Evening star., 1945-05-06
D. {. Pay Raise
Cost Figured
MAJ Million
House Civil Service
Unit Postpones
Hearings for Week

proximately s4,500,OO0, legislator.
were advised yesterday.
At the same time, the House Civi
Service Committee decided to post.
pone for a week scheduled hearings
on the proposed legislation to in.
crease Federal pay, in order to view
the action of the corresponding Sen
ate group on a similar bill.
There was no suggestion that
municipal officials were opposed to
basic pay increase for city en-
ployes, but, as matter of account
ing, the cost was considered in con-
nection with the opening of hear
ings tomorrow on the District S
1916 supply bill.
Boost of ss,5OO,000.
In fact, should Congress decide
to continue overtime pay as well as
grant a basic pay raise for Gov
ernment workers, District officials
revealed, the additional costs would
be some $3,800,000 above the an
ticipated s4,5O0, 900 for the basic pay
raise.
These estimates of the contem-
plated base pay boost included the
overall municipal staff. The pend
ing bills would apply only to CLASH
fled" employees of the Federal and
District governments, but it was
asserted if this were granted the
same treatment would be sought for
the so-called "nonclassified" serv-
ices, which include police, fire de-
partment and school teachers.
Already awaiting final action is
the proposed pay increase for en-
ployes of the public school system,
including teachers The District
Commissioners recently approved a
plan to increase pay of such person.
mel and the language of the pro-
posed legislation now is being draft
ed by Richmond B. Keech, corpora
ton counsel.
Budget of sc Millions.
AS it now stands, the 1916 District
budget totals some s66,0000 900, but
this does not carry any funds for
the currently prevailing overtime
compensation and bonus granted as
a war need to employees With a
continuation of these measures, the
budget for the next year would run
to more than s70,00O,000, and to a
higher figure if Congress approves
basic pay raises.
Meanwhile, Representative Stefan
Republican, of Nebraska announced
he would move to incorporate in the
1946 District budget funds to draft
plans for modern home for the
psychiatric unit of Gallinger Hos
pital.
Need for such building, he said,
has been demonstrated amply in
reports by competent investigators,
and hesadded the planning of this
building should be started now so
that its construction could begin
at the earliest moment possible.
Provision of a new building, he
added, would permit the adoption of
modern methods" of treatment
now impossible because of physical
limitations of the present struc-
ture.
Pediatrics Unit.
He also urged that construction
of the proposed new Gallinger unit
for pediatrics be speeded SO that
child cases might be taken out of
the second floor of the present
psychiatric building. The appro-
priation act for this year carried
$4,000 for plans for the new pediat-
RIGS building and the pending budg-
ct proposes an outlay of some
S600,000 for construction of the
unit.
Mr.. Stefan, who revealed that
he had made five inspections of
Gallinger in recent months, also
urged that funds be provided to
hire no less than three additional
psychiatrists.
After viewing work on construc-
ton of new kitchen for Gallinger,
Mr.. Stefan said it should be lone
OF the finest in the country" but
that the budget should include addi-
tional funds for management per-
sonnel so that it would not be handi-
capped by lack of help.
Treatment of Alcoholics.
He also recommended that ar
rangements be made for the segre-
gated treatment of alcoholic pa
tients apart from those suffering
from purely mental ailments.
The Senate Civil Service Com
mittee, which concluded public
hearings on the pay bill last week,
will meet in executive session this
week in an attempt to draft it's
report.
Both Chairman Ramspeck of the
House Civil Service Committee and
Representative Jackson, Democrat,
of Washington, who heads the sub
committee that will hold the pay
hearings, now tentatively set for a
week from Monday, believe the COM
mittee will be better guided in its
proceedings once it has the Senate
groups bill before it. 1t is felt that
the legislation can be enacted more
Witty If the two civil service COM
;-'lttees agree on major provisions
G. the bill.
Want FIemming Present.
Another reason for the postpone
,ent is the desire by the House
;,-oup to have Civil Service Com
missioner Arthur S. Flemming pres
ent at all the hearings in an ad-
vlsory capacity. Since Mr.. Flem-
ming also has been invited to ap-
pear at the Senate committees ex-
ecutive sessions this week, it would
have been impossible for him to
attend the House hearings.
The bills in the House and Senate
are almost identical. The only diff
ference is that legislation sponsored
by Senator Downey, Democrat, of
California calls for a Is per cent
basic wage increase for Government
workers, while the House bill makes
no specific recommendations. It is
left to the discretion of Congress to
decide how much of an increase
Federal workers should get.
Both bills provide for regular
time-and-a-half overtime, instead
OF the present time-and- twelfth
provisions; 10 per cent differential