Evening star., 1951-09-23
Conferees Plan
Prompt Action
On Pay Raise
House Set to Pass
Separate Bill for
Some D. G. Workers
By Don S. Worren

Dy Ion ,. warren
House and Senate conferees will
meet this week to compromise diff
ferences over the pending pay
raise for Government workers and
to pass a corresponding but sep
arate boost for District police,
firemen and teachers.
Hope for prompt final legisla-
tive action was voiced by Chair
man Johnston of the Senate Civil
Service Committee, who said con-
ferees on the postal and classified
bills probably would meet Wednes-
day or Thursday.
The House tomorrow is expected
to pass a separate bill granting
a $400 blouse patternD pay raise
to- Washington police, firemen and
teachers, not covered in the House
Federal-District classified pay bill.
The Senate bill for a fiat 10 per
cent raise already includes these
District units.
Mcmillan of the House
District Committee yesterday
threw cold water on any sugges-
ton that the District measure,
after being passed by the House.
could be inserted in the COM
promise bill. This had been sug-
geSted as time-Saver since the
Senate District Committee has not
planned to have any more legisla-
tive sessions this year.
Insist On Separate.
Mr.. Mcmillan said he had dis
cussed this question with some Of
his House associates and that they
would insist on a separate District
pay bill.
Chairman Johnston of the Sem
ate Civil Service Committee, who
is ranking majority member of the
Senate District Committee, told
reporters yesterday he would be
'broadminded about the COM
mittee jurisdictional question. His
only concern, he said, was that
District police, flremen and teach
ers get the same pay raise granted
Federal and District classified
workers.
Chairman eely of the District
Committee indicated that he too,
would go along, if that was the
hest course open.
Mr.. Mcmillan yesterday scoffed
at recent Senate suggestions that
the Senate District Committee
would not have time to act on a
separate District pay bill. Senate
committeeman, he said. could act
Ion the measure within a few
minutes.
Cites Other Measures.
He suggested that the Senate
District Committee take time to
act on some of the District meas
Iures passed by the House-notably
the omnibus Davis crime bill
which resulted from the House
District Committee crime inveSti-
cation.
This is still under study by the
Judiciary subcommittee of the
Senate District Committee and
Chairman Johnston, has an
.nounced it will be held over for
action at the next session Of
Congress, particularly since the
Senate unit now is going to make
its own District crime inquiry.
Mr.. Mcmillan said The House
Committee is pretty well clearing
Iup Senate passed District bills.
They could find time to do the
same, if they wanted to-"
In support of his argument, he
will ask the House tomorrow to
approve IL District measures,
three of them Senate Committee
bills. One of these would create
a school food service fund for
the centralized operation of all
the school cafeteriaS and lunch
counters. Another would liberalize
the School Teacher Leave Act.
and the third would remove in
equities in the 1947 Teacher Pay
Act as to experienced teachers
lacking masters degrees.
| Other Bills Slated.
| Other bills coming up for House
action tomorrow, in addition to
these and the District pay raise
for policemen, flremen and teach
ers, include measures:
To liberalize teacher retirement
| provisions; to enable the Board Of
Education to grant summer vaca-
tions to school field" officers:
grant double time pay ror police
and firemen required to work on
legal holidays; to compel nom
resident witnesses to attend court
trials under certain situations; to
authorize renewal of District
liquor licenses even though the
zoning of the place is changed to
residential; and to authorize a
sturdy of proposals for a District
bridge to Alexandria.
BarkIey, McGrath Aid