Evening star., 1955-06-26
BY JOSEPH YOUNG

This is proving to be a good
year for Government employees
as far as legislation on Capitol
Hill is concerned.
Not only the pay raise bill but
other measures will put more
money in the pockets of Federal
temployes this year.
The rs per cent classified pay
raise and the 8 per cent postal
pay boost are the most important
ones, of course. The 8 per cent
postal pay raise is already law
and the rs per cent classified
pay increase will be signed into
law by President Eisenhower this
week. The legislation also will
Igive Government workers a lump
sum retroactive payment dating
to last March. :.
Another important bill well on
Tits way to becoming laws this
Iyear is the one raising the travel
allowances of Federal workers.
Since q considerable number of
Government workers engage in
Iofficial travel--many of them on
Ia major scale-the pending legis-
Ilation will do much to reduce
their personal losses on these
trips.
The present $s-a-day maxi
mum travel rate has brought
frequent complaints from en-
|ployes that it is not nearly
enough to pay their expenses
and that they have to spend a
considerable amount of their
own money to defray their travel
costs.
To alleviate this situation, the
House has approved a bill rails
ing the maximum travel amount
to $l3 daily. while the Senate
has approved maximum daily
travel allowance of $12. The
Senate has also increased the
present 7 cents automobile mile
age allowance to 10 cents, while
the House In its bill allows travel
expenses as high as $25 a day
under very special circumstances
House and Senate conferees|
will meet soon to adjust the diff
ferences between the two meas
ures. Whatever the outcome oil
the conference, Government
workers are assured of new
daily travel allowance maximum
of at least $12 and perhaps $13
OTHER MEASURES There
is an excellent chance that Con-
gress this year will approve
legislation to provide free surety
bonds to Government workers
who require them. At the pres
ent time, employees have to payI
for these bonds.
A# -
EXECUTIVE PAY ACT Il
President Eisenhower within the
next few days is expected to ask
Congress to raise the salaries of
cabinet officers. agency heads,
agency commissioners and other
officials covered by the Execu-
tive Pay Act.
A salary of $25, 1000 or $50, 900
year will be proposed for cab
met officials, while annual SAL
aries of $40, 900 to $22.500 a year
will be advocated for agency
heads and $4,000 to $40, 900 for |
other presidential appointive Of
lcials.
Chairman Murray of the
House Civil Service Committee |
has promised prompt action on
The legislation.
AVA ukASADEE0-4 IiCTS is llUtlG II
likelihood that Congress this
year will lift the $14,S0O classified
pay ceiling. Any possible action
will have to wait until next year
1T the earliest.
UNSUNG HERO-There were
many members on both the
House and Senate Civil Service
Committee who proved them
selves great friends of Federal
and who aided greatly
n the enactment of the rs per
,ent pay bill. But one member ||
II the House committee-Repre-
sentative Gubser, Republican, of II
California-even went beyond II
he call of duty to help Federal
n
Recuperating from a serious
operation, Mr.. Gubser disobeyed H
III