Evening star., 1955-06-02
House Group Clears
Postal Pay Increase
Group Will Act
Wednesday, on
Classified Bill
By JOSEPH YOUNG

mittee today approved the Sen.
ate passed 8 per cent average
postal pay bill and agreed to
meet next Wednesday to approve
classified employe salary legis-
lation.
The 8 per cent postal pay
measure will be brought up for
House action next Tuesday,
Chairman Murry Of the commit
tee said.
The Tennessee Democrat said
his group would meet in exec
utive session next Wednesday to
approve classified pay raise
measure.
Mr.. Murray said he favors q
fiat 6 per cent pay raise retro
active to March for the Gov.
ernment's classified workers. Sew
eral other committee members,
including Representatives Moss,
Democrat. Of California, said
they favored the same 8 per cent
increase for classified workers
that was voted for postal en-
ployes.
Amendments Inserted
The Senate several months
ago approved a 10 per cent pay
raise for classified employees, but
the pay raise figure that will be
set by the House is expected to
be the one that will prevail.
In approving the 8 per cent
measure. which will be retroactive
to March /. the House commit
tee inserted several minor
amendments to the Senate bill.
One would preserve the iden-
tity of special delivery messengers
and the other would clarity the
duties of mail handlers.
Senate leaders have indicated
they will accept the amend
ments.
The postal pay bill is expected
to be cleared by Congress and
sent to the White House by the
end Of next week.
The administration Is reported
taking the position it viii sup
port a classified elnploye pay
raise not to exceed 6 per cent.
Equal Raise Pledged
AS the Senate approved the Q
per cent postal pay measure
of which 6 per cent is a basic
increase and the other 2 per
cent the result of Redistribution
both Democratic and Republi-
can leaders promised classified
workers an equal" raise.
However, by equal treat
ment, the leadership may have
been referring to the basic 9
per cent raise, rather than the
overall 8 per cent postal raise
which includes 2 per cent re-
classification.
Senate Democratic Leader
johnson of Texas. Senate Re-
publican Leader Knowland Of
California, Chairman Johnston
of the Senate Civil Service Com
mittee and Senator Carlson, Re-
publican. Of Kansas, the groups
ranking minority member.
promised classified employees o
pay raise this year, as the Sem
ate approved the 3 per cent
postal pay measure,
Before the Senate vote, Sena-
tor Knowland declared the 8 per
cent postal measure was accept
able to the administration.
The bill was approved quickly
and unanimously by a vote OF
78 to 0.
1t would provide salary In
creases for 100000 postal work.
ers and would cost $l64 million
a year. This is SIS million less
than the cost of the 8.6 per cent
bill vetoed by President Eisen-
hover several weeks ago.
Corrected Inequities
The 8 per cent measure ap-
proved by the Senate was in
dorsed by the administration be-
cause 1t corrected inequities OBJ
jected to in the 8.6 per cent bill.
The 8 per cent bill would place
special delivery messengers and
rural letter carriers on the same
pay levels as city carriers and
clerks.
The basic 6 per cent postal pay
increase would be retroactive to
March /, with the additional q
per cent resulting from reclassi-
f1cation taking effect when the
reclassification is completed. The
Post Office Department has six
months to effect the reclassifica-
tion.