Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-02-06
Action Delayed
On 6th-DayFhe
And Po|icePay
Senate Unit Postpones
Bill to Clear Up Some
Confusion in 7 estimony
By Don 5. Warren

ny DOH ,. WOTTSH
The Fiscal subcommittee Of the
Senate District Committee today
considered, but temporarily de-
layed action, on a bill to pay
police and firemen extra when
they work six days a week.
Senator Hunt, Democrat, of
Wyoming, subcommittee chair
man, announced he favored the
bill, but action was postponed be-
cause of some confusion in testi-
mony as to how many policemen
are needed for the sixth days
work.
All members of the Police De-
partment now work six days
week. Congress last September
enacted measure to put the de-
partment on a f1ve-day week, to
go into effect when sufficient ap-
preparations were made. This has
been done, but there was an I'M
derstanding, congressional officials
say. that the five-day week plan
would not go into operation until
300 additional men were recruited.
The extra men were authorized to
cover this need.
200 New Men Recruited.
BY the end of December 200
new men were recruited and the
Commissioners have found this
insufficient to permit a five-day
week.
AS a compromise. the Police
mems Association last month
pushed the plan for giving ap-
proximately a days extra pay to
men who volunteer and are as
signed to work six days a week.
The remainder would go on
f1ve-day week schedule.
Because members of the Police
Department are going into mill
tary service, the department has
lost ground in it's effort to build
up to its authorized strength. The
subcommittee was told today there
were 207 vacancies on December
81 and that the present number
is 213.
Senator Hunt said he thought
the granting of extra pay to
police who work six days a week
was a matter of simple justice"
since Congress had authorized
five-day week.
Compromise Plan Backed.
Supporting the compromise plan
were Corporation Counsel Vernon
E. West and Police Inspector Clar-
ence H. Lutz, president of the
Policemen's Association. Luther
c. Steward, president of the Ma
tional Federation of Federal EN-
ployes. also supported the plan,
but protested that the bill pro-
vides extra pay at the rate of
1/360th Of annual pay for sixth
day work, whereas a full days
pay would be at the rate of
1/260th.
Serving with Senator Hunt on
the subcommittee are Senators
Smith of North Carolina, Demo-
crat. and Duff, Republican, of
Pennsylvania.
A proposal that the extra days
pay be made retroactive to jan
uary l. Senator Hunt indicated,
probably will be drafted as a sep
arate measure to be considered
later.
The subcommittee reported IA
vorably on bills to clarity the
responsibility of the District dis
bursting officer and to give au-
thority to a deputy and an as
sistant disbursing officer; to pro-
vide for a month instead Of two
weeks for issuance of annual Ii
censes to operators Of vehicles for
hire; to liberalize the Commission
ers' powers to compromise claims:
to raise the fees of jurors in con-
domination cases from S. to $40;
to raise the annual license fee for
podiatrists from So. to S.. and to
premit the District to make ex-
changes of small parcels of land
with AUDITING privately owned
parcels.