Evening star., 1949-06-23
Truman AssaiIs
Failure 10 Raise
Top Aides Pay
Rebukes Congress in
Signing Bill Boosting
House Allowances
TRUMAN SIGNS bill providing
funds for back pay and White
House repairs. Page AS

President Truman today re-
buked Congress for falling to pass
legislation increasing the salaries
Of high-level Government officials.
He voiced the criticism in signing
q bill which gives each member of
the House an additional $4,000 for
clerk hire and $500 more for tele-
phone and telegraphic communi-
cations.
The House Civil Service Com
rnittee has approved a bill to raise
the salaries of 239 top officials.
but the measure has been tied up
In the House Rules Committee.
Almost at the same time Mr..
Truman was blasting Congress for
delaying action on the bill, the
House Civil Service group an
rounced that 1t will begin hear
ings next Tuesday on Federal pay
reclassiflcation legislation. The
Committee made its surprise de-
cision after several members had
complained over the lack of ac-
ton.
$25,000 Cabinet Pay.
The legislation to. which Mr..
Truman referred today would
raise the salaries of cabinet off,
GERS from SIS. 900 to $25, 200. The
heads of regulatory agencies. who
now generally receive $4,000,
would be raised to $4,000. Other
top officials would be raised ac-
cordingly.
The President pointed out that
the bill would cost 81 1900. 900 an
nually. as compared with ST.
$4,000 for clerk hire alone in the
measure signed today.
Important as it is for members
Of the Congress to have adequate
clerical assistance. it is at least
Of equal importance to have men
OF ability in the key executive
positions in the Government" Mr..
Truman declared In a message re-
iterating his ten-advaIiced argu-
ments on the need for better pay
to encourage efficient men to stay
In the Government.
The President declared that
"the relative salary position OF
Federal executives has become in
creasingly worse during recent
years" Cabinet officers. he said,
have had no increase since 1928.
and regulatory commissions still
get the same $4,000 they have
received for years. In this con-
nection the President pointed out
that the Federal Trade Commits
sion salary since they were fixed
at $4,000 in 1914.
Raises for Congress Mentioned.
On the contrary. the President
said, the compensation of men,
bers of Congress has been raised
until it is now approximately
$4,000 annually. or more than
double the rate Of Is years ago.
Over this same period, Mr.. Tru-
man continued. the salaries Of
Federal judges also have been SUBJ
tantially increased.
The President said he was
grateful" to Congress for increas-
ing his own salary from $4,000
to 100000 earlier this year and
at the same time giving him a
$4,000 tax-free expense allow
ance.
Nevertheless, the proposed in
creases for other officers in the
executive branch. besides result
ing in far greater public benefit
than the increase in the Presi-
dents salary. would actually do
more to improve the Presidents
personal situation than the in
crease in his own salary" he said.
"For one of the greatest burdens
OF the presidency is in finding and
keeping good men for big jobs and
under present conditions that is
o most difficult task"
Mr.. Truman stressed that Fed
eral employees below the top exec
utive level had had three in
creases since 1S45. with lower
grades getting a hike up to SO
per cent.
1.-THE salary schedules for Fed
eral employees still need revision,
and I have recommended such
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