Evening star., 1949-09-26
Truman Pleads
For Approva|of
1hreePayBi||s
Urges Top Executive
And Classified Boosts;
Military Pay Up Today

President Truman today made
q personal appeal to the Senate
for approval of pending bills for
pay raises for top-level Govern
ment executives and for the clas-
sif1ed service.
His appeal was in the form of
a personal letter to Vice President
Barkley, read at the opening of
the Senate session today.
1t came at a time when the
Senate was preparing to wind up
debate on a pay raise bill for
members of the armed forces,
with vote on this scheduled for
5 pm.
The executive and classified pay
bills already are on the Senate
calendar and Majority Leader
Lucas was planning to call them
up at the earliest opportunity.
There was a possibility this might
be found some time today or to-
morrow.
The President wrote Mr.. Bark
ley the Government pay legisla-
tion was of "such great personal
concern to me" that he wanted to
take the opportunity of asking
the Senate to consider the pay
legislation from his point of view
as PresidenH
Cites Other Increases.
He called the present pay in
adequate and said it was becoming
increasingly difficult for him to
get and keep well qualified persons
for important positions.
Mr.. Truman also brought out
that the pay of members of Con-
gress, of Federal judges and others
has been substantially increased,
along with increases in the pay of
President, Vice President and the
Speaker of the House.
He noted also that salaries and
wages in private industry have
been greatly increased in recent
years while there has been no
corresponding increase in the SAL
aries of Federal executives.
Letter to Vice President.
The text of the Presidents letter
follows:
fDesr Mr.. Vice President:
~The Senate now has under
consideration the Armed Services
Pay Bill and, I understand, ex-
poets soon to consider the bills to-
revise the salary scales of the
civilian officers and employees of
the Government. I am glad that
the Senate is taking up this much
needed legislation. However, I
have been surprised at some of
the reports I have heard concern
ing objections that are being
raised to these bills, particularly
as they relate to revision of the
salaries of officials holding key
executive positions.
"This is a matter of such great
personal concern to me that I
want to take this means of asking
the Senate to consider this legis-
lation particularly from my point
of view. AS I have said many
times, the efficient administration
of the executive branch of the
Government requires well quail
fed people for important posi-
tions. Because of the inadequate
salaries provided for these posi-
tions, it has become increasingly
difficult for me to get and keep
such people.
"The passage of the legislation
now pending in the Senate will
help the situation materially. Un-
less 1t is passed, my difficulties
will be greatly increased. The
relatively small cost of this leg
islation will be repaid many times
over in improved efficiency in the
operation of the Government.
Now "Ridiculously Low"
II have heard that objections
are being raised to the executive
pay bill on the ground that some
Of the proposed increases are too
high in terms of percentage of
the present salaries for the posi-
tions involved, The fact is that