Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-15
Minority Criticizes
House Groups Plan
For Postal Pay Raise

Democrat on the House Civil
Service Committee today issued
a minority report on the COM
mittee-approved z per cent
postal pay raise bill. charging
that the legislation would do
great harm to the postal system.
Chairman Rees and Repre-
sentative Murray, Democrat Of
Tennessee, also were Joined in
the minority report by. Repre-
sentative st. George, Republican
Of New York, chairman of the
groups subcommittee on Postal
Operations.
The dissenting members at
tackled their committees bill as
"unwise in its policy, virtually
impossible to administer and dis
criminatory among various
classes Of postal employees"
Goes to Rules Group.
The minority report was is
sued at the same time as the
majority report was filed in the
House. The z per cent postal pay
raise bill was referred to the
House Rules Committee. Mean
while, the outcome of classified
pay raise legislation hinges on
the outcome of the postal pay
issue.
The minority report was seen
as an effort to have the rules
group shelve the z per cent pos
tai pay raise measure. Approval
by the rules group is needed be-
fore the measure can be brought
up for House action.
The minority document as
serted that Postmaster General
Summerf1eld's $3.50 overall pay
Redistribution plan, whereby the
Postmaster General would be
given widespread salary reclaSsi-
fication authority, was urgently
needed. The House Civil Service
Committee rejected this plan
several weeks ago and, by vote
Of IA to 10, approved a Z per
cent postal pay boost.
Inequities Charged.
Mr.. Rees and his two coll
leagues charged that the COM
mittee-approved bill ignores
completely the basic principle of
equal pay for equal work."
ut would impose tremendous,
costly problems on the Post
Office Department without any
offsetting advantages" the Kan
sas Republican asserted.
Instead Of advancing the
admittedly essential reclassif1ca-
ton. the measure would delay
indefinitely, and make far more
costly. any attempt to correct
the existing inequities in the
Postal Field Service salary struc-
ture," the minority report con-
tinued.
For the past number Of years
It has been clear to those who
have effectively studied the
postal service that there is a
great need for reappraisal of the
classification and pay schedules
of employees in the postal serv- |
ice." the dissenting report de-
clared. Despite this great cost |
this bill does not solve a single |
one of the salary problems con.
fronting the Post Office Depart
ment."
The minority view declared
that the present postal salary
system is IAN almost unman-
ageable hodge-podge Of provi-
sions."
1.-THE relationship between in
O1fAAOdAoS O4lC JObo O1ACJ AIO4O
and what they are paid for doing
these jobs is completely out of
line" the report said.
The committees bill would re-
suit in the Post Office Depart
ment continuing to limp along
on the present outmoded, anti
quated personnel system, based
primarily upon greater pay for
longer length of service" in
stead of "a pay system based
upon equal pay for equal work
and increased pay for increased
responsibility" the minority re-
port declared. It said greater
efficiency and economy in the
Post Office Department without
the salary Redistribution au-
thority sought by the Postmas-
ter General "iS virtually impos-
Sibl6.~