Evening star., 1954-01-15
Board Urges
S27,5O0 Pay
orCongress
Report Also Asks
Boost to $4,000
For Chief Justice
By Robert K. Walsh

A special commission urged
today that members of Congress
be paid $27,500 a year.. an in.
crease of $12,50O over the Sl2,5OO
salary and $4,000 expense allow
ance they now get.
The commission Of 18 citizens
appointed by President Eisen-
hover, Vice President Nixon,
Speaker Martin and Chief JUS
tice Warren last fall submitted
it's recommendation to those
officials in report which also
recommended salaries Of:
l. $4,000 each for the Vice
President and Speaker, together
with an adequate" fund for
paying expenses properly attrib-
utable to their Offices on a
voucher basis. At present these
officials get salaries of $4,000
and expense accounts of $4,000.
2. $4,000 for the Chief Justice,
an increase of $14.500 over, the
present $25.5o0 compensation.
3. $39.500 for Supreme Court
Associate Justices, who now draw
$4,000.
4. S30.500 for judges Of the
United States Courts of Appeals.
Courts of Customs and Patent
Appeals, and Court of Claims.
That would be a $4,000 raise
from their present Sl7,500.
5. S27,500 for judges. of the
United States District Courts,
various territorial courts of sim
liar jurisdiction, and of the
Customs Court and the Tax
Court of the United States,
where compensation now is
$4,000. That would be a salary
increase of S12,500. The Chief
Judge of the United States Dis
trict Court for the District Of
Columbia would get $4,000.
President Seen Favorable.
After the commission pre-
Sented its report to the Presi-
dent, Chairman Bernard Siegal
said Gen. Eisenhower comment
ed that he was convinced that
members of the Judiciary and
Congress should get "substan-
tial increases"
Mr.. Siegal also said the Pres,
ident asked if the pay of United
States attorneys was covered in
the report. Told that no provi-
sion had been made for them
the President expressed the
opinion that their salary needs
should be reviewed. He pointed
out that the income of United
States attorneys had been re-
duced because of an order by
Attorney General Brownell they
are barred now from accepting
any private business.
Action Due in go Days.
In accordance with the con-
gressional resolution that created
the commission last year, Con-
greSs must act on the recommen-
dations within so legislative days.
Congress could reject the pro-
posals of the advisory commls-
sion or fix smaller increases. But
the resolution prevents it from
voting for more than the COM
mission suggested.
The commission, which was
unpaid and held public hearings
as we'll as numerous closed ses-
sions and task force studies, also
asked Congress to:
l. Study advisability of pro-
viding an official residence for
the Vice President.
2. Reimburse House and Sem
ate members for making six
trips home year. Members
now can collect 20 cents a mile
for only one round trip between
Washington and their home dis
trictS each session.
3. Examine the possibility Of
providing adequate pensions"
for widows and dependents Of
judge and legislators. Present
pensions for widows and depend
ents of members of Congress are
inadequate, the commission said.
4. Review periodically the SAL
aries of members of Congress
and Federal judges. The COM
mission noted that Congress has
done this on an average of only
once in every 20 years.
5. Adopt a more realistic"
method of paying official ex-
penses of members of Congress.
Present lump sum allowances for
members are inadequate" the
(See SALARIES, Page A-6D