Evening star., 1945-11-08
Salary Raises Needed
In Veterans Agency,
Bradley Tells Hearing
BY JOSEPH YOUNG.

veterans Administrator Gen
Omar N. Bradley expressed feai
today that the colossal pro-
gram of aid and service to- an
estimated 100000 veterans
and their dependents faced fail
ure unless salaries of top ad-
ministrators in the agency are
substantially raised by Congress
Testifying on the Federal pay bill
before the Senate Civil Service Com
mittee. Gen. Bradley said Il am con-
vinced that higher salaries are an
absolute necessity to the rendering
of that highly efficient care which
We are obligated to give those who
have borne the battle and to their
widows and orphans. My concern is
that because of existing low-salary
schedules, ] may not be able to Sc
cure and retain the high-caliber per-
sonnel necessary to accomplish the
colossal job.
Without relief from the Con-
gress,' the general continued, II am
fearful that the Veterans Admins
tration might not be able to accom-
plish satisfactorily its full RESPONSE
bilities."
Joined by Bowles, Bait.
Gen. Bradley was joined by OPA
Administrator Chester Bowles and
William Bait, former vice president
Of the War Production Board and
now president of the SKF Industries
in Philadelphia, in urging that SAL
aries of Government officials be
raised considerably. The witnesses
also asked that salaries of average
Government employees be raised 20
per cent.
Obtaining qualified doctors is only
one part of the agency's difficulty,
Gen. Bradley told the committee.
The best executive and professional
personnel is essential to the success
full operation of the veterans agency,
he said.
i Gen. Bradley pointed out the
agency is responsible for extending
relief to veterans and the depend
ents of deceased veterans of all wars.
These responsibilities include COM
pensation, pensions, vocational re-
habilitation, education, the guaran-
tee of loans for the construction or
purchase of homes. farms and busi-
ness property, life insurance, death
benefits and many other provisions
Needs Best Personnel.
I'VE are charged with the high
responsibility of dispensing tre-
mendous sums of the taxpayers
money" Gen. Bradley said. TT is
big business and we must have the
best personnel to accomplish the
job"
Under current Government salary
levels, it is impossible to secure top
flight men from private industry, or
to retain well-qualified men now
serving the agency the committee
was told.
To emphasize his argument, Gen.
Bradley pointed out his agency has
approximately 16,500,0O0 life insur-
ance policies in force, aggregating
about $127, 1000 100000 worth of in
surance. The largest life insurance
company in the country has in force
only about one-fourth of that
amount. Yet presidents of these
large insurance companies receive
salaries as high as $125, 900 year,
compared to the $4,000 paid to the
head of the Veterans Administra-
tion's insurance division, Gen. Brad
ley said
Asks for Adjustments.
The general said he did not ex-
pect the Government to meet the
salary scale of private industry, but
some adjustment should be made sol
that men working for the Govern
ment would not have to make too
much of a financial sacrifice.
Mr.. BoWleS' testimony was in gen.