Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-26

llC uldttCl 10 bCA1lS 1uAAJ vi
Civil Service Committee. who are
lens faced by the Defense De
scientific and security agencies
ir retaining and attracting es-
S, ntial personnel in these fields.
The committee last week held
h"arings on the request OF the
Defense Department, the Ma
t;opal Advisory Committee for
A, ccnautics and the National
Security Agency for more higher
paying scientific and technical
positions
Stop Gap Measure
The committee will approve
such legislation this week. But
committee members as well as
agency officials acknowledge
that this is just a stop-gap
measure.
With the Government en-
gagged in life-and-death research
on guided missiles and other
= key defense weapons, defense
officials stressed to the COM
mittee the need to retain and
attract top scientific and tech
meal personnel.
Committee members were SYM
pathetic to the problem and de-
clared they wanted to do every
thing possible to aid the defense
and research agencies.
Two top members of the COM
mittee. Representatives Moss,
Democrat of California, and
Gubser. Republican Of Califor-
mia. declared that scientific,
technical and engineering per-
sonnet should be removed from
the salary schedule Of the Class
ification Act.
Separate Schedule
Mr.. Moss proposed setting UP
Q separate schedule for these
employees. Under such a system
Congress could act to adjust
their salaries whenever compete
tive salaries justified this.
Mr.. Gubser suggested that this
approach or a system placing
these employees under a wage
board setup would be the answer
Under a wage board system. the
salaries would be adjusted by de-
partment wage boards without
any action by Congress to keep
pace with comparable salaries In
private industry.
Defense officials said their
problem was two-fold: Keeping
the capable employees they now
have and persuading top college
graduates in these. fields to ac-
cept Government employment.
Defense officials stressed that
they did not expect the Govern
ment to match industry salary
wise in every instance, particu-
larry in higher-bracket categor-
les. They said that the majority
Of scientists, engineers and 9th
ers in Government have o deep
sense of patriotism that keeps
them on the job.
But they declare that when
the salary range between Gov
eminent and industry Is so dis
proportionate, these employees
In many cases have to think Of
their family obligations and,
therefore, are forced TO leave
Government for industry.
Seek to Close Gap
BY closing at least some OF the
gap between Government and
industry salaries In these fields.
the Government could retain
most of its present key en-
ployes, defense officials say.
Defense officials cautiously
refrained from proposing any
definite plan regarding salaries,
except to ask for several hun
dred more higher-paying scien-
tific and professional positions
This is because the administra-
ton hasn't officially sent any
legislative proposal to Congress
tn this regard. The Civil Serv-
ice Commission is now making Q
complete study on the situation
and will make its recommended
tons in the near future to the
Budget Bureau and the White
House.
Besides seeking to retain pres
ent personnel. the defense agen-
cies have an equally seriou:
problem Of attracting top col
lege graduates in the scientific
and engineering fields. Industry
salaries are at least 81 900 higher
to start and many promising
graduates are therefore takinf
industry jobs.
For many years the Govern
ments attractive fringe BENEFITS
persuaded many college grad.