Evening star., 1951-09-09

their sponsors are encouraged by
the fact that the bills won't die.
since the 82d Congress still has
another year to go. The bills can
be taken up again next year at
the point of progress achieved at
this years session.
Among the employe bills are
those providing unemployment
compensation benefits to Govern
ment workers, increasing survi-
Worship insurance and annuity
benefits, exempting employees from
paying cash premiums on work
bonds, decentralizing personnel
authority to the various depart
ments and agencies providing free
uniforms to employees whose work
requires it, and giving virtual col
Ilective bargaining rights to en-
Iploye unions.
The unemployment compensa-
ltion bill has been approved by the
House Ways and Means Commit
tee, which previously had blocked
the measure for many years. 1t
now awaits House action. No Sen
ate action has been initiated for
this year.
Legislation to increase the sur
lvivorship insurance benefits and
to increase annuities for employees
ialready retired. has run into Civil
Service Commission opposition.
Consequently, action on the bill
this year appears unlikely. One
final effort will be made by Chair
man Johnston Of the Senate Civil
Service Committee to get action
on the bill increasing annuiites of
retired employees this year.
The personnel authority decen-
tralization bill has met strong OBJ
jections from veterans organiza-
tionS. They say it would wreck
veterans preference and destroy
the merit system. They want the
Civil Service Commission to retain
its present placement and exami-
nation authority. The veterans
groups objections are enough to
sidetrack the measure this year.
There are bills affecting Gov
ernment employees. One is the
measure to decentralize a mini
mum of $4,000 Federal jobs from
Washington to other cities, though
Chairman Mcclellan of the SEN
ate Executive Expenditures Com
mittee, which is handling the
bill in the Senate, appears to
favor such decentralization pro-
gram, it is unlikely that the bill
will be passed this year.
| The 1852 supplemental bill con-
tains the House-approved Whit
/ ten rider which would curb the
promotional opportunities of Gov
ernment workers. Not only would
it continue for another year the
present ban on permanent pro-
motions and transfers. it also
would require employees to serve at
least year in their present grade
before becoming eligible for even
temporary promotions. 1t also
would ban more than one-grade
Iadvancements.
Senator Johnston as we'll as the
Civil Service Commission, is ap-
Ipealing to the Senate Appropria-
tionS Committee to modify the
new curbs on promotions approved
by the House. Senator Johnston
predicts the Senate group will
modify the Houses rider.
LEAVE-There Is still an out
side chance that Congress will
approve the 13-to-26 days gradu-
ated leave bill. Even though the
new 20-day annual leave system
went into effect last week when
the 1852 independent Offices bill
became law. the graduated leave
measure got a new lease of life
last week when the Senate ap-
proved it as part of the postal
rate bill.
The main obstacle to the bills
enactment is Chairman Tom Muir
ray of the House Civil Service
Committee. who refused to go to
conference on the legislation sew
eral months ago when it was
originally approved by the Sem
ate. Mr.. Murray was angered by
the fact that the Senate sought
to bypass his group and send the
measure to conference by amend
ing a relatively minor House-ap-
proved bill
Last week Senate hackers of
the graduated leave plan. know