BILL VETOED BY EISENHOWER

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27664, 21 May 1955, Page 7

BILL VETOED BY EISENHOWER

Pay Rise For Postal Workers Refused (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, May 19. President Eisenhower vetoed today a wage rise of 8.8 per cent, for 500,000 postal workers. He said the rejected measure was “unfair" and too expensive. It was the first measure the President has vetoed since the Democrats took control of Congress in January, but there were bipartisan predictions that his action would be sustained. The first and probably* the final test will come in the Senate next Tuesday. A two-thirds vote in each House is necessary to override a veto. The House of Representatives will not vote if the Senate fails to pass the bill over the Presidential veto. Mr Eisenhower urged Congress promptly to enact instead a measure raising postal pay rates by an average of about 7.6 per cent. The President said that while there could be reasonable differences of opinion about the exact amount of the rise postal workers should receive, there could be no compromise with the principle of fairness, and any pay legislation must be fair to all to whom it applied. He objected particularly because rural mail carriers received a smaller rise than did city carriers.