Evening star., 1949-07-09
HouseCuts Out
D. {. in Passinq
Top Pay Bill
Would Raise Hoover
To S17,500, Cabinet
Members to SIS, 900

members TO SZo,UUU
Most Government officials OF
the upper brackets will get sub
stantial salary increases, If the
Senate follows the House action
of yesterday, but the District
Commissioners will have to be con.
tent with their present $1o,33r
annual pay.
The executives pay bill was
passed in the House on q voice
vote yesterday. but not before the
proposed $4,000 increase for the
Commissioners was deleted.
Representative Hays. Democrat
of Ohio moved that the raise be
stricken out of the bill. He said
one argument in favor of increas.
ing the pay of top Federal Off
cials had been that most of them
we're obliged to move to the Dis
trict from homes elsewhere.
But the Commissioners are
residents of the District" he said
Similar officials in Cleveland
get $4,000 a year: in Pittsburgh
$4,000, and in Cincinnati, $4,000
he said.
S17,500 for Hoover.
No one spoke in defense of the
Commissioners raise. and Mr.
Hays motion was passed, 1872 to
48. on a standing vote.
The proposed $1,000 raise for
FBI Director John Edgar Hoover,
on the other hand, was considered
too little. The amount was in
creased to $4,000, so that Mr..
Hoover would get $17,500 instead
of his present $4,000.
The Commissioners benefited by
the recent $3.50 pay raise for Dis
trict classified employees. which
was made retroactive to last
July /.
The largest raises under the
House approved bill would go to
members of the cabinet. who
would be increased from $4,000 to
$4,000.
s2o,ooo Next Step.
Officials "second-in-command"
of a department would get $4,000,
as would the veterans administra-
tor, controller general, budget
director, Federal security admin
istrator, economic cooperation
administrator and chairmen OF
the Council of Economic Advisers
and National Security Resources
Board. These officials now re-
ceive $4,000 to $4,000. with the
exception of ECA Administrator
Paul G. Hoffman, who already is
getting $4,000.
The total cost of the raises
would amount to about $3.50, 900
q year.
Several House members COM
planned the bill contained in
equities. Others said their COL
leagues would be hard put to ex-
plain to constituents their votes
for this increase in the costs of
government.
You are weeping crocodile tears
for these people in the higher
brackets" Representative Lucas,
Democrat, of Texas said. He
said the House could concern it
self more properly with increasing
the national minimum wage.
House Raise Ruled Out.
1t was pointed out by several
speakers that many officials would
be getting more than members of
Congress. whose pay is s12,500,
plus $2,5o0 tax-free expense
account. Representative Tackett,
Democrat. of Arkansas, sought to
amend the bill to give the men,
bers $4,000.
Representative Gore, Democrat.
of Tennessee, who was in the
chair, ruled it out of order as not
sermane.
In addition to the raises carried
in the bill as brought to the floor,
the House added increases from
$12,5O0 to $4,000 for the civil
aerona11ticS q administrator from
$10,330 to $4,000 for the Federal
narcotics commissioner and from
$4,000 to $4,000 for the manager
of the Federal Crop Insurance
Corp.
The proposed raise from $10,330
to $17,500 for the director of the
administrative Office of United
States Courts was cut to $4,000.
The contemplated $9,707-to-$15,-
900 increase for the assistant di-
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