Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-07
Housekeeping
Dispute Leaves
Scars at Capitol
BY ROBERT X. WALSH

The Senate-House squabble
over housekeeping" allowances
and employee pay has left scars
ct the Capitol and demands for
q Joint committee to work out
equality between both branches.
This era of hard feelings may
ease in January. Several men,
bers served notice they will In
troduce bills to rectify a few in
dividual salary disparities as
soon as Congress reconvenes.
But parliamentary pride and
politics seem practically certain
to prevent any real change In
the long traditions of separate
House and Senate handling OF
operating cost estimates-a sys-
tenn which has bred strange diff
ferenceS in compensation and
classification over the years.
The Federal Constitution does
not enter directly into the pic
ture. Nevertheless. the provision
asserting the independence of
each chamber Is another reason
why Senate and House probably
will continue to insist on their
own pay scales and to resist
tYforforanao
Little Chance of Adoption
Representative Brown, Re-
publican of Ohio. suggested
creation Of a Joint Senate House
committee to see that the an
nual legislative appropriation
bill provides equal pay for equal
work for all employees at both
ends Of the Capitol. His pro-
posal has the sympathetic at
tention of many Republicans
and Democrats. But there is a
widespread belief that it has
little chance of adoption.
Any attempt to abolish some
House or Senate jobs. much less
cut their pay. apparently would
have even DINNER prospects of
success. This was indicated in a
hare-up last week between Rep
reSentatiyes LeCompte, Repubh-
can Of Iowa. and Hays, Democrat
of Ohio. both members of the
House Administration Commit
tee. It brought up the problem
OF political appointees.
Mr.. Hays said the committees
objective was not to recommend
a pay raise bill for House en-
ployes. who already had shared
in a general compensation i'm
crease. He'said it was to equal
lie and adjust the compensation
so that people doing similar jobs
get the same thing" without
dwelling particularly on pay diff
ferences between House and
Senate employees. he cited House
instances such as "a clerk or
stenographer getting $4,000 base
pay In one Office and a girl doing
exactly the same work in the
next Office getting $4,000 base. :"
He said that kind of condition
existed over and over again"
Many Inequalities
MIR. LeCompte agreed there
were many inequalities. But he
objected to the raises and the
manner in which the bill was
presented. He disclosed that at
an executive session of the COM
mittee he had suggested abolition
OF jobs of zone or two" House
employees and that MFR. Hayes re-
marked they had no duties ex-
cept to serve the Republican or
Democratic National Committee. "
Il am not trying to conceal it,"
Mr.. Hays replied. But am not
for abolishing them. I think you
would run into lot of trouble
with the leadership ON both sides
If you try that" =
AS things turned out at con-
greSsional adjournment last week
House and Senate finally agreed
on $93 million bill which raised
about 200 present salaries and
boosted allowances for office and
committee clerk hire. The meas
ure made Roadway in adjusting
pay inequalities in some quarters
1t also showed a start at least or
reclassifying House job titles sc
that a barber. for instance, will
no longer be listed as a laborer.
Controversy Continues
But because of many factors
involved in the dispute and Ions
deadlock over the legislative
money bill, such difficulties and
disparities as these provoked
post-adjournment controversy:
!. The House parliamentarian
by separate resolution. was voted
an increase to $20,500 and the
House assistant parliamentariar
to $l6.500. The Senate parlia.
mentarian was left at $4,000
Senator Margaret Chase Smith
Republican of Maine, was SC
angered by what she considered
a slight to the veteran Senate
official that she opposed tn,
legislative appropriation bill.
Acting Majority Leader Glen,
ents explained 1t was too late
to do anything.
2. The Senate chaplain's LISTED
salary Is $4,000 and the House
chaplain's $4,000. Some House
members remarked at a Rule.
Committee hearing before ad.
journment that perhaps Senate
salvation was more troublesome
than that of the far-largel
House.
3. Each Senator is entitled Il
an administrative assistant al
$4,000 and another at S14,30t
with a 1857 ceiling on tn,
next four aides. House members
can pay one aide $4,000. bu
their overall allowances for as.
sistants is much smaller.
4. The legislative appropriation
bill, as adopted on the basis o.
separate requests by House anc