Evening star., 1951-10-20
Police, Teachers
And Firemen Paw
Boosted 10 Pct.
By Joseph Youno

ooVcl llilieIlt pay increase leglSld-
tion today when the House passed
and sent to the White House a bill
to give District police, firemen and
teachers the same 10 per cent sal
airy boost already granted Federal
and District classified workers.
Administration officials report
ed, meanwhile. that President Tru-
man is we'll pleased with the in
fcreases voted by Congress for
classified and postal employees.
They said the President will sign
the legislation next week.
They also said Mr.. Truman. at
the same time, will sign the legis-
lation which provides for 49,
6-days-a-year graduated leave
system for all Federal employees
classified, postal and per diem.
Final action by Congress yester-
day on the classified and postal
workers pay raise bills. and the
graduated leave measure came in
rapid fashion. The House ap-
proved the three bills in about 20
minutes. then sped the measures
over to the Senate, which took
even less time to pass the bills
and send them to the White
House.
About 275.ooo Federal and Dis
trict government classified en-
ployes, postal workers, legislative
and judicial employees will benefit
from the pay raises. The increase
is retroactive to July /.
Flat 10 Per Cent Raise.
The classified. legislative and
judicial employees will receive a fiat
10 per cent raise. The only excep-
tion Sare employees earning less
than $4,000 year, who will re-
ceive $500. and employees earning
$4,000 or more. who will get $500.
The average postal worker will
get a $400 raise. Postal supervisors
and postmasters will receive raises
ranging from $400 to $500 a year.
A total Of $50, 900 Government
classified employees, including for
eign service employees. will receive
the $500 to $500 a year pay raise.
This will be an added cost to the
Federal payroll of around $3.50
million a year. More than 500, 900
postal workers throughout the
country are included in the $40o
to $500 a year postal raise, at an
added cost of $252 million a year.
To qualify for the increase. en-
ployes must be on the Federal pay-
roll when the legislation is signed
into law.
With two exceptions, persons
who left the Government service
between July ! and the time the
bill becomes law will not receive
any of the retroactive raise. The
exceptions are persons who are Of
flcially retired and those who are
drafted or voluntarily enter the
armed services. They will receive
whatever portion of the retroac-
tive raise that they are entitled to.
Top Officials Lose Out.
About 100 top officials in the
$14 ,000-a-year salary bracket. who
were appointed to their jobs by the
President. will lose out on the in
crease. These officials, including
some assistant secretaries and bu-
reau chiefs, although they are
technically in the classified serv-
ice. need separate legislation in or
der for them to be covered.
President Truman has taken a
very active interest in the Gov
ernment pay raise legislation dur
ing the past few months, and sew
eral times he has sent messages to
Congress and invited key con-
gressional leaders to the White
House to urge the kind of per-
centage raise finally adopted.
Several weeks ago, he threatened
to veto any fiat pay raise increase,
such as the $400 across board
boost voted by the House. Mr.. Tru-
man said such an increase would
unbalance the structure of the
Federal pay scale.
That's why administration off,
cials said today the President is
very we'll pleased with the compro-
mise bill voted by the House.
Senate conferees. since it con-
|tains most of the provisions of the
Senate bill the President favored.
There was only one dissenting