Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
4525715
label
Wages and Cost of Living (Background information - no speech), 1955?
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
4525715
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Wages and Cost of Living (Background information - no speech), 1955?
citationUrl
collections
Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
Speeches
subjects
Government salaries
iiifBase
thumbnailUrl
largeImageUrl
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
4525715
coverageEndDate
dateQualifier
?
logicalDate
1955-12-31
year
1955
coverageStartDate
dateQualifier
?
logicalDate
1955-01-01
year
1955
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
url
mediaId
dd94a67b31491c0c
ocrText
The original documents are located in Box D14, folder "Wages and Cost of Living
(Background information - no speech), 1955?" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press
Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box D14 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
SOME FACTS ON FEDERAL SALARIES, INDUSTRIAL
WAGES, AND THE COST OF LIVING
1. Wage Increases approved by Congress for federal Civil Service employees,
1945 to date.
A. July 1, 1945: 8.9 per cent to 20 per cent increase with an
average of 15.9 per cent.
B. July 1, 1946: 14.2 per cent increase with a ceiling of $250
annually.
C. June 30, 1948: Flat increase of $330 annually averaging about
11 per cent.
D. October 28, 1949: Reclassification program with an average increase
of $140, making an overall increase of abour 4 per cent.
E. June 30, 1951: 10 per cent increase with a $3.00 minimum and $800
maximum.
F. This has meant an average salary increase of 40.4 per cent for federal
Civil Service employees since 1946.
2. Wage increases approved b y Congress for employees of the Post Office Depart-
ment 1945 to date.
A. July 1, 1945: Increase of $400 annually to all.
B. Jan. 1, 1946: Increase of $400 annually to all.
C. June 30, 1948: Increase of $450 annually to all.
D. Nov. 1, 1949: Increase of $120 annually to all.
E. July 1, 1951: Increase of $400 annually to all.
F. This has meant an average increase in the base salary of all Post
Office employees of 61 per cent since 1946.
B. Letter Carriers only:
1. Minimum salary was increased by 55.7 per cent since 1946.
2. Maximum salary was increased by 31.3 per cent since 1946.
3. The earnings of all letter carriers as represented by the
average base salaries increased 42 per cent since 1946.
3. Increase in Veteran's pension and compensation since 1946.
A. In 1946, a 100 per cent disabled veteran was paid service-conneeted
compensation at the rate of $115 a month.
B. In 1954, he received $181 a month.
C. This represents an increase of $66 or 57 per cent.
D.
Pensions for non-service connected disability rose from $50
a month in 1946 to $66.15 in 1954; an increase of $16.15 or 32
per cent.
GESALO FORD FEBRARY
4. Increase in the gross earnings of all production workers in manufacturing
industries.
A. Labor Department Index Figure as of July 1946 was 81.9 while
in November 1954 it was 137.8.
B. This represents an increase of 68.3 per cent.
C. Average gross earnings in July 1946 were $43.38 per week
while in November 1954 they had risen to $72.98. This is an
increase of 68.2 per cent.
5. Labor Department's Consumer Price Index showing the rise in the cost of
living since 1946.
A. In July 1946 the Index figure was 84.6. It had risen to
114.6 in November 1954. (Basic years for 100 are 1947-1949)
B. This is an increase of 30 points or 35.5 per cent in the cost
of living between 1946 and 1954.