Evening star., 1949-10-29
Pay
Continued From First Page.)

grades which were created by
piecemeal legislation over a period
Of years. It authorizes longevity
step-increases above the maximum
scheduled grade rate for employees
with long. faithful and efficient
service.
The act also adds three new
grades at the top of the pay
schedule. which will permit lim-
tied number of the top career po-
sitlons to be paid up to a maxi
mum of $4,000. AS a result of
this action. it will be possible to
increase the salaries OF some top
career positions whose incumbents
have been paid the same salary as
many Of their subordinates. It
will also make it possible for the
Government to compete more
effectively with higher-paying
private employment for the serv-
ices OF outstanding people. and to
oher a greater incentive to afle
young men and women consider
ing whether to enter public service
as a career.
THE new Classification Act also
improves Federal personnel ad-
ministration by decentralizing to
the departments and agencies the
responsibility for fixing the pay
rate for each position, except
those in the top three grades. This
will eliminate one source OF delay
in appointing qualified personnel.
At the same time, it will increase
the responsibility Of the depart
ments and agencies for meeting
their own position classification
problems. These responsibilities
must be carefully exercised. The
Civil Service Commission, In car
rying out its responsibilities for
maintaining the consistency OF
salaries on a Government-wide
basis, must also exercise its au-
thority for prescribing standards
and reviewing and inspecting the
operations and decisions under
the act to assure that its provi-
sions are judiciously administered
by all alike.
"The management improvement
provisions Of the act further as
sure economy and efficiency by
requiring the department and
agency heads to review their
operations on a systematic and
continuing basis. This provision
recognizes the Importance of i'm
proving the management of Gov =
ernment operations which was
emphasized so strongly by the
Hoover Commission and which is
the purpose of the program pro-
vided for by a recent executive
order establishing the Advisory
Committee on Management I'M
provement. Furthermore, it pro-
vides for the reward Of those
persons or groups Of persons who
have done an exceptional job in
promoting economy and efficiency
In the Governments work.
This act is a major step for
ward toward better personnel ad-
ministration and more effective
management In the executive
branch.
The new classification system
also provides longevity pay raises
for employees who have been at the
top of their grades for three years,
providing the employe has been in
the particular grade for at least
10 years. An employe may get as
Aany as three within-step promo
tions because of longevity-one for
every three years he has spent at
the top of his grade. These long
evity increases are limited to en-
ployes in the first 10 general
services) grades.
Also, the new law sets up cash
awards and salary increases for
supervisors and other employees
who operate their units economic
ally.
In addition to the nat $l20 pay
increases for postal workers. the
Postal Act also provides longevity
salary increases for postal en-
ployes after 13, 1S and Is years OF
service. The entrance salary in
the postal service will be stepped
up by the elimination Of the two
lowest grades.
Postal workers paid on an
hourly basis get q 2ha-cent-an-
hour increase. and fourth-class
postmasters get S per cent pay
raise.
A provision increasing the postal
workers annual leave from Is to
40 days and sick leave from 10 to
is days was deleted from the
postal pay bill before final pas
sage.
| To Attend Concer Session
DR.. Herbert D. Wolf, medical
director Of the McCluer Tumor
Clinic at Alexandria and Mrs.
Irwin M. Hufford Of alexandria,
are Virginia delegates to the