Evening star., 1945-11-28

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vastly to the cost of Government
at time when retrenchment il
more vital than ever before in oul
history.
It is amazing that at this critica
period any Senator should be ST
oblivious to the national danger il
his proposals. Mr.. Downey want!
not only to increase the base pay
of all Federal employees 20 per cen
but, in addition, he proposes to in
crease the heads of bureaus ant
agencies from $4,000 to $4,000, tht
heads of departments from SIS, 5,00'
to $25 900, the salaries of Congress
men and Senators from $4,000 tt
$4,000 plus $2,500 additional foI
expenses, and the salaries of Fed
eral judges not less than 100 pc
cent.
Would Add Billion to Budget.
It is estimated that should ths
Downey bill become law more thar
a S1,0O0000,00 annually would b'
added to Government costs.
1t is true that there are somt
Federal employees who are under
paid, and perhaps among then
members of Congress, though the
shocking record of absenteeisn
which they are making at this ses'
sion certainly detracts from the IA
yorable arguments.
But to propose such blanket
billion dollar increase, as Senator
DoWney has done, and at a TINT
when the President is urging re-
duction in governmental size anc
cost, is as hard to defend as it Is
to understand-particularly wher
IS per cent basic increase in al
Government salaries was made q
little more than four months ago
Should the Downey ideas prevail
the increase would be approximately
45 per cent since 1941, though Off
cial figures show the cost of living
has risen in that period only 81
per cent.
Byrd Seeking Economy.
AS to Senator DoWney's method!
they are best described by Senator
Byrd, Democrat, of Virginia, s
member of the Civil Service Com.
mittee, of which the Californian
is chairman. Believing that if Con.
gress is asS Sed again to increase
salaries the question of reducing
the personnel of Government bu
reaus is pertinent and important
Senator Byrd, in attendance upo1
the hearings, requested permission
to call certain heads of agencies tt
see what is being done or can b,
done in that direction
Senator Byrd told the Senate thai
he understood Senator DoWney tC
agree But the next morning, by USE
of proxies in the hands of Chair
man DoWney, the Byrd motion was
defeated. Senator Byrd asserted
that this arbitrary refusal of the
chairman to permit member of
his committee to have witnesses
examined in important legislation
is unprecedented in Senate history
and justified his refusal to partici-
pave LII t11S1 AL viz W "
ceedings
With absentee members playing
into his hands, Senator Downey, Mr.
Byrd said, has collected enough
proxies to control the committee
and report his bill
People Should Consider Bill.
Senator Byrd, willing to consider
reasonable bill and anxious to dt
full justice to the civilian personne
of the Government, soundly hold
that this bill will raise the cost O
living, render more difficult the ter
rife task of regaining control o
Federal finances; stimulate furthe
wage demands on private industr
and speed up toward a ruinous in
f1ation. 1t is not easy to see hoy
these charges can be refused.
At any rate the facts about thi
effort to add a billion dollars to tn
payroll of the Nation while it strug
giles under an almost unmanageabl
debt should be considered by tn