Evening star., 1946-04-18
Emergency Pay
For u. 5, District
Voted by House
Workers Virtually
Assured of Wages
During Recess

Federal and District govern
ment employees were virtually as
sured of receiving their salaries
during the next few weeks, when
the House today unanimously
approved a resolution to let the
Senate write into law $181 ,00O,-
600 for salaries while the House
is on its Easter recess.
House leaders took action after
it was discovered that because Of
the Easter recess it might have
been May Is before the salaries
of thousands of Federal and Dis
trict government employees could be
paid.
Chairman Cannon of the House
Appropriations Committee today
told the House it Was a certainty
that the Senate would vote the
$181 100000 for salaries as soon
as the bill arrived in the upper
chamber.
The House was told that besides
various bureaus of the District gov
ernment, the following Federal
agencies would be in trouble be-
tween now and mid-May, if the
resolution was not passed: Civil
Service Commission, Veterans Ad-
ministration, Federal Security and
Federal Works Agencies, Agricul-
ture, Interior, Post Office, Justice,
Treasury, State and Labor Depart
ments and the Tariff and Interstate
Commerce Commissions.
The resolution covers undisputed
items In the second deficiency bill
which was passed by the House
March 27 but which has been caught
on snag in the Senate Appropria-
tions Committee.
d. C. Pay Held Up.
The additional appropriation is
needed to meet costs of the
Government pay raises granted in
legislation enacted last July. So far
this year, the higher payroll costs
nave been met out Of earlier depart
ment appropriations for this year
and in many agencies available per-
sonnef funds are almost exhausted.
Pay checks in several District di-
visions already have been held up
| for lack of funds, and others are
about to be delayed, including those
for employees at Gallinger Hospital
A series of hasty actions ensued
at the Capitol late yesterday when
word spread that many Govern
ment workers were to 60 payless
due to delay in action on the de-
ficiency bill.
/ Quick Solution Found.
Told of the situation, House Ma
jority Leader Mccormack telephoned
to. ascertain the status of the de-
fciency bill, then conferred with
Mr.. Cannon concerning the situa-
| ton.
An immediate survey Of the de.
partments was begun but was stop
ped when the Budget Bureau
requested quick passage of a simple
joint resolution to provide the fund
before the House recesses tonight
for the Easter holiday.
The resolution, offered by Chair
man Cannon, calls for s181 ,269 ,46e,
including nearly 100000 needed
for the District government. Left
out was a sum of $4,000 for the
Fair Employment Practices Commit
tee, on the theory this might provoke
blockading controversy. This was
left for determination late in the
deficiency bill
d. c. Move Dropped.
Earlier, Chairman O'Mahoney Of
the District subcommittee of the
Senate Appropriations Committee,
started move to take care of
District employees by a separate
resolution. He worked on this with
Commissioner Guy Mason and other
District officials, but abandoned
it when he heard of the overall
measure sponsored by Chairman
Cannon in the House.
THAT is even better" said Sen
ator O'Mahoney, 'but was think
ing of our municipal employees, at
/ -