Evening star., 1945-11-15
PayRaise
OK d; Top Men
Facing Delay
Second Bill to Curry
$4,000 Increase Is
Ordered Prepared
BY JOSEPH YOUNG.

The Senate Civil Service Com
mittee today reported favorably
legislation raising the salaries of
Government employees by 20 per
cent. The committee deferred
action on a proposal by Presi-
dent Truman that salaries of
top flight Government officials
be increased by $4,000 annually.
Although no official vote was an
nounced on either, it was reported
the committee split, 5-3, on the 20
per cent raise.
After the result was announced,
Chairman Downey, sponsor of the
bill, said he would seek immediate
Senate enactment of the bill.
Second Bill Authorized.
Senator Downey said the commit
tee authorized him to introduce a
new bill embodying the Presidents
suggestion regarding top Federal
employees, and that further hearings
would be held on the subject. AS
requested by Mr.. Truman, salaries of
cabinet officers, members of Con-
gress, Federal judges and agency
heads would be increased by $4,000
a year. A member of the committee
said today's action is splitting the
two proposals was a compromise.
Another proposal was that two
new classification grades be added
to the civil service classifications
which would raise salaries of SCI
entists and other professional men
in Government service to $4,000 a
year.
Outcome Of the 20 per cent pay
increase measure had been in doubt
with a group headed by Senator
Byrd, Democrat, of Virginia IA
voring a delay in consideration OF
the legislation until next spring
Grouped with Senator Byrd in ask
ing that action be delayed were
Senator Hickenlooper, Democrat, o1
Iowa and Senator Hart, Republican
OF Connecticut.
Byrd Favors Per Cent.
After today's vote was announced
Senator Byrd, in reply to a re.
porters question, said that :
per cent boost was all he thought
IGovernment employees were entitled
to at this time.
Backing Senator DoWney in op.
posing delay were Senators Meade
Democrat, of New York; Taylor
Democrat, of Idaho; Aiken, Repub-
lican, of Vermont and Senator
LANCER. Republican, of North Da-
kota.
While these Senators favored the
20 per cent provision, there was a
wide difference of opinion among
them regarding the advisability of
granting $4,000 annual increases to
members of Congress and other i'm
portant Government officials.
| Senator Downey agreed that ad-
ditional hearings should be held and
further statistics obtained before
taking action on this proposal.
| Affects Classification Employees.
All Government employees whose
salaries are fixed by the Classifica-
ton Act come under the provision
Of Senator Downey's bill.
Legislative employees will receive
only a 10 per cent increase under
the bill. This results from the 10
per cent increase over their basic
salaries in lieu of overtime which
they were granted under last Julys
Federal pay bill. The 10 per cent
boost in the present bill will bring
them to parity with other Govern
ment employees.
In July, Government employees
were granted an overall basic wage
increase Of 1873 per cent, plus time
and half overtime payment, to
help meet the increased cost of liv-
ing. The return to 40-hour Gov
ernment week at the end of the
war, however, wiped out most of the
take home" pay increase.
Senator Downey then introduced
a bill "to enable Government en-
ployes to meet the increased cost OF
living since 1941."
Several similar bills have been
introduced in the House, but ad-
ministration leaders there have not
yet acted on the measures. It is
considered likely that no House ac-
ton will be taken until Senate
passage of the bill.