The Daily Alaska empire., 1945-07-23

Iident graded employees from obtain | ing any wage increases until they had earned sufficient raise in grade so that the difference between their old and new base salaries would ex- ceed the amount of the differen- | tial
 Fallacy In Thought MT. Blackerby today again point ed out that a fallacy in the think ing going on back in the National Capital is in the impression that before the war no one was paid a djfferential. Differentials are of long standing in Alaska--due to much
 higher costs of living here-he said.
 Payment of the differential was never considered war measure un- til action was taken by the various departments and agencies as re- suit of agreements reported by the Civil Service Commission in late 1942 and early 1943."
 He cited examples of pre-war diff ferentials existing in most agencies functicning in Alaska:
 The Alaska Native Service - from March 15, 1881 all positions in this service were allocated one grade higher than like positions in the h. dian Service in the States. All posi- tions in Alaska were reduced one grade when the full Federal 25 per cent differential policy was put into effect, on February l, 1943.
 Alaska Road Commission-In 1881 it was recognized that all positions in this agency were from one to two grades above similar positions in the States. This grade differential amounted to about 25 percent and the Civil Service Commission, on September 9, 1881, authorized con- tinuation of the grade differential. In February, 1943, grades were low cred to conform with grades of sim liar positions in the States and the 25 percent differential put into eff feet.
 Office of the Governor of Alaska All classified employees in the Gov ernor's Office were given differ ential of one grade, effective May l, 1942, to offset the high cost of living in Alaska. Effective Febru- ary l, 1943, these employees were lowered one grade to the regular classification and they were given a 25 percent salary differentia,.
 Pre- War DifferentiaIs
 Grade differentials were also in effect prior to the war in the follow ing services: Public Roads Adminis- tration, since 1924; Customs Service, since 1928: Fish and Wildlife Ser vice, since March 1, 1942 (prior to then the Alaska Game Commission had authority to sets it's own salary rates, which were put at amounts necessary to meet local competition)
 The Forest Service, since 1924, gave a differential of 25 percent with an $500 maximum) regardless of where recruited because of high CT costs of living in Alaska. In the Weather Bureau, the differentials to approximately 25 per- cent of the base pay since 1887, at Juneau and Ketchikan; with differ tials running up to 50 percent at Bethel and Barrow.
 MT. Blackeroy pointed out that in no instances was any discrimina- ton made because of recruitment in Alaska.
 Living Costs Require
 Cost of living is the very heart of cur reason for needing a differential, he stressed A comprehensive and study of cost of living in Alaska was made by the Juneau NFFE local in 1941 and more re- gently by the Bureau of Labor Sta tistics. Both show living costs in Alaska are far more than 25 percent higher than the United States aver age. At Fairbanks they were found to exceed Washington, D. c. living costs by as much at 11616 percent.
 Mir. Blackerby summarized with the following statement:
 Granting 25 percent differential to employees recruited in continen- tai United States and not to em- plcyees hired in the Territory is both highly discriminatory against Alask- ans and unthinkable from the stand point of enlightened personnel ad- It would mean that two employees, comparable in every way from the standpoint of duties, experience, living expenses, etc, would be paid different salaries de- pending upon whether they were hired in Alaska or continental United States. It would be impossible for Federal agencies to maintain effi- cient organizations under such con- ditions.
 Such action would force recruit ment in continental United States. Increasing recruitment in the States will increase labor turnover and low cr cfffrto,oo,,