ployees herein mentioned in the act entitled "An act making appropriations for the service of the Post Office Department for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1920," approved February 28, 1919. And the Senate agree to the same. H. STEENERSON, Managers on the Part of the House. J. H. BANKHEAD, Managers on the part of the Senate. STATEMENT OF THE MANAGERS ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE. The managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreement of the House to the amendment of the Senate to the joint resolution (H. J. Res. 151) entitled "Joint resolution to provide additional compensation for employees of the Postal Service and making an appropriation therefor," submit the following written. statement in explanation of the effect of the action agreed upon by the conferees as to said amendment: The Senate amendment struck out all of the original resolution after the resolving clause and inserted new matter, entirely rewriting the bill. This included the same employees as covered by the original resolution and in addition thereto enumerated employees in the Government-owned automobile service, railway substitute clerks, the assistant agent and clerks at the postal stamp agency, Dayton, Ohio, and employees of the mail equipment shop. The House made a flat increase of $150 for all. The Senate amendment divided the employees into those receiving $1,000 or less per annum, who were increased $240; second, those receiving $1,100 or $1,200, who were increased $200; third, those receiving $1,300, $1,400, $1,500, or $1,600, who were increased $150, the same increase as provided in the House bill; and those receiving $1,700 to $2,500, who were increased $100, reducing the House figure by $50; and those receiving more than $2,500 per annum, who receive no increase. The House receded from its disagreement to the $240 increase with an amendment making an increase of $200 to employees receiving $1,000, $1,100, and $1,200. The Senate agreed to the House provision of $150 increase as to employees of $1,300, $1,400, $1,500, and $1,600. As to employees receiving more than $1,600 and not more than $2,000, the House accepted the $125 increase proposed by the Senate, and likewise the House accepted $100 increase for employees receiving more than $2,000 and not more than $2,500 proposed by the Senate. Village delivery carriers and other employees paid out of lump-sum appropriations receiving compensation of less than $1,000 per annum are given 20 per cent increase, instead of the $150 provided in the House bill. Rural carriers on routes 11 miles or less in length, under the conference measure, are to be increased $75; on routes over 11 miles and under 20 miles, $100 increase; on routes of 20 miles and under 24 miles, $150 increase; on routes 24 miles and over. $200 increase; and carriers on triweekly routes are increased one-half of these amounts. This is an increase on all routes of 24 miles and over of $50. Fourth-class postmasters, who, under the House bill were to receive 10 per cent, are increased 15 per cent under the present measure. The compensation of substitute, temporary, and auxiliary clerks and carriers was increased from 40 cents to 60 cents an hour in the House bill and remains so in the present measure. In section 2 of the Senate amendment the increases were made retroactive, so as to take effect as of July 1, 1919. As agreed to in conference, this provision is modified by a proviso, that as to substitute, temporary, and auxiliary clerks at first and second class post offices, and substitute, temporary, and auxiliary letter carriers in the City Delivery Service, and other employees paid from lump-sum appropriations, the increases shall be effective from and after the date of the passage of the act. There is also a further proviso that none of the increases provided for shall be applicable to officers or employees who have received an increase in their compensation of more than $300 during the current fiscal year. Section 3 provides that no post office shall be advanced to the next higher class as a result of increases in compensation to postmasters. herein provided for. Section 4 makes the appropriation required to meet the increases. H. STEENERSON, THOS. M. BELL, Managers on the part of the House. AMENDING THE ARTICLES OF WAR. OCTOBER 23, 1919.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. GREENE of Vermont, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 3706.] The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill H. R. 3706, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it do pass. This bill amends article 112 of the Articles of War, relating to the disposition of the effects of deceased persons, simply with a view to improving the process of administration so far as the Army's part in the matter is concerned. Its purpose is fully explained in the statement of the Secretary of War to the Committee on Military Affairs in a hearing on Army legislation July 22, 1919, as follows: Secretary BAKER. * * * It is suggested that the word "the" be inserted in front of the word "son" in the printed copy of the bill. The CHAIRMAN. Are you referring to the House bill? Secretary BAKER. I am looking at the House bill. It is simply a matter of grammatical sense in the language of the bill as found on page 2, in line 10. That will make it read in this way: "As soon as practicable after the collection of such effects said summary court shall transmit such effects, and any money collected, through the Quartermaster Department, at Government expense, to the widow or legal representative of the deceased, if such be found by said court, or to the son, daughter, father, provided the father has not abandoned the support of his family. And so forth. That language was made to read "the son " in order to make a definite statement there in regard to it. Then further along, where it says, "daughter, father, provided the father has not abandoned the support of his family"; that is additional language. The purpose of that is this: We found in a few cases, not many, but a few, that the effects of the deceased soldier instead of going to his mother, who had minor children, and perhaps sisters of the deceased soldier still to support, went by the preference of the statute as it exists to the father who had abandoned his family, and my thought was that the effects of the soldier ought to go to the mother who still had those minor children, or was in a more necessitous condition than the deserting or absconding father. Then there is a provision, two or three lines further along, where it says "or the next of kin." That is new language. The CHAIRMAN. That is new language? Secretary BAKER. That is new language, yes; that is simply to complete the enumeration, so that we will not be left without some final beneficiary; and if we can not find father, mother, brother, sister, or child we have to have the next of kin, which is the ordinary designation of the statute of distribution, and we would rather give it over to the proper legatee than sequestrate it to the estate. |