Evening star., 1960-05-29

There is a distinct possibility
that they will have to settle for
even less.
Program Called Too Broad
1t became clear many
months ago that the original
ambitious program was much
too broad to win majority
support in either the Senate or
the House. Sponsors started
retreating. With each step
back, they won a few more po-
tential votes.
The process Of compromising
may have weakened the force
of minimum wage as the issue
which Senator Kennedy had
intended to use as a corner
stone of his campaign for the
Democratic presidential nomi-
nation.
Senator Kennedy started
work on minimum wage legisla-
ton last year. Delays in the
Senate have made it likely,
however. that the House will
complete action first.
A House Labor Subcommittee
plans to finish drafting its bill
next Wednesday,. The parent
House Labor Committee is
scheduled to start working on
the bill Thursday. and probably
will approve it during the week
of June 6. Clearance of The
bill by the House Rules Com
mittee is not expected to take
very long, so passage of the
measure by the House in June
Is considered likely.
Cover 5 Million Workers
Tentative agreements in the
subcommittee call for extension
Of minimum wage coverage to
about 5 million workers most
Of them in retailing and the
hotel industry. The Eisenhower
administration proposes extern
sion of coverage to only 81
million.
About "a million wage and
salary workers are covered by
existing law and about 20 mil
lion are excluded.
The subcommittee has aban-
doned the idea of raising the
minimum to SIPS Immediately.
and is trying to work out a
formula for gradual increases.
One formula being consid-
cred would give workers now
covered $l.15 Immediately, $1.20.
after one year and SIPS after
two years. Newly covered
workers would start at 81, and
then get annual boosts to $l.O5,
$110, $1.20 and SIPS.
Mitchell Hints at Veto
Secretary of Labor Mitchell
has limited at a presidential
veto of legislation raising the
minimum above S1.15. But
there is some feeling that the
President would approve a bill
going beyond $1.15 gradually.
Some subcommittee members,
however, oppose the idea. of
legislating far in advance. The
flnal decision, therefore, may
limit the step-up to one or two
years and stop the progression
short of SIPS.
The subcommittee also is
working on formulas for grad
ual reduction of the work week
OF newly covered workers to 40
hours, with premium pay for
overtime. Secretary Mitchell
opposes a ceiling on hours for
this group of workers.
The AFL-CIO has accepted
the idea of gradual step-ups
IN the wage floor, but is wary
OF long delays in reaching SIPS.
The Senate Labor Commit
Tee has been working informal
ly on compromises to limit the
scope Of Senator Kennedy's
bill, but the committee bill has
not yet taken shape. 1t will in
corporate the wage step-up
principle. and will extend COW
erage to several million fewer
workers than the II million
he proposed last year.
Reasons for Delay
Action by the committee has
been delayed by Senator Ken
nedy's campaigning, by the
civil rights debate and recently
by showdown tactics by Minor
1ty Leader DirkSen. Senator
Drksen, who opposes minimum
wage legislation, has prevented
meetings of the committee
While the Senate is in session.
Majority Leader johnson has
contributed to the delay by
scheduling morning sessions of
the Senate, thereby giving Sen
ator Dirksen an opening for his
objections. Those who feel SEN
ator johnson, an undeclared
presidential contender, is pur-
posely helping to delay action
offer three possible motives:
l. He wants to embarrass
Senator Kennedy.
2. He wants the House to
pass a bill first so that he can
take the lead in pushing lib
eralizing amendments through
the Senate.
3. He wants the Senate to
pass the House bill without
amendment. thus avoiding a
A - A EI.L.l