Evening star., 1954-10-11

raise approved at the last ses-
sion came too late for Congress
to override.
Both Republican and Demo-
Gratis on the committees seem
agreed that the pay raise should
be more than the S per cent
approved by Congress this year.
Chairman Carlson of the Sem
ate Civil Service Committee is
reported to feel that a rs per
cent pay boost would be equit-
able. Senator Johnston. Demo-
crat, of South Carolina. the
groups ranking minority mem
ber, feels that a 10 per cent
boost is called for.
Rees Promises Action.
Chairman Rees of the House
Civil Service Committee has not
stated what he feels the increase
should be. But the Kansas Re-
publican has promised prompt
action when the committee
meets in January. Representa-
tive Murray. Democrat, of Ten
nessee, who will be the COM
mittee's chairman if the Demo-
Gratis win control of the House,
is less enthusiastic about Fed
eral pay boost. However. the
other top Democratic members
of the , committee-including
Morrison of Louisiana and Davis
of Georgia-say they favor a
sizeable pay boost and early ,ap-
proval by Congress.
The reason for the strong
sentiment for a pay. raise in ex-
cess of the five per cent voted
this year is the belief that Gov
ernment workers were unfairly
penalized by the presidential pay
veto and are losing money be-
cause OF 1t.
5Per Cent Called Too Low.
Also, the feeling seems to be
that the per cent was too low
in the first place and was only
agreed to because the admins
tration mad served notice that
it would not accept anything
higher. AS things turned out,
the 5 per cent proved unaccept-
able to the White House because
Congress did not approve an ac-
companying postal pay rate and
the reclassifcation of postal
salaries.
The present inclination among
key congressional members on
civil service Is to give Federal
workers at least a rs per cent
pay raise rather than make the
boost retroactive to August %
the date of the Presidential pay
veto. They point out that, in
the long run, Government work
ers will benefit much more this
way than by receiving a retroac-
tive 5 per cent pay boost. How
ever, there is some sentiment for
making any pay boost approved
next year retroactive to jan
uary l, 1855.
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PER DIEM PAY-Meanwhile
the administrations forthcoming
proposal for a single. unified
wage board system for Govern
ment per diem (blue collar) en-
ployes seems doomed to defeat
in Congress.
The plan calls for a centra
wage board under the Civil Serv.
ice Commission, instead of the
present system of individual
agency wage boards. The
salaries of more than 100000 pei
diem Government workers are
involved.
The administrations plan
would have the CSC's central
wage board determine the sal
aries of the per diem workers
Also the proposed board would
evaluate each per diem job in
dividually, the same as CLASH
fed jobs are now.
Opposed BY Unions.
The strong AFL unions are
strongly opposed to the plan anc
are expected to be able to block
it in Congress. Furthermore, the
Navy Department, the Govern.
ment's largest employer of pei
diem workers, is also opposed
to much of the plan, feeling thai
its present system works better
The AFL employe groups fee
that per diem workers get {
better break on wages by con
tinuing to deal with individual
wage boards. They fear that {
centralized wage board system
would tend to delay any pa!
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