Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-10

The legislation is backed 81
and should become law within
the next month or SO.
The House-passed bill lifted
the $14.800-a-year classified pay
ceiling to $17,500 a year The
raise would go to employees in
Grade 10, who now make $l4,800
a year. They were the only
classified employees who did not
benefit from last years pay in
crease.
! The House-passed measure
raised the pay of cabinet officers
from $22,5 to $4,000 a year
and increased the salaries OF
agency heads, bureau chiefs, as
iSistant secretaries and under
secretaries by as much as $500
"a year. Also. the measure granted
i$25, 900 a year to the Budget
Director and $27,500 a year TOR
Ia chief of mission in the foreign
service.
| Rank and file classified en-
IpIoyes eventually may benefit
although not this year-from the
general increases in top Federal
pay. Members of Congress as
we'll as top administration off,
icials have declared that future
classified pay raises cannot occur
until the top executive salaries
and classified pay ceiling are
raised. There is too much COM
preston of salaries between rank
and file and top jobs now, they
declare.
EARLY RETIREMENT AC-
TION PLEDGED - Chairman
Johnston of the Senate Civil
Service Committee declares his
group will start hearings later
this month on his omnibus bill
to liberalize the entire civil serv-
ice retirement system. The Sem
Iator predicted his group will APP
prove the bill in time for Senate
action next month.
The measure would increase
civil service annuities by IS to
80 per cent, increase family sur
Ivivorship benefits by as much as
so per cent and allow persons
with 80 years of service to retire
regardless of age with smaller
penalties than are now imposed.
Its believed Federal workers
would have to pay per cent of
their salaries for the new bene-
ATS, compared to the present 6
per cent deduction.
"a
d. c. PRIMARY VOTE-The
District League of Women Voters
reminds Federal employees they
need not worry about the loss of
State apportionment rights if
they register to vote in the spring
District primary. In letter to
the league, the Civil Service
Commission declared:
"A Federal employee who
chooses to give up his right to
vote in his home State in order
to register and vote in the Dis
trict primary would in no way
jeopardize his position thereby.
However. this applies only to
persons currently in the service;
If an applicant not currently In
the service files for an examina-
ton in the apportioned service,
he must be considered for certifi-
cation on the basis of his current
legal residence"
POSTAL CLERKS-John F..
O'Connor of Oakland. Calf. a
vice president of the National
Federation Of Post Office Clerks
(AFL-CIO). has been appointed
assistant secretary-treasurer of
the union to serve at headquar-
tiers here. Mr. O'Connor succeeds
John F. Bowen, recently elevated
to the office of secretary
treasurer.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS SERV-
ICE-The General Services Ad-
miniStration. later this week, Is
expected to announce a reorgan-
ization of its Public Buildings
Service. There will be no firings,
although some reassignments will
be made.
CAPITAL ROUNDUP The
Controller General has upheld
the legality of the Post Office
Department paying its field en-
ployes the old rate of pay on
December l and 2 in converting
to the new salary recIoScjfioo