House
District Committee today promised
prompt action on pay increases for
policemen, flremen and school,
teachers.
The bill, which passed the Senate
late yesterday. will be considered at
a meeting OF the House District
Committee at 10:30 am. Friday,
Chairman Randolph said. Several
members of the committee have
amendments which they intend to
offer to the bill as 1t passed the
Senate, but Mr.. Randolph hopes to
get favorable report on the meas
ure.
At the committee meeting Friday
Mr.. Randolph expects to complete
the makeup Of subcommittee and
to determine method of procedure
for the committee for the rest OF
the session.
Other pending legislation on which
he hopes the committee may take
early action are unemployment COM
pensation, birth registration and
working hours for women in the
District.
BY fairly close roll call votes the
Senate yesterday adopted the pay
rates advocated by Senator Burton.
Republican. of Ohio in his minority
report in place Of the more liberal
increases in the McCarran bills,
recommended by the committee.
The Burton proposal for police
men and f1remen, which carried. 40
to 81. provides an increase In the
entrance pay from $1,000 to $4,000,
an increase Of $40 each year for
Ave years instead of the present
boost OF 500 year; privates with
five years OF service get Immediately
$500 increase from 81 400 to 81, 700,
and officers up to and including
captains get q $500 increase.
Boost for Teachers.
The Burton plan for teachers,
which went through, 80 to "a, gives
the teachers fiat 10 per cent on
that part of salary not in excess
of $4,000. the same as was given in
December to other civilian employees
whose hours cannot be counted for
overtime.
Both bills date back to December
l, 1912, but the teachers increase
would run only until April 30, while
the police-flre raises would con-
tinue until the end of the war.
During three hours of debate
Senator McCarran pleaded for
adoption of the committee bills,
which would have given a nat in
crease of $3.50 year to all police
men, firemen and teachers during
the war period. There was no op-
position In the Senate to final pas
sage Of some increase for the three
groups, who were not covered by the
general pay legislation of December.
The roll call votes represented only
the division Of opinion as between
the Burton and McCarran rates.
Senator McCarran argued the
larger INCREASES were justified By 4
higher level OF living costs in Wash
ington than in comparable cities. -
Senator Burton had the Commls-
sioners on his side. In a letter
dated February they expressed a
preference for the substitute rates,
finally adopted. The Ohio Senator
took the position the McCarran
rates would be out of line with what
Congress has done In the case OF
Federal personnel and other civilian
employees of the District In the gen.
eral pay law. which expires April 30.
Representative Randolph said to-
day he would call a meeting of the
House committee this week to con-
slider the Senate's action. The
committee will decide then whether
hearings are necessary. Although
Chairman Randolph will urge
prompt action, it is understood he
has made no commitments as be-
tween the Burton and McCarran
rates.
The teachers bill is limited to
April 80, on the theory that further
study will be given a more compre-
hensiye pay plan for them, as is
now being done by the Civil Service
Committees for Government work
ers generally.
Raps Commissioners.
During yesterdays debate Senator
McCarran criticized the Commits
sioners sharply for their position on
the police-flre pay bills. He said
that last year they opposed the pay
rates which they are now tndorsing
in the Burton substitute. At an
other point in the debate Senator
McCarran asserted that "the Dis
trict Commissioners will be opposed
to every proposal for an increase
that comes here from men who toll,
but they will not oppose a raise in
their own setup, and mark my words
as to that"
Those who pound the sidewalks
and go out to answer calls in the
Fire Department they will oppose,
Senator McCarran continued, but
they will not oppose anything that
augments their own power. Power
is funny thing, and 1t is just as
funny in the District of Columbia
as elsewhere.
Senator Burton. supported ny
Senator Byrd. Democrat, OF Vir-
ginia. contended, however, that the
police fire measure adopted yester-
day presented a different picture
from the situation when the Com
missioners opposed 1t last year.
A year ago, Senator Burton ar
gued, the same rates of increase for
policemen and 1lremen were pro-
posed at time when raises were
not in sight for any other munich
pal employees. District officials at
that time did not want two groups
of municipal EN- ployes singled out
for increases. Senator Burton said
Since then, he said. all other mu-
nicipal emnlnves have had an iy,.