How Things Stand Yfith

T h e quarterly ceilings were Imposed in the fo rm of an amendment to the Overtime Pay Act, au toorized by Senator Har ry P. Byrd, Democrat of Virginia, and William Langer, Republican of North Dakota. This ceiling expires on June 30, and i t Is con, sidered significant tha t no one in the executive branch of the government has supported its renewal. Prospects for the proposed base Day increased were somewhat less mstinct this week, with no s ta tem ^ t having been issued either by the President before his dea th or by Whi te House personnel Coord ina tor McReynolds, and with the confused si tuation t h a t has h i t all legislation as a result of last week's sad news. Disparity between present living costs and Federal salaries, which have not been increased during the war, will be illustrated in da ta submitted to the pay increase hear ing before the Senate Civil Service Committee scheduled to s ta r t this week unless postponed in deference to the death of Presiden t Roosevelt. Bureau of Labor Statistics will be used by Sen. Sheridan Downey, Democrat of California, to demonstrate the differences between government worker income and living expenses. Senator Downey is now completing extensive preparat ions for the hear ing on his bill to give salaried Federal workers a 15 per cent raise in base pay. His bill also includes a 21.6 per cent increase for legislative employers, in lieu of overtime. The Civil Service C<Hnmission't recommended pay reforms include t ime and a half overtime. Action on the bill f rom the House side is also expected shortly a f te r t h e end of the Easter r e cess. Rep. Ramspeck has been studying the Federal pay question. Civil S e n i c e Witnesses Leading off the witnesses will be Civil Service Commissioner Arthus S. Flemming. Ed Young will present Budget Bureau ideas, Rear Admiral F. G. Crisp will speak for Navy, and a representative of the War Depar tment will testify. Also invited to appear a re Dr. George W. Taylor, War Labor Board chairman, Economic S t a bilizer William H. Etovis, Fred Vinson, director of the Office of War Mobilization and Reconversion; Navy Secretary Forrestal , War Secretary Stimson, AFL President WiUiam Green, CIO President Phillip Murray, a n d others.