Evening star., 1948-12-13
Trun1anSuggests
$4,000 Boost
In Cabinet Pay
Budget Head Proposes
Raising Presidents
SoIory to $l50,000
list of Proposed Salary
Increases on Page A-6.)

IlCo1uCIlC uIlldIl dSkGu OOIls
gress today to raise the pay Of
cabinet officers from $4,000 to
$4,000 year and to increase
salaries of other top-level Gov
ernment officials.
The Presidents views were made
known at Senate hearing by
Budget Director James E. Webb
who submitted a list of pay in
creases the President believes neces.
sary now.
Controller General Lindsay War
rem, appearing before the same sub
committee, urged that the President
and the Vice President receive SAL
ary increases, but he did not sug-
gest definite figures.
Mr.. Webb also touched on the
Presidential salary. He stressed
that he had not discussed it with
President Truman and said that
his own suggestion is that the
salary be $150,000. This is double
the present pay of the President.
The committee which is going into
the pay situation is a subcommittee
of the Senate Post Office and Civil
Service Committee and its chairman
| is Senator Flanders of Vermont.
The hearings are the result Of
growing bipartisan belief that the
salaries of top officials should be
raised so that the Government can
attract and keep top-f1ight eXecu-
tives.
Sets Cost at Sl,50O,O00.
Mr.. Webb made it clear to the
subcommittee that he was present.
ing the ideas of the President.
The subcommittee had spoken in
terms of a top of $4,000 for cabinet
salaries, but Mr.. Webb's figure was
$4,000 higher. He said the pro-
gram he outlined would cost ST.
100000 year rather than the ST..
100000 which the subcommittee had
estimated as the cost of the bill it
has prepared.
Senator O'Conor, Democrat, Of
Maryland asked Mr. Webb during
the hearing whether he would rec
ommend salary increases for Dis
trlct government employees who
missed the $3.50 average increase
given Federal employees last July /.
Mr.. Webb replied that when the
President signed the pay raise bill
last summer he said the omission
of the District employees was unfair.
Mr.. Webb added. however, that at
taching pay increase for them to
the pending bill might complicate
its passage and he said that was
something the committee would
have to decide.
Johnston Backs General Boost.
Senator Johnston, Democrat, Of
South Carolina meanwhile had an
nounced he would introduce q
measure, calling for a general pay
increase of $500 to $3.50 for Gov
ernment employees. This would take
care of the several thousand Dis
trlct employees as well as the $780,
900 Federal employees. There are
209,000 classified Federal workers
in the District area.
Mr.. Webb told the subcommittee
today that the President whole
heartedly indorses the principles
embodied in the bill which Is de-
signed to improve the highest level
of Federal service.
He believes, however, that the
rates for the positions covered in
the draft bill would be more real
istic if advanced to the maximum
level which he proposed to Con-
gress in 1945," Mr.. Webb added.
The lowest pay bracket provided
in the bill of the Flanders Sub
committee would mean a pay raise
to s16,500 for executives now re-
ceiving from $4,000 to $4,000. Mr..
Webb's schedule today called for q
bottom bracket of $17,500.
Exceptions Made by Congress.
Mr.. Webb recommended a bracket
OF $4,000 for a group of officials
including the administrators of the
Housing and Home Finance Agency
and the Federal Works Agency,
members of the Federal Reserve
Board, the Council of Economic
Advisers and the Atomic Energy
Commission; the Public Printer, the
Librarian of Congress and certain
other officials.
The chairman of the Federal Re-
serve Board, the Atomic Energy
Commission and the Council of Eco
nomic Advisers, under secretaries Of
all departments and certain other
top officials would get $22,500.
This also would be the top salary
permissible to be paid to White
House officials designated by the
President, but Mr.. Webb explained
that the salaries might be set at .
smaller figure by the President.
While cabinet members now re-
ceive $4,000 a year, most heads Of
independent agencies, boards and
commissions get $4,000.
In recent years, Congress has
made exceptions to these salaries.
For example, Economic Co-opera-
ton Administrator Paul Hoffman's
salary is $4,000. His deputy draws
(See PAY, Page A-6)
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