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APPROPRIATION BILL, 1918

HEARINGS

(U.S. Congress. Hause.

BEFORE SUBCOMMITTEE OF HOUSE COMMITTEE
ON APPROPRIATIONS, Į

CONSISTING OF

MESSRS. JOSEPH W. BYRNS (CHAIRMAN), THOMAS UPTON SISSON,
JOHN M. EVANS, JAMES P. BUCHANAN, JAMES W.
GOOD, AND WILLIAM H. STAFFORD

IN CHARGE OF

THE LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE, AND JUDICIAL
APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1918

SIXTY-FOURTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

1915

LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE, AND JUDICIAL

APPROPRIATION BILL, 1918.

HEARINGS CONDUCTED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE, MESSRS. JOSEPH W. BYRNS (CHAIRMAN), THOMAS UPTON SISSON, JOHN M. EVANS, JAMES P. BUCHANAN, JAMES W. GOOD, AND WILLIAM H. STAFFORD, OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN CHARGE OF THE LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE, AND JUDICIAL APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1918, ON THE DAYS NAMED.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1916.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

STATEMENT OF MR. HERBERT PUTNAM, LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS.

Mr. BYRNS. As I remember, last year we had rather extended hearings, and it is possible you asked for all of these increases at that time. I remember the committee allowed a considerable number of increases in the lower-paid positions. If you would like to make a general statement as to these increases, we will be glad to hear you. I may state the committee will avail itself of the information furnished last year with reference to these increases.

INCREASE OF SALARIES.

Mr. PUTNAM. That information covers this present list on page 5 of the letter of transmittal. All of these increases are proposed in the lower grade salaries. The situation as to those was explained to your committee last year and the year before. Of course, as you know, it is accentuated now. You know the conditions of the market, and you know how business houses are trying to meet the conditions by increases of pay, as reported in the newspapers. The case of the lower grade Government employee is in a way harder than that of a clerk in business, because there is no mobility among such workers. A clerk in the Government service can not step out into business with the ease with which a clerk in a business house steps from one business house to another. So these lower grade people at salaries below $1,200 are practically fixed here, and they can only look to Congress to improve their salaries. You have been sympathetic for two years past, last year and the year before, in granting a small increase in these lower grades, an increase of $60 a year. Last year it was granted in 110 positions, all the positions except 1 from $720 to

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