Evening star., 1948-05-27
The Federal Spotlight
Medical Care for u. S. Workers
Wins First Major Test in House
By Joseph Young

N Young
It health clinics and on-the-job
es has won its first major test in
littee.
pproving the continuation OF the
mic in Denver Is being hailed by
ing 1t most difficult for Federal
employees" he asserted.
Meanwhile. Congress is still dilly-
dallying on the situation. It's now
beginning to look as If Congress Will
wait until the last possible minute
before taking action-if it takes any
action at all. Pay raise sponsors
still believe pay bill will be enacted
before Congress goes home, but they
are no longer quite as confident as
they were several weeks ago.
ECONOMY-H. P. Caemmerer,
secretary of the Commission OF Fine
Arts, was testifyins recently before
the House Appropriations Com
mittee on the commissions l949
budget requests The following col
loquy resulted among Mr.. Caem-
merer and Representatives Jensen.
Republican, OF Iowa, chairman OF
the subcommittee, and Norrell
Democrat, of Arkansas.
Mr.. Norren: II want to congratu-
late you for coming before this
committee without asking for addi-
tional personnel"
Mr.. Caemmerer: Thank you"
Mr.. Norrell: II think that is very
unusual"
Mr.. Caemmerer: I'VE work hard" {"
Mr.. Jensen: You say we work
hard
Mr.. Caemmerer: THE whole
commission"
Mr.. Jensen: You and your staff
comprise how many people?"
Mr.. Caemmerer: Myself and the
messenger. / work day and night.
The messenger gets $1,756, and is
entitled to a $50 raise"
| WORTHY BILL-Representative
Lanham, Democrat, OF Georgia, has
introduced q meritorious measure
affecting Federal and District Gov
ernment employees who are men,
bers in the Reserve Corps Of the
Army and Air Force.
At present, when these employees
are ordered on duty for training
or instruction, they must use their
annual leave. Or If they haven't
any accrued annual leave they
don't get any pay for the time they
are away from their jobs.
Mr.. Lanham's bill would assure
their regular Government pay
while they are in training without
affecting annual leave. In sponsor
ing the measure Mr.. Lanham point
ed out that Federal employees who
are members of other armed serv-
ices reserve components are entitled
to IS days military leave without
loss Of pay or without having to
charge 1t to annual leave. He feels
that Army and Air Force reservists
deserve the same consideration.
| SNAG-The Senate-approved bill
to permit former Government en-
ployes with less than 20 years of
service to withdraw their retirement
money has incurred the stubborn
opposition of the Civil Service Com
mission.
Consequently, the measure doesn't
appear to have very much chance, at
the moment, of securing House Civil
Service Committee approval. The
committee apparently is going along
with the commission on the matter
The commissions opposition to
the bill Is unrealistic and incon-
sistent. Under the new retirement
law. present Government employees
with less than 40 years of service
have the right to take seut their
retirement money II they want to-
But the commission wants to deny
this same privilege to former Fed
eral employees. many of whom are
unemployed or incapacitated and
who need their money now to live.
The commission. with its usual
paternalistic attitude in retirement
matters, says it will be much better
for these employees if they leave the
money in until the regular retire.
ment age of so or 81, when they will
become eligible for full annuities.
That's fine. but what are some of
these people going to live on until
they reach the retirement age?
CAPITAL KOUNDUP-Chsir irman
Rees Of the House Civil Service
Committee has introduced legisla-
ton to add 10 professional and
scientific jobs In the National Ad-
visory Committee for Aeronautics.
The National Association OF
Letter Carriers Is giving q testi-
monial dinner next month for the
members and the STATS of the House
and Senate Civil Service Commit
tees. The affair will be held at 7:30
pm. June Q, at the Hotel Hamilton.
=. The dissident right-wing faction
that broke from the C1O United
Public Workers Of America to start
its own union plans to concentrate
its membership drive among the
more than zoo, 900 Government en-
ployes in Washington, most of whom
are unorganized. The new organ
ization, incidentally, in all likelihood
will be affiliated with the CIO Ship
builders Union and will stress as its
chief selling point adherence to
progressive CIO policies" Sen
ator Chavez. Democrat, of New
Mexico. has ofiicially left the Senate
Civil Service Committee to become
q member of the Appropriations
Committee. Senator Chavez, how
ever, says he will continue to take q
keen interest in Government en-
ployes legislation. e. About 50 In
terror Department employees engaged
in personnel work face the ak unless
the Senate restores the money cuts
made by the House Appropriations
Committee. Also, about so Bureau