Evening star., 1955-10-26
Army AskD. G
ToPay Cost Of
Engineer Aides
Spencer Cool to
Reimbursement Of
S26. $50 suluriies

Il u
District officials. already
scratching for additional tax
money, were wondering today IL
they must pay the Army $26. .450
q year for services Of the three
assistant engineer-co mission
erS. #
The three assistant commits
sioners heretofore have been
paid by the Army. 1t developed
yesterday that the Army wants
to be reimbursed for their sal-l
aries.
Commissioner Samuel Spen-I
GERS initial reaction was that
the District is not called on
by law to pay.
The Army letter cited 3 section
OF the law that says Here
after such military and naval
personnel as may be detailed for
duty with agencies not part Of
the Department Of Defense on q
reimbursement basis, may be
employed lii addition to the
numbers otherwise authorized
and appropriated.
some at the District Building
found the language obscure.
Commissioner Spencer said:
"A preliminary look a. the
legislation Indicated the District
Is not Obliged to pay and that
the procediire we have followed
over the years Iis correct one. y
Referred to West
The Commissioners referred
the matter TO Corporation Coun-
sci Vernon e West.
The Arrny's letter was directed
to Brig. Gen. Thomas e. Lane.
Engineer Commissioner. Under
special legislation. the Army
paws him the salary Of his rank
and the District adds enough toI
bring his pay up to that Of the
two civilian District Commits
ners$i4.620.
The three assistant commits
sioners are Col. Thaddeus Nosek,
whose salary Is $l0sp50. and 1t
Coils. Robert r. Mathe and
Thomas B. Hunter, who draw
5000 annually.
An Army spokesman said later
It's letter was not demand hut
an invitation TO sit down and
work out an arrangement. He
pointed out that the Army Isl
reimbursed for the salaries cfI
officers serving other agencies.
He said this IS the arrange
ment Tor officers assigned TO the
Selective Service System. the
American Battle Monuments
Commission, the Panama Canal
Commission, the Department of
Hearth. Education and Welfare
and III the cases of engineer
officers carrying out the civil
functions 81 the Engineer Corps
PAY Raise Proposed
ii was also said that. Begin
ming with fiscal 1857. the Army
win be reimbursed for the serv-I
ices Of three medical officers
detailed I'd the Soldiers Home.
IN the absence of Gen. Lane
the matter was brought up at
q meeting of the Connmissio ioners|
by Col. Ncsek. He also brought
in d proposal that would mean
higher pay for the three assist
ant engineer commissioners. He
said he was encouraged to do
this BY the fact he himself
would not profit. since he IS
leaving the assignment soon.
The proposal Is that the Dis
trict add enough to the assist
ants Army pay 10 bring their
salaries up to that for Civil
Service Grade GS-i6. The pay
for that grade ranges from
$4,000 to $13.76O. This step,
which would take special legis-
lation, has been proposed before.
The Army's letter to Gen.
Lane on reimbursement, dated
Septeusber o. said: @
q. Over the past several years,
the Department Of the Army
has geceived a series OF sub
stantiai personnel reductions. In
order to realize maximum efIec-
tiveness from the limited re-
sources available to the Army,
reimbursement must be effected
for all military personnel de-
tailed for duty to agencies not
a part Of the Department Of
Defense. as provided for irl Secs
tion 604. Public Law 1S7. De-
partment Of Defense Appropria-
ton Act. 1866. THE section Is
the one already quoted.l
q. Accordingly II is requested
that arrangements be made to
reimburse the Department Of
the Army for personnel currently
authorized your office. and the
Department Of the Army be ad-
vised of action taken on this
matter. The Office Of the Chief
of Finance is available to work
out the details Of the reimburse
ment with your Representatives. Z
The letter was signed by ADJ
jutant General Glen +. Casey.