Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-06-08
The Passing Buck

ZIG OSSsIS DuSN
I am a Government employee
whose salary can't be increased
because it will cause imitation.
Yesterday l arose and had a
cup Of coffee, now 10 cents.
100 per cent higher than it
was when 1 last had a wage
increase.
Next / phoned a friend, the
call costing 10 cents, also up
100 per cent. / arranged for
us to go to the baseball game.
Then / got on a bus and
went to the game, bus fare 20
cents. UP from Is cents, 1913
per cent.
We had to sit in the bleach
ers, admission now rs cents,
instead of so cents. up 25 per
cent. The program was Is
cents instead of 10 cents, UP
so per cent.
We bought a hot dog. now
% cents. up from Is cents,
6623 per cent.
Game over. we went down.
town on the bus and had milk:
y pint for Is cents. up from
10 cents, so per cent. and
piece of pie. 20 cents. up from
10 cents. 100 per cent. This is
living? We did not go to a
show after. for they are now
SIPS instead Of IS cents, and
we couldn't afford it.
1t is deplorable when ad-
ministration officials say and
apparently believe that they
are preventing initiation by
putting Government workers
in straitjacketS while compet-
ing economy pounds them to
death.
HandcuHed.
II was interesting to note
the article in The Star giving
the account Of the testimony of
a Government employee before
the Post Office and Civil 'Serv-
ice Committee 10 the effect
that he could not properly sup
port his family on $500 a
year.
1t is not, Of course. the bust
ness OF any person TO question
another's handling of his own
finances, but please let me say
this: If this man can't main
tain his family as he thinks
he should, on this salary, how
can retired civil service en-
ployes maintain their homes
and meet their fixed expenses
on the pittances which the
Government has granted TO
those retired prior to last Oc-
tober? The vast majority of
those so retired are unable,
because of health or other
personal obligations, to engage
in any remunerative employ
ment to supplement their
entirely inadequate incomes.
Many are i'll and have heavy
medical expenses.
And how can Congress find
1t possible to give, grant, lend,
TO innumerable other nations
approximately $50 billion Of
the taxpayers money when
they do not afford their own
citizens a decent income?
1t seems those retired prior
TO last October comprise the
forgotten men and women Of
the United States.
One wonders what Senator
Neuberger means by "signifi-
cant" when he attaches this
term to the testimony given
y an Army Map Service en-
ploye at the hearings on Gov
eminent pay raises,
is 1t Significant" that this
man has seven children, his
wife bakes bread. uses no but
ter: that they have an aged
car and radio, no TV, and
neither drink nor smoke?
Significant IN relation TO what?
None of these things are
wrong. But how do they
Justify a pay raise?
II Is amazing how the
esteemed Senator can lightly
skip over reams Of documented
research so laboriously ac-
cumulated during the last FIVE
years to factually justify pay
raises based on merit and the
related duties Of employees.
Perhaps we have wasted our
efforts In assuming that Fed
eral employees should be paid
realistically. Future studies
should be based on genial
assumptions and generative
productivity II such informa-
ton is to be considered "sig-
nificant" testimony in relation
to pay for services rendered.
r. II. Woodward.
$50
The Federal Spotlight stated
a Federal employe making
n