Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-07-13
Teachers WAGE
Boost Awaits
Bills Signing
First Busic Increase
In II Years Will Add
$500, 900 to Checks
By DON S. WARREN.

Only the signature of President
Truman today was needed to give
the 3,400 teachers and officers Of
the Washington public schools their
first basic pay raise in 81 years
the immediate effect being to add
about 100000 to their collective
pay checks this fiscal year.
Later, when the full force of the
new and higher pay scales takes
effect as a maximum number of
the employees reach their new pay
ceilings the increase in the annual
payrolls will amount to an estimated
S1,374, 700.
Legislative action on the bill was
completed at 6:15 pm. yesterday
when the House accepted liberaliz-
ing Senate amendments, at the
recommendation of Chairman RAN
dolph of the House District Com
mittee.
Whisked Through Senate.
Earlier in the afternoon the bill
as reported from the Senate Dis
trict Committee by Chairman Bilbo
was whisked through the Senate
without an objection and with but
brief comments by Senators Bilbo
and Burton, Republicans of Ohio.
Mathematical possibilities that any
dispute over the Senate changes
which would have sent the bill to
conference between the House and
Senate with the result that action
might not be completed before the
House adjourns for the summer,
speeded final action.
Promptly after the Senate had
the bill and "messaged"
the measure back to the House, Mr..
announced he would rec
ommend acceptance of Senate
changes, and he directed that the
District committeeman be imme-
diately polled.
This was done while the House
took late afternoon recess to
await decisions on the controversial
war agencies Fair Employment
Practice Committee appropriations,
and a little later it was learned IL
District Committee members agreed
to the Senate changes and
opposed them. However, when the
test came, none of the latter took
the floor to contest the points.
Only Five Minutes Needed.
In fact, by the time the House
resumed its business shortly after
6 pm. all opposition had disap-
peared and only about five minutes
was needed to have the Senate
amendments read, explained and
gaveled into adoption by Speaker
Rayburn.
Representative Stefan, Repub-
lican, of Nebraska called for an ex-
PLANTATION, as matter of minority
party routine, but when this was
given by Mr.. Randolph. the Ne
braskan quickly agreed and with
drew MS technical reservation. Mr..
Randolph said his committee had
believed the bill it had sponsored
was flair and equitable" but that
further liberalization had been made
by the Senate, which made the
measure even more acceptable.
Washington teachers, Mr.. RAN
dolph added, have been grossly I'M
derpaid" for years and he urged ap-
proval of the further upgrading pro-
posed by the Senate.
The measure as finally passed
calls for new basic pay scales giving
increases ranging from $500 to So 300
above the 1924 levels.
Changes Adopted.
Changes made by the Senate and
adopted by the House provide an
extra 500 pay boost this year for
about 1000 teachers not yet at the
tops of their scales, while also CIV
ing 500 increment for service in
the past year and adoption of the
$500 wartime bonus, which expired
June 80, but is covered in the new
legislation.
Also, the Senate changes provide
higher pay scales than those orig
inally approved by the House for
officers and employees of the De-
partment of School Attendance and
Work Permits. In addition, they
permit employees of this department
to take a vacation this summer,
like teachers, since they are to be
placed at once on a 10-month- pay
basis.
The Presidents signature on the
bill will make it effective as of
July /.