Evening star., 1949-03-13
Gen. youngAsks
Per Diem Pay
Raise Action
Increases for 5000
Workers Retroactive
To July | Pushed

engineer commissioner fOrQOn
r. Young has called on the Dis
trict Commissioners to see that
the more than 5000 per diem en-
ployes of the District government
get pay raises retroactive to last
July l along with other District
employees for whom retroactive
pay increases are being sought.
Meanwhile, this was the status
of legislation affecting District
employees:
l. The ong-delayed legislation
to raise the pay of classified Dis
trict employees $3.50 annually
retroactive to July l, and the pay
of high-ranking Federal officials
and the Foreign Service will reach
the Senate by Thursday.
2. Chairman Murray of the
House Civil Service Committee has
called a meeting of the subcom-
mittee of that unit which he also
heads to try to reach agreement
on a bill similar to the one in the
Senate.
3. Legislation to grant $3.50
more to teachers, policemen and
firemen still is pending in the
House District Committee. Com
mittee leaders are hesitant to send
it. to the floor until there is action
expected tomorrow-on the new
revenue bill designed to raise about
$16,000,000 to keep the city out of
the red.
Workers Make Complaints.
The legislation for the $3.50 raise
for classified employees makes no
mention of the per diem workers,
A number of such workers have
complained to the heads of their
departments over their exclusion.
Gen. Young sent memoran-
dunn to the Board of Commis-
sioners Friday pointing out the
injustice of not providing retro
active increases for the per diem
workers and asking the board to
move to correct the situation.
Gen. Young stressed that he felt
there had been no intent en- the
part of Congress to discriminate
against them. He said he had
been informed an amendment to
the bill may be introduced on the
House floor.
If the bill to raise the pay of
classified workers is enacted. the
Commissioners can convene the
District Wage Scale Board and
ask that the per diem employees be
given a raise also. But Arthur r.
Pilkerton, District auditor. pointed
out it would require specific au-
thorization in the bill to make
such a pay boost retroactive.
The largest number of per diem
employes-1,3 ,300-is in the. Sani-
tary Division and includes street
cleaners and ash. trash and gar
bage collectors. The Highway De-
partment has 800, the Sewer De-
partment 400, the Water Depart
ment 430. with the rest employed
by the District Repair Shop. De-
partment of Vehicles and Traffic,
the printing division and the
Office of the superintendent of
District buildings.
Minority Report Planned.
The Senate Civil Service Com
mittee reported it's bill last week
but delayed sending it to the floor
to give committee members op-
posing the measure time to draw
up a minority report.
In the House Civil Service Com
mittee there has been controversy
over the section providing Al
creases for top Federal executives
No definite indications were avail
able last night whether the sub
committee can reach final action
this week.
No objection has been raised in
either the Senate or House Civil
Service Committees to the in
creases for the classified city
workers.
Senator Johnston, Democrat, of
South Carolina, has indicated he
Is so anxious to take care of the
District employees. he might even
favor sending ITO the, Senate a
measure for the city workers only
Both House and Senate bills carry
$3.50 annually for the city en-
ployes, retroactive to July l last
year, when Federal classified en-
ployes were given the $3.50 in
crease.
& The measure to grant the in
crease to policemen, firemen
and teachers was held back by the
District committee last week,
when approval was given to meas
ures to extend rent control, au-
thorize daylight saving time here,
and levy District 2 per cent
sales tax.
No Funds for Raises.
The pay raise measures were
put over by the District Commit
tee awaiting House action on the
sales tax bill to provide money for
the pay raises.
r No funds for the increased cost
Of firemen, policemen and teach
els salaries are carried in the
Sc9,000,000 District supply bill fo1
the next fiscal year beginning
July l. Already this bill is about
S2500,000 out of balance, but di-
rects that the District Commits
sioners must raise sufficient funds
to, meet any deficit by increase in
real estate taxes, if no other new
funds become available.
liThe pending bill for policemen
firemen, and teachers carries a
provision that the Increased sal
aries could not be paid unless suf-
f1cient funds are in the District
treasury.
Suburban Study Group
Will Meet Tuesdnv