Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-28


Civil Service Federal Pay subcol
AS the subcommittee woun
chairman, Senator Neuberger, ]
These hearings have estak
table case for Federal pay
raises"
No one quarreled with Senator
Neuherger's observation.
Not only Federal employe
leaders, but top industrialists and
business spokesman and profess
sional and civic leaders presented
tetimony urging Government pay
increases.
The facts presented to the
subcommittee boiled down to
these points: Federal salaries
have never caught up to the
purchasing power of Govern
ment workers prior to World
War II and are falling farther
behind all the time. Meanwhile,
there has been continuing rounds
of pay raises in industry. with
the result that Federal salaries
lag considerably behind those of
industry.
The result is more and more
key employees leaving the Gov
eminent for better-paying in
dustry Jobs. Because Of this the
Governments defense program
and other essential public serv-
ices are endangered because of
the lack Of capable and expert
enced personnel.
VERN MENT Los E S
MONEY-The witnesses said
this exodus from Government
would continue unless Federal
pay was raised upward in line
with industry salaries. AS for
the cost aspect. the witnesses
testified that it Is more costly
to the Government in the long
run to pay lesser salaries.
1t was pointed out that 1t
costs between $500 to $500 to
train each new employee. With
the Governments personnel
turnover rate at more than $780,
900 a year. this comes to a stable
amount-considerably more In
cost over the long run than a
Federal pay increase would en-
tail.
Does the American public sup
port Federal pay raises?
Senator Marlborough, the new
Senator from Texas and a mem
Der Of the subcommittee, said
they do If the response Of the
people Of his own State is any
indication.
Senator Marlborough remarked
that during his election cam
paign the past few months, he
made numerous speeches and
radio and television talks calling
for stable pay raises for Federal
workers.
Il have not received one letter
OF protest or any adverse COM
ment from anyone in my State
as a result Of my remarks"
Senator Marlborough noted.
The subcommittee will hold a
preliminary session tomorrow
preparatory to sitting down and
reporting the classified and post
al pay raise bills. The subcom-
mittee's recommendations to the
full committee should be forth
coming within the next 10 days.
There is a good possibility that
the subcommittee will recon-
mand a postal pay raise of about
$500. and percentage classified
pay boost Of about 10 per cent.
1t should be stressed. however,
that nothing is definite on the
pay raise amounts and undoubt-
eddy the views Of the Democratic
leadership in the Senate will be
taken In account before the
amounts are determined.
STRUGGLE-During the pay
hearings. various members Of
Congress submitted letters from
Federal employe constituents who
detailed the hardships Of trying
to live on their salaries. Many
postal and some classified work.
ers In the lower-income brackets
said they were forced to take
outside jobs to augment their
income. Others said their wives
were forced to go TO work. even
though they had small children.
And Yesterday the stihrnvnnait.