Evening star., 1949-03-31

necticut and Flanders OF vermont
Barring unseen delays, the
hearings are expected to begin
next week.
The unanimity among the five
member subcommittee on the
need for pay raises is a guarantee
that the subcommittee will ap-
prove a pay increase measure, al
though the amount may be sew
eral hundred dollars less than
the $3.50 provided for in the bill
before the group.
Once the subcommittee ap-
proves its bill the full committee
also is virtually certain to indorse
the measure. Chairman Johnston
of the full committee is the spon-
sor of the $3.50 bill, as are several
other members of the committee.
The pay raise legislation's acid
test will come once it's reported by
the committee. The administra-
ton can be expected to oppose
the bill, and it remains to be seen
whether administration leaders on
Capitol Hill will call up the bill
for action, or whether stalllng
tactics will be used.
The main hope of pay raise sup
porters is of using the top-bracket
pay legislation as a bargaining
weapon to get some kind OF rank
and-file pay raise enacted. It's
no secret that President Truman
is extremely anxious to have en-
acted as soon as possible the pay
raise bill for the Governments top
executives.
With this in mind, rank -and-file
pay raise sponsors may attempt to
work out some sort of deal with
administration forces. Otherwise.
they may threaten to block the
top-bracket pay measure.
One possibility is a compromise
bill which would combine Classl-
fication Act revisions-Whlch the
administration facors-with a $500
or $500 cost-of- living pay boost.
It's too early yet to forecast the
outcome, although pay raise spon-
sors acknowledge that they face
an uphill battle all the way. And,
as disclosed here yesterday, a
similar knock down, drag g-out hight
is shaping up in the House over
the pay raise legislation.
FEPC-The Presidents Fair
Employment Board for the Gov
ernment service has clarified its
stand on permitting unions and
other groups to appear on behalf
of employees who complain they
are the victims Of discrimination
in the various agencies.
In issuing its regulations last
week, the board gave the impress
sion that no outside groups would
be permitted to intercede 1or
Federal employees.
Board officials. however, now
say the only ban in this regard IS
against any group initiating
complaint on behalf of an en-
ploye. This must be done by the
individual concerned.
Once this is done. however, the
employe may be represented dur
ing the various stages OF his ap-
peal by any union or organization
he wants to help represent him.
NAVY-The Navy Department
reports that its accident rate
among its civilian employees is at
an all time low. The rate Of &C
cidents now occur on the average
of 6.5 for 100000 man-hours
worked.
Credit for this impressive rec
ord belongs to the men RESPONSE
BILE for working out Navy's safety
program-Rear Admiral Paul B.
Nibecker, chief of Navy's Indus
trial Shore Establishment; Comdr.
w. A. Zoebel. the director OF
Navy's safety division, and Comdr.
v. B. johnson. the deputy dlrec-
tor of the safety division.
X X X
CAPITAL ROUNDUP-The Sec
retary of Commerce personally
congratulated two retiring Com
merce Department employees the
other day for their outstanding
records during their Government
careers. The employees are Miss
Winifred Cross of the Office OF
Trade and Edward
RESORTS