Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-07-24
Police and Fire
Boost Goes to
White House
BY GRACE BAssETT
star star Writer

ences In pay raise legislation
for District teachers In the wake
Of Senate action which raised
police and firemen's pay 1873
per cent.
The Senate vote last night
was the final congressional ae-
ton on the police-flre measure.
II now goes to the White House
for the Presidents signature.
But the l7.8 per cent increase
the Senate voted for teachers
was 2 per cent less than recon-
mended by the Senate District
Committee and 4 per cent more
than the figure voted by the
House.
Senate passage therefore sent
the school pay bill back to
the House. BY lacking the
House number on the Senate
bill, the Senate steered the
proposal straight to the House
floor rather than through the
District Committee again.
Time-Saving Device
Such q time-saving device
leaves the House free either to
accept the Senate version or
demand a conference to iron
out differences.
Senate District Committee
Chairman Bible, Democrat Of
Nevada, sponsored the amend
ment slicing 2 per cent from
the 20 per cent teacher pay
boost reported by his own COM
mittee.
His retreat was aimed at
striking a balance fair to
teachers and possible Of pas
sage" he declared.
He won support Of Demo-
cratic Senators Proxmire Of
Wisconsin, Clark of Pennsyl-
vania and Morse Of Oregon on
one condition: It was that the
fight against further reductions
in conference would be carried
ito the very end"
Senator Proxmire "reluc-
family" agreed to the amend
ment. in interests not Of
educational realism, but Of
political realism"
1.-THE 17.8 per cent is an ir-
reducible minimum" Senator
Clark maintained.
II vote for this amendment
only with the pledge on my lips
to continue fighting in this and
every other Congress for Lam
guage that will do justice TO
District school children" said
Senator Morse. -
so Per Cent Preferred
The three District commit
teemen, with Senator Beall,
Republican Of Maryland, in
sisted they preferred the go
per cent teachers salary in
crease urged by the District
Education Association.
Senator Proxmire, who rallied
District Committee members
behind the 20 per cent orig
inally. cited these shortcomings
in the District system: One
fifth of the teachers are not
certified. Thirty per cent Of
science and mathematics teach.
ers fail to meet required stand
ards. Ten times as many posi-
tons exist as there are teachers
to fill them. The annual
teacher turnover is 1873 per
cent. =
A second amendment from
Senator Beall to correct an in
equity was shouted down by
voice vote. He wanted to re-
store to teachers awarded mas
ter degrees between l947 and
1855 pay credit they lost for
experience previous to that
time.
Identical Minimums
AS passed. the Senate bill
starts minimums for teachers
with bachelors degrees at
$4,000, with masters degrees at
$1,000 and with masters de-
grees plus 30 academic credits,
300. These minimums are
identical in the House bill.
But salaries at all other levels
are changed to reflect the 17.8
per cent increase over present
pay.
School Supt. Carl F. Hansen
would draw $4,000 annually,
under both House and Senate
bills.
Teachers salaries will cost
the District $6.3 million an
nually. Another $3.4 million
will cover retroactivity in the
bill to January /. according to
Senator Bible.
District officials plan to ash
for close to $40 million in un.
Federal payments
next January to help pay the
bill.
The police bill applies To
United States Park Police and
White House Police. as well
as the Metropolitan Police and
Fire Departments.
Starting salaries would DO
$4,000 compared to the cur
rent $4,193. Police and fire
chiefs would draw $4,000, with
a maximum Of $17,100 available
in 10 years.
EA1I.. - La.