Evening star., 1948-11-07
Senators Urqe
Higher Pay for
Top U. 5. Jobs
Subcommittee Also
Proposes Increase for
D. 6. Commissioners
By J. A. OLeor

ray increases IOr Cne CaDlneC,
the District Commissioners, and
more than 200 top-ranking off,
cials of independent Government
boards were recommended unan-
imously yesterday by a three
man Senate subcommittee.
These officials, whose salaries now
range from $4,000 to $4,000 a year,
would be raised to various levels
between $4,000 and $4,000 by the
tentative draft of bill made public
last night by the subcommittee
members.
The subcommittee is composed of
Senators Flanders of Vermont and
Baldwin OF Connecticut, Republi-
cans, and O'Conor of Maryland,
Democrat. 1t plans two or three
days OF hearings in December, in
time to prepare lInal report before
the new Congress meets Jaunary 8,
In addition to Federal depart.
ment heads, the bill would raise the
salaries of the District Commission.
ers from $4,000 to $16,50o q year,
Their pay was raised from $1,000 to
$4,000 in 1945.
District Employees Left Out.
When Congress was voting a pay
increase for the rank and file Of
Federal employees last June, these
salary increases for top-ranking Of
flclals were included in the original
bill, but were eliminated before it
passed. The pay increases in the
June law were a fiat $3.50 for the
rank and file in the Federal clas-
sified service, and $3.50 each for
Postal workers.
1t was recalled yesterday nearly
all District Government employees
were left out of the general pay in
crease in June, because Congress got
into a squabble over the local sales
tax needed to raise the required
additional revenue, and failed to
pass it.
The subcommittee also indicated
on overhauling of the Federal Clas-
sification Act was in prospect. This
project, which probably would mean
general increases in the pay Of
Federal workers, is reported looked
upon favorably by members Of the
subcommittee.
It Is intended to include merger
OF the various classification groups
into one system.
In a press conference yesterday,
Senator Flanders said:
Il think we've got to find more
money for the District Government.
I don't think they (the District
workers. should be treated any diff
ferent from all the others"
Presidential Raise Urged.
Although the bill does not apply
to the President and Vice President,
Senator Flanders said he personally
thinks their salaries also should be
higher. The President gets $4,000
year and the Vice President, $20,-
600, He said that question may
come up at the hearings, but the
tentative bill is confined to ap-
pointed officials as distinguished
from those holding elected offices.
Asked if he thought the presenta-
tion OF this top-level pay bill would
give rise to suggestions for another
review of Federal salaries generally.
Senator Flanders said he could not
prophesy as to that.
In their formal statement, how
ever, the three subcommittee mem-
bers made it clear their purpose is
to keep the salary issue for depart
ment heads entirely separate from
any other changes. The statement
reads, in part:
This proposed bill should have
top priority in the Congress next
January. We want to emphasize
that other bills to strengthen the
Federal service by overhauling the
Federal Classification Act and other
personnel laws, but co-ordinated as
to pay scales with the proposed bill,
are being prepared for introduction
next January. Separate hearings
will be held later on these subjects.
However, it appears desirable to
separate the two types of pay legis-
lation in order to make possible
speedy action on a bill designed to
assist the administration in bringing
top management personnel to Wash
ington."
Flanders Cites Inequity.
In explaining the need for this
legislation, Senator Flanders said
one result of the general pay in
crease law of last June was to in
crease the pay of some subordinate
officials above the salaries of their
superiors, who got no increase. It
gave rise to instances, he said, where
subordinates who had been at the
$4,000 level were getting $3.50 more
than their bosses.
Besides cabinet officers, the cate
gories covered by the bill are: As
sistant secretaries. and undersecre-
taries Of the executive departments,
heads and assistant heads Of inde-
pendent agencies, members of In
(See PAY, Page A-6)