Evening star., 1948-07-11
Pay
Action Sought
yDirksen
Would Ruise Issue
At Special Session
Make it Retroactive

At SPecIul session
Make it Retroactive
Chairman Dirksen of the House
District Committee last night ex-
pressed hope that some way can be
found to extend quickly to District
employees the pay raise that recently
was awarded to Federal employees.
He said he was distressed" that
the pay raise was denied to District
workers in the last hours OF the
Congress. At the same time he up
held the stand taken by Chairman
Cain of the fiscal subcommittee OF
the Senate District Committee that
a city pay raise could not be granted
without the passage of the District
tax bill including sales tax that
then was pending.
He raised the possibility that a
special session of Congress might be
ordered and, If this occurs, he sug-
gested that a pay raise for city en-
ployes be passed retroactive to July
/.
On the local scene, the question
of pay raise was tied tightly to the
fate of the new city revenue bill.
The bottom of the barrel" OF city
resources was scraped to balance
the record breaking 1949 budget.
Filibustered to Death.
Senator Cain and other leaders OF
the House and Senate District Com
mittees took a stand that there
could be no wage increase for city
employees unless Congress passed
the proposed tax bill.
The tax bill was passed by the
House with only minor difficulty.
but it was filibustered to death in
the Senate by Senator Johnston.
Democrat, of South Carolina, who
maintained a sales tax would hurt
the little fellow"
With the death of the revenue
bill went the chance of pay raise
for city employees although Congress
approved a $3.50 pay raise for classi-
fed employees Of the Federal Gov
ernment.
Senator Cain already has in
struoted his staff to review the
whole fiscal problem of the District
for Senate action at the opening OF
the Congress.
May Be Last Statement.
Mr.. Dirksen. who is not standing
for reelection, yesterday issued
what may be his last pronounce
ment as chairman of the House
District Committee - barring the
possibilities of a special session.
In a statement to the press, he
said:
ITO those who have been inter-
ested in and who have devoted con-
siderable, time to the affairs Of the
District, it Is a matter of genuine
distress that the 80th Congress
completed its labors and provided
modest pay increases for Postal
workers and Federal employees gen.
orally but failed to make similar
provisions for the employees of the
District.
ct would be only natural If a
good many should be embittered
over this seeming discrimination
and no one regrets more deeply than
I that the Congress failed to pro-
vide cost-of-living increases for Dis
trict employees.
Both the House and the Senate
committees on the District were in
agreement that identical increases
should be provided for District and
Federal employees and the bill pro-
vided by the House Committee was
approved with that thought in mind.
Was Geared 10 Revenue Bill.
ITO be sure. 1t was necessary in
the interests OF a balanced budget
to gear pay raises to a revenue pro-
vision. In this particular case it was
the thought of members OF the House
and Senate committees that the pay
increase should be tied to the sales
| tax which passed the House but was
filibustered to defeat in the Senate.
Representative Bates of Massa-
chusetts, chairman of the subcom-
mittee on fiscal affairs. and Senator
Cain of Washington both made vail
ant endeavors to secure approval at
the last minute. It was regrettable
indeed that forces beyond their con-
troll and beyond the control Of the
chairman of the House and Senate
District committees brought about
the final defeat Of this revenue
measure.
Il am not advised whether there
will be an extraordinary session OF
Congress between now and Novem-
Der, but, If that should eventuate.
certainly this matter should and
will receive attention.
IF favorable action could be OBJ
tanned. it would be possible to date
back the pay increase to equalize 1t
with the increases made available
| to Federal employees"