Evening star., 1948-06-20
By Joseph YOUNG


early today agreed on Federal
pay raise legislation giving fiat
$3.50 wage increases to all Gov
ernment classified employees.
Postal workers would be granted
an increase of $3.50 a year under
| the bill.
But the approximately 1000 Dis
trlCt government classified en-
ployes would not benefit. They had
been left out of the bill as passed
by the Senate last night through an
amendment. The Senate also re-
jected raises for upper bracket"
Government employees. including
cabinet officers.
The raise for Federal classified
employees and postal workers would
be permanent and would be effective
July !.
Immediately after reaching agree
ment on the legislation the con-
ferees rushed the measure to the
House floor In an effort to beat
the adjournment deadline.
Scale Revision Discarded.
The Senate bill passed earlier
had provided pay raises averaging
$3.50 year. 1t revised the scales
in the Federal Classification Act to
give increases ranging from $270 to
$500.
This measure. affecting 1880. 600
Government employees, more than
10000 of them in Washington, was
by unanimous vote of the Senate.
Then the measure was sent to con-
ference.
The amendment to this Senate
bill ruling out District classified
employees provided that. increases
for them should be effective only
if adequate revenues" to meet the
increased pay costs were provided.
Thus the pay raise for them was
tied to the sales tax, pending on
the Senate calendar but apparently
dead last night due to the op-
position of Senator Johnston, Demo-
crat, of South Carolina.
Oleo Repeal Move Beaten.
Senator Cain, Republican, OF
Washington, offered this amend
ment. mentioning the sales tax spe-
ciflcally. Senator Taft, Republican,
of Ohio, accepted the amendment
bu5 modified it to read adequate
revenues"
The Senate scale of pay raises had
been provided by an amendment to
extend the pay raise to all Federal
classified employees and not only the
postal workers as provided in the
House bill. II was introduced by
Senator Taft In opening discus
sion of the measure he asserted all
Government employees should get
increases and not only the postal
workers. He said living costs had
gone up 70 per cent since 1899.
Senator Fulbright, Democrat, OF
Arkansas. tried to tack on an
amendment repeating the tax on
oleomargarine. 1t was tabled on
Senator Taft's motion.
Raise for Top officials Out.
Besides increasing the salaries
of rank and file Federal employees
the Senate also had lifted the pres
ent $4,000 Federal pay ceiling to a
new high of s11,270 a year.
The conferees made this ceiling
=! s10,33O, employees receiving $4,000
also getting the $3.50 increase.
The pay raise for top Government
officials had been struck out by
the Senate after a number of Sen
ators objected. declaring that 1t was
the little fellow" who deserved the
raises more than top Federal off,
cialS.
Senator Flanders. Republican, of
Vermont, who was instrumental in
drafting the bill. pleaded in vain
that the proposed new salary rates
of $4,000, $16,500 and $4,000 for
the various agency heads and under
secretaries, together with 5000
increase for Cabinet officers, would
enable the Government to attract
and retain top flight men.
However, the Senate approved the
motion of Senator Byrd, Democrat
of Virginia, to eliminate this section
of fhe hill