Evening star., 1948-02-19
Rees Offers Bill
For S480 Raise
In Federal Pay.
Flanders, Baldwin
OpposeSenoteG Group:
81 900 Boost PIun
By Joseph Young

Chairman Rees of the House
Civil Service Committee today
introduced legislation providing
for $480 pay raises for Govern
ment employees.
Mr.. Rees' announced support to-
day of cost-of- living pay boosts
greatly strengthened the chances
that Federal employees will get some
kind of pay adjustment this year.
Meanwhile, the 81 900 omnibus
Government pay raise bill in the
Senate Civil Service Committee ran
into trouble as two key Republican
members of the committee, Senators
Baldwin of Connecticut and Flan-
ders, of Vermont said the $1,000
figure was too high.
Rees Bill Hearings February 25
Mr.. Rees' bill would be retroac-
tive to January l, 1948, and would
be in effect until July l, l949. Pre-
sumably, if living costs still re-
mained high by July l, 1949, addi-
tional legislation would be enacted
to extend the pay increases.
Hearings on the bill will begin
February 25, Mr. Rees announced.
Until today Mr. Rees had re-
mained silent on his attitude to-
ward pay raise legislation. His sup
port was Immediately welcomed by
Government employe groups, who
are aware that the Kansan is one of
the key Republican members in the
House. 1t is considered certain that
the full House Civil Service Com
mittee will report the measure IA
vorably.
The Rees bill also provides in
creases of 25 cents an hour for all
per diem workers. This increase,
too, would also remain effective
until July /, 1949.
Flanders Undecided on Amount.
The legislation calling for the
$1,000 pay raise was reported out
Yesterday by the Senate Civil Serv-
ice Subcommittee. Chairman LANCER
had announced that his two COL
leagues were among the sponsors OF
the legislation together with him
self and Senator Chavez. Democrat,
of New Mexico.
But, today, however, Senator
Flanders, said he was inclined to
be against $1,000 increases for all
Government employees. He said he
had understood that the bill was not
being formally approved but was
Just being submitted to the full
committee for discussion.
Senator Flanders, however, said
he thought some pay adjustment
should be made, but that he did not
know at present how much 1t
should be.
Baldwin for $500 Raise.
Senator Baldwin said he favored
an $500 raise for postal employees,
but thought wage raises for other
Government employees should be
considered separately. Senator Bald
win also objected to the fact that
the bill he and Senator Flanders
originally sponsored to raise the
salaries of top Government admin
istrators should have been Jumped
with the omnibus bill.
The whole situation is expected
to be threshed out next Tuesday
There are indicati that a COM
promise will be reached and that
The $1,000 figure will be reduced
considerably
When informed of the latest
development, Senator LANCER said
he was not Worried-that he had
enough committee support to as
sure the bills approval next week.
He said other committee members,
including Senators ODaniel, Demo-
crat. of Texas; McKellar, Democrat,
of Tennessee, and O'Conor, Demo-
crat, of Maryland, had promised
they would support the bill.
The Senate subcommittee's action
Yesterday afternoon in grouping pay
raises for all Government employees
in one bill-postal as well as non
postal Federal workers was believed
to have improved greatly the
chances of all Government en-
ployes getting a pay raise this year.
It's no secret that the various
postal unions are politically power
full, and now that Federal employees
fortunes are tied up with their
postal colleagues, it cannot help aid
ing their chances.
Helps Remove Fear.
Government employees groups had
been worried that postal workers
would get pay raises, while the rest
of the Governments workers would
be forgotten. But the omnibus pay
bill-which, incidentally, was pre-
dicted in this column a week ago
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