Evening star., 1955-01-12
judiciary Democrats
Agree Pay Raise Is
Needed BY Congress
By Robert K. .Wolsh

Senate and House judiciary
Committees agree. Congress
should raise its members pay
this year. but they differ on
how much.
Senator Kilgore, West VIZ
ginia Democrat, slated to be
Senate judiciary Committee
chairman, said today he would
put In Q bill this week TO in
crease salaries Of Senators and
Representatives to S27,500. Rep
resentative Celler. New York
Democrat returning to the
House judiciary Committee
craftsmanship. introduced a bill
last week to boost such salaries
to $22. 500. Members now re-
ceive $12,500 plus a $4,000 an
nual allowance. The Celler bill
would retain the allowance.
The Kilgore and Celler pro-
posals also would increase sal-
aries of Supreme Court justices.
judges Of other Federal courts
and United States Attorneys.
Senator Kilgore's intended bill
would carry out many Of the
recommendations Of Q special
commission last year. In most
instances those proposals call
for higher compensation than is
contemplated In the Celler
measure.
House Version.
The House nevertheless will
receive a bill based on the COM
missions suggestions and sim
liar to the Kilgore measure.
Repr e sentative Frelinghuysen,
Republican. Of New Jersey. said
today he planned to drop 1t in
the hopper this week.
In any event, both prospec-
tive chairmen indicated the con-
eressional and judiciary salary
bills are among the first major
matters due for consideration
after the committees formally
organize. President Eisenhower's
message to the new Congress
last Thursday urged increased
salaries for members and judges.
Senator Kilgore said his bill
not only would lift the salaries
Of Vice President and Speaker
from $50, 900 to $40, 900 but also
give each OF those officials a
$4,000 instead OF $4,000 annual
expense allowance.
Broader Travel Pay.
House and Senate members
would be reimbursed for travel
expenses for not more than five
trips o year between their home
State or territory and the Dis
tvict. Under present law they
receive mileage at the rate Of
90 cents Q mile for going to and
returning from each regular
session Of Congress. Senator
Kilgore explained that his bill
would retain the 20 cents mileage
rate. &
Other salaries that would be-
provided In the Kilgore bill are
Identical with proposals by the
special commission. The sug-
gested new levels would be-:
Chief Justice. $40, 900; Supreme
Court associate Justices, $3e, 500;
United States Court Of Appeals
and United States Court Of
Claims Judges. $30.500; Court Of
Military Appeals and Court Of
Customs and Patent Appeals
judges, $30.500.
United states District Court
Judges. $27.600; judges Of the
Customs Court, and the Tax
Court. $27 500.
Better Chance IN 1855.
Whatever the figureS finally
agreed on by House and Senate
and their respective Judiciary
Committees, a congressional and
judicial pay raise Is given a far
better chance Of passage this
year than it had when offered
last spring.
But Representative Burdick.
Republican. of North Dakota. is
yet to be heard from on the
House floor. He was heard from
yesterday in q statement pre-
dieting that President Eisen-
hover ''is going to have good
support from Congress at least
until the pay raise bill passes"
He renewed his criticism OF such
an increase at this time.
The North Dakotan. who
lunched in the House restaurant
when the President read the
State Of the Union message last
week. offered this tongue-in-the-
cheek forecast yesterday:
Members are going to get
more money because they cannot
exist on a starvation basis any
LONGER .