Evening star., 1949-02-20
Hearings Scheduled
Tomorrow on Bill 10
Raise Services Pay
by the Assoeioted Press

CONGRESSIONAL hearings are SCQeQ-
uled tomorrow on a bill to raise
the pay of the armed forces an
average of about IA per cent and
revise military retirement laws.
The bill would cover Army,
Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps.
Coast Guard. Public Health Serv-
ice. and Coast and Geodetic pay.
Military authorities estimated
1t would cost about $400. .000, 900
more year in active duty pay at
once, but the total additional cost
would dwindle off to about $751;
100000 during the first five years
of the acts operation. The overall
cost increase, for pay and pensions,
has been estimated at 8 per cent.
The monthly pay increases would
range from 303 per cent for Army
privates. and their counterparts
in the other services. to 49.58 per
cent for brigadier generals. Re-
cruits, the lowest on the enlisted
ladder, would get no boost.
recommendations Followed.
The bill follows recommended
tions made several months ago by
a commission appointed by Secre-
tary of Defense Forrestal to study
armed services pay and retire
ment.
1t would reduce flight and SUBJ
marine pay for high-ranking Of
ficers, but increase it slightly for
the lower commissioned and en-
listed grades. It would cut out
special pay, such as for mesSmen
and for medals or proficiency
awards.
The bill also would eliminate
straight longevity pay. Substi-
tuted for this would be a sliding
scale of pay within each rank,
based on total years service.
All special allowances would be
eliminated. The subsistence al
lowance for officers of all ranks
would be S45 month if they have
dependents, and their quarters
allowance would range from SIS
a month for second lieutenants
to $3.50 for brigadier generals.
Take the case of second lieu
tenant, just commissioned. just
commissioned. just married. and
starting out on his first active
duty. He now draws $3.50 a month
base pay, plus $42 subsistence al
lowance and $50 for quarters. If
he is an Air Force pilot, he gets
500 a month flight pay, too.
Under the new bill, he would
get a beginning base pay of 1925
a month. Since he has a depend
ent, he would get the $45 subsis-
tence and $75 quarters allowances.
AS a flyer, he would get slOO flight
pay.
Then his base pay would in
crease SIS a month at the end of
every two years until he completed
10 years service. BY that lme, he
would be drawing base pay of $500
q month, and could get no more
money unless promoted to first
Now take a brigadier general.
His present base pay is $3.50 a
month, $500 a year. In addition,
he gets. allowances of $3.50 a year,
plus his longevity pay. He also
can get fight pay of more than
$500 month. plus pay for medals
and other awards.
Base Pay Increased.
The new pay bill would give him
sS10 a month base pay. After he
had completed 26 years total mill
tary service, this would go to S840
a month. And at the end of 30
years, it would go on up to S870
and remain there no matter how
much longer he stayed on active
duty.
He now draws a subsistence al
lowance of S42. and S120 for quar-
tiers. These would be increased to
s45 and $3.50. However, his flight
pay would be cut back to 500
month. No general officer could
draw more than 500 month
flight pay.
Fight and submarine pay are
now half of base plus longevity
pay. The new schedule would, sub
stitute fiat rates running from
500 a month for second lieuten-
ants to $210 for full colonels.
The same would be true of en-
listed men, whose flight pay now
is computed the same as officers.
The fiat rates would range from