Evening star., 1948-12-14
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hSU 4nuAoc4 O1cL u pay ClldIt pro-
posal.
The subcommittee has proposed a
scale Of $4,000 to $4,000 instead of
the present scale Of $4,000 to SIS, 600
but President Truman has advocated
q scale of s17,5OO to $25 900.
He said a body of good admins
traitors could be built up only II
people Of unusual ability can be at
tracted and held. Government
cannot offer the rewards of private
life, he said, but 1t should give COM
forts, the possibility of saving and
an opportunity for an official to take
care of his family.
He said that since World War II
3,500,000 employees have left Gov
ernment service while in the same
period 2,500,000 have been engaged.
He said the cost of that turnover
runs literally to tens of millions of
dollars.
He told the committee that the
pay OF Government workers in lower
brackets has been increased sub
stantially, but the failure to increase
the upper brackets has resulted in
the constantly depicting of the best
administrative skill"
One result of the present salary
setup, he said. "is to leave use with
q mass of dead wood. I'don't know
how many of them there are, but
there are a great many"
In reply to a question by Senator
OConor, Democrat, of Maryland,
MIR. Hoover said many municipali-
ties today are paying $4,000 to
their permanent civil employees and
that the Federal Government must
"think along these terms now"
He said the Government should
develop a group of administrators
OF exceptional ability who could be
moved from one agency to another.
He cited the case of a man he
described as possibly the ablest
chemist in the Agriculture Depart
ment whose salary was $4,000 and
who had the problem of educating
six children. He said this man was
offered $4,000 and felt he had
TO take it.
If he had been offered $4,000 or
even $4,000 he probably would have
remained in the Agriculture Depart
ment because of his devotion to the
work, Mr.. Hoover said.
II believe it will probably be nee
essary to make increases all along
the line" Mr.. Hoover said. He
added, with smile, probably Sen
ators and Representatives"
Senator Flanders announced as
the hearings ended, that it is
planned to have a bill ready for
the first session of the coming Con-
gress. He declared that a good
case" has been made for a pay
scale higher than the one the COM
mittee had projected originally.
No Appreciable Opposition.
He said the subcommittee has re-
eeived letters from individuals op-
posing the pay increases, but that
If any appreciable opposition existed
1t had been silent so far.
Both Mr.. Stevenson and MIR.
Ramspeck, who testified today, are
members of Mr.. Hoover's Reorgahi-
zation Commission. Mr.. Stevenson
is a specialist on personnel matters
and told the committee that his
group has almost adopted" the sal
airy scale suggested yesterday by
Budget Director Webb
Tentative recommendation of his
group, Mr.. Stevenson said, call for:
A 0,000-a-year salary for the
President, $4,000 for. the Vice
President, $4,000 for the Chief JUS
tice of the United States, $4,000
for members of Congress, $25 5O0(
for cabinet officers and the Speaker
of the House. $4,000 for undersec.
retaries and S17,500 for Assistant
Secretaries and heads of board!
and commissions.
He said it would be completely
tustiflable" to increase the Presi'
dents expense account to $50,000 &
year or more.
O'Conor Favors 100000.
Senator O'Conor, said he favor
giving the President 100000 yea
plus a $50,000 expense account.
He said he would press for earl,
action on salary increases for tn
President and Vice President. HI
did not anticipate any tight owe
these, although he, said there ma.
be disagreement over the pay raise
for cabinet members and other pol
icy making officers.
Several witnesses appeared befor
the committee yesterday Afternoon
supporting various aspects of tn
pay bill. They were William c
Doherty. president of the Nationa
Association of Letter Carriers an,
vice president of the AFL; Ro
Edean, vice president of the Unitet
Public Workers of America (CIO)
Z. C. Hallbeck, representing tn
National Federation of Post Ofic
Clerks, and Willism Armbrust
president of the United Nationa
Association Postal Clerks.