Washington
News Letter
SALARY DIFFERENTIAL
President Tiuman lins signed an
■executive order continuing until
January 1, 1949. the present admin
istrative practice of paying a 25 per
eerit salary differential to Federal
employees outside continental
United States and in Alaska.
The necessity for the regulations
to be issued by the President in an
executive order was embraced in a
bill passed by Congress and ap
proved June 30 of this year. One
section of that bill, the Supple
mental Offices Appropriation Act
for 1949, stated in part that “any
appropriations or funds available
to executive departments, inde
pendent establishments and wholly
owned government corporations
for payment of salaries and com
pensation to persons stationed out
side the continental United States
or in Alaska whose rates of basic
compensation are fixed by statute
will be available for the payment
of additional compensation to such
persons based on living costs sub
stantially higher than in the Dis
trict of Columbia or conditions of
environment which differ substan
tially from conditions of environ
ment in the States and warrant
additional compensation as a re
cruitment incentive, or both such
factors.” Provision was made that
the additional compensation would
be paid in accordance with regula
tions prescribed by the President.
The section also stated that any
differential in effect at the time
the law was approved, June 30,
would continue to be paid for 60
days or until the President issued
regulations, whichever date was
earlier. The President's executive
order was delayed in issuance but
it contains a provision making the
regulations retroactive to coyer the
period since the lapse of the sec- j
tion described above.
The President’s executive order
instructs the Civil Service Commis- !
sion to determine between now I
and January 1 what areas outside j
tiie continental United States and
in Alaska have living costs higher |
than the District of Columbia and j
where “the conditions of environ
ment differ substantially from con
ditions of environment in the
States and warrant additional com
pensation as a recruitment incen
tive, or both factors." After that
! determination has been made, the
• Civil Service Commission is to fix \
■ rates of additional compensation .
for each area and issue regulations
accordingly.
It will be recalled that the pay- j
; ment of a 2.") per cent salary dif
j ferential to Federal employees in
1 Alaska and other places outside
Listen !
i
TO THE
SEWARD HOUR
MONDAY THRU SATURDAY 4j00 TO 4:45 P.M.
KEN I
550 Kilocycles 5000 W*M*
. . —''s,w —> J
baud book leave little uncovered
{§ Alfttki life.
The book coo taint information
he prospective tenters, historical
and geographical information
about all para of the territory. —
neater that travelers may
hotel, retort and night club
aaodations, hunting and
lodges, coat of living, empL
prospoets, housing and edw
air, water, rail and highway
portation systems, rates and
dea; defense measures, populati
statistics.
Featured in the book are many
pages of pictures of business estab
lishments in the principal
the continental United States has
been a subject of considerable con
cern for a number of years.
Prior to 1943 various government
agencies having employees outside
the continental United States had
different policies regarding salary
differentials. Some agencies paid
no attention whatsoever, others
paid varying percentage increases
over basic rates and still others
paid a full 25 per cent differential
in addition to base pay. In 1943,
due to complaints and dissatisfac
tion with this system, the Civil
Service Commission, afer consulta
tion with the various agencies, is
sued a departmental circular set
ting forth a policy agreement ad
dressed to heads of departments
and independent establishments
on the subject of salary differen
tials. As a result of that circular,
different government agencies en
tered into voluntary agreements to
pay the differential, and since that
time a general differential has
been paid to federal employees
coming under the Classification
Art of 1923. as amended, bolstered
by opinions of the Comptroller
General of the United States.
On August 24, 1945, President
Truman requested the Civil Serv
ice Commission and the Bureau
of the Budget to conduct a joint
study and prepare a report with
recommendations on the differen
tial problem. It is understood, how
ever, that although a comprehen
sive report was drawn up and
recommendations made they were
tentative and preliminary in na
ture and were not placed in force
prior to the congressional action
outlined above. However, the ad
ministrative practice of paying the
differential was continued and will
be. under the presidential order,
until January 1 of next year, at
which time a procedure will be set
up by the Civil Service Commis
sion.
COAST GUARD HEADQUARTERS
FOR ALASKA
The Coast Guard Distract for
Alaska will be re-established on or
about July 1, 1949, acording to a
recent announcement made by Sec
retary of the Treasury Snyder.
However, Secretary Snyder stated,
determination of the locality of
the headquarters has not yet been j
made.
Upon making further inquiry into
the matter. Delegate Bartlett’s of
fice was informed that the antici
pated visit to Alaska the latter
part of September by Admiral
Joseph F. Farley, the commandant
of the Coast Guard, has been can
celled. It had previously been an
nounced that Admiral Farley
would make an inspection trip in
Alaska. As far as is known now
there are no plans for any other
Coast Guard official from Wash
ington to go to Alaska on this mat
ter in the near future or even this
fall. Secretary Snyder visited Alas
ka this summer, it will be recalled,
as did Coast Guard officials.
Rear Admiral Merlin O’Neill, as
sistant commandant of the Coast
Guard, further informed Delegate
Bartlett’s office that the date of
July 1. 1949, did not necessarily
mean that the headquarters would
not be established before that date
ELECT
Aimer J. Peterson
FEARLESS — INDEPENDENT — ENERGETIC
Republican Candidate
FOR
Attorney General
. GENERAL ELECTION — OCTOBER 12th. 1948
QUALIFICATIONS OF A VOTER: ANY AMERICAN CITIZEN 21
fEARS OF AGE, RESIDENT OF ALASKA ONE YEAR AND RESID
ING IN PRECINCT 30 DAYS BEFORE ELECTION MAY VOTE. NO
PREVIOUS REGISTRATION NECESSARY.
—pd. adv.
but rather that date was given as
a goal and it was hoped that the
reestablishment could take place
long before then. Time is still
needed, Admiral O’Neill stated, to
continue studying the investiga
tions already made as to the pos
sibilities of locating the headquar- 1
ters at Juneau or the possibilities
of relocating the headquarters at
Ketchikan. There are advantages
and disadvantages to both places,
Admiral O’Neill declared, and the
^matter must be resolved before a
determination is made.
In July of 1947 the Alaska Coast
Guard District was abolished and
consolidated with the Seattle head
quarters, a move vigorously at
tacked by Delegate Bartlett and
other Alaskans, who were joined
in their fight by Congressman
Jackson of Washington. As an out
come of these protests the Coast
Guard officials agreed to a survey
which was made this past sum
mer which has resulted in the an
nouncement made by Secretary
Snyder.
Spain sold Florida to the United
States in 1820 for $5,000,000.
The first New Year’s Day baby
born in Boston in 1735 was Paul
Revere.
EASTERN STAR TO HAVE
CARD PARTY. SEPT. 25
The Seward Chapter of the East
ern Star is having a card party
Saturday, evening, Sept. 25, at
8:00 o’clock, in the Masonic Hall.
Bridge and pinochle will be
played and there will be square
dancing for those who do not play
cards.
Refreshments will be served for
the price of $1.00 per person.
The public is invited.
Charalette Curtis entertained
Tuesday evening at the Wagon
Wheel at a birthday dinner in hon
or of her sister, Mrs. Jimmie Tolof.
Special music was furnished by
Mrs. Howard Smith at the piano
and Wally Johnson, banjo.
Guests were Mr. Jimmie Tolof.
Mr. and Mrs. Kenny Shelton and
daughters Sandra and Darlene,
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Schmidt.
Steve Snell, and Dean.Bedford.
SALLY'S SALLIES
"She’s an opportunist, dear. She met the wolf at the door, and
next day she appeared in a new fur coat!"
IF YOUR DEALER CANT SUPPLY YOU.
LET GEORGE DO IT
ENGINES, POWER TOOLS. MACHINERY
6. H. Everftt
Merchandising Serrice
Seward
Box 411
Madison St
Visit Mt. McKinley
Park Hotel
In the Heart of Scenic Alaska
TRAINS LEAVE SEWARD j
Thursday and Saturday
at 7:30 A.M. 1
CONNECTIONS FOR FAIRBANKS FROM ANCHORAGE ON
MONDAY. WEDNESDAY and FRIDAY.
For Rturralioni at McKINLEY
Phone ARCO 1 1, Anchorage
or Write ALASKA RAILROAD,
Anchorage