Evening star., 1945-04-26
.769 Millions Set
As Cost Of u. ).
Pay Increase
Byrd Tells Hearing
He Fovors FIut
IS Pet. Roise
BY JOSEPH YOUNG.

The proposed pay increase legts.
lation for Government employees
would result in an annual Is per
cent Federal payroll increase of ap-
proximately $768. 800 900, the Senate
Civil Service Committee was in.
formed today.
Appearing before the committee
headed by Chairman Downey, Edgar
Young. administrative analyst of the
Budget Bureau, said this figure
would include the granting OF a fiat
IS per cent base pay increase, time
and-a-half overtime, a 10 per cent
differential for night employees and
within-grade promotions. Mr.. Young
pointed out, however, that the end
OF the war in Europe would result in
drastically reduced overtime in
many Government agencies and
consequently reduce the cost Of the
bill
Byrd Favors Increase.
At one point during todays hear
ing, Senator Byrd, Democrat, of
Virginia, who has led the fight to
curtail Federal expenditures, said
he was strongly in favor" of the Is
per cent increase provision, but de-
clared he objected to the other pro-
visions contained in the bill.
If you just leave the Is per cent
increase, you might get Congress to
pass it," Senator Byrd told Senator
Downey, Democrat, of California,
who introduced the legislation, but
Congress will never pass it in this
FORM
1T might be feasible to press for
the Is per cent increase and let the
overtime provisions go until next
year, Senator Downey replied.
To Drop Overtime.
Civil Service Commissioner Arthur
s. Flemming pointed out that pres
ent time-and-a-twelfth overtime
provisions expire June 80 He also
pointed out that many per diem
Government employees are now re-
celvlng time and half, in contrast
to the 100000 Federal workers who
come under the Federal Classifica-
tion Act. Under questioning BY
Senator Byrd, both Mr.. Young and
Mr.. Flemming expressed the belief
that overtime would be drastically
eliminated after We day and that
most Federal bureaus will return to
the 40-hour week when the war with
Japan is over.
Sterilization Director William H.
Davis appeared before the COM
mlttee and said he was in favor of
wage adjustments for Federal en-
| ployes
Not to give Government workers
wage increases as provided by the
Little Steel formula, Mr.. Davis said.
would be as unjust as granting them
an increase over the national
formula.
1 am not being sentimental when
I say this" the witness said. 1T is
just part of the sterilization pro-
gram. am not afraid of the stabil-
lzatlon program SO long as we
have definite rules and we stick to
them and make no exceptions
Suggests Eight Cents.
Mr.. Davis said, however, that he
was opposed to the 10 per cent night
dlf1erential provision of the bill. He
said granting the differential might
cause "fussing" between workers in
different shifts who might also ask
Tor increases. He suggested 8 cents
an hour as a more equitable figure.
The committee was requested by
Mr.. Davis to send its findings on
the measure to the War Labor Board
for final approval. Here Mr.. Flem-
ming interposed and said that
George Taylor, chairman of the
War Labor Board, already had given
his approval to the proposed Is
per cent increase.
In submitting his estimates of
Federal expenditures if the pay bill
is passed, Mr.. Young pointed out
that the cost for overtime would
vary, depending on whether the IS
per cent wage increase were passed.
In that event, increase in overtime
payments would amount to $780,
100000. Should Congress refuse to
change the present wage rate and
pass only time and a half legisla-
ton, the overtime cost would be
$252, ,0O0, 900.
A fiat is per cent wage increase
would cost the Government an ad-
ditional $372,800,0O0 annually, he
said.