The Negro world., 1900-04-21
ALL WANT MORE PAY
How Government Clerks Worry the
Life Out of congressmen.
Minnesota Statesman Tells the story
Of His Trials and TrfbuIatfons
Private John Allen On
=#Z saIaFy Grabbing.

S0NGRESSMANZ FLETCHER. of
I Minneapolis. familiarity known
by his thousands of friends as
"Uncle Loren," is one of the most
kindly disposed men In the congress,
but even his temper is sometimes ruff
fled by unreasoning demands sZupon
his time and influence by those who
seek self.interest most persistent.
Tt Is always a pleasure TO me-" he
says, ito help get employment for
those who desire to work. and ! have
often given employment in my own
business to worthy ones out of work.
Those who seek employment In the
government offices. however. are ex-
ceedingly unreasonable. They know
that the civil service law exists, and
that Ii must be obeyed, as all laws are
obeyed. Nevertheless, there are peo-
pie who will not believe a congress-
man when he says that he cannot get
employment for them. outside of the
civil service rules and classification.
No. congressman doesn't like TO be
called liar any more than any other
man likes it. II naturally rufiies me
when ] am told, or see IL intlmated
by word or deed, that my word is
doubted, after have made an honest
effort to try to find employment for
an ofIiceseeker.
Then there Is another thing which
Is exceedingly annoying. After months
or years OF effort. when n man or
woman receives q civil service appoint
ment at 5000 per annum, that Is mere
ly the beginning OF the trouble. Be
fore the appointment is secured tho
applicant looks forward to perfect
happiness on that income. But no
sooner Is the appointment received
than the lucky one becomes despond-
ent and unhappy, because others are
receiving larger salaries; and then the
congressman Is harassed and worried
10 use his influence to get promo
tion to 81 900 per annum. II that is
done. the congressman is then hound.
ed to get another promotion, and so
on nd infinitum. The ofIiceseekinR Ia
bad enough, but to have IL followed
up by demands for promotion all the
time makes me tired and weary of
the whole business. Every govern
Hent clerk should stand on his or her
own merits"
A bill pending granting an increase
of salary to high school teacher OF
this city brought forth good speech
from the witty Mr. Allen, of Mississip-
pi, who said: II want to indorse what
the chairman of the committee ON
appropriations has just said. Gentle
men, you who do not have to deal with
these appropriations for salaries, 1t Is
very hard for you to appreciate the
pressure brought TO bear on the Ap-
preparations committee for the In
crease of salaries, and the fact that
every employe of the government can
get up an argument and show you
why his or her particular salary
should be increased. do not think
there Is an employe in the District OF
Columbia who could not give you all
the statistics ms TO what every other
employe of like character in every
other place In the world Is getting.
and that seems to he part of the
civil service education here. (Laugh-
teri
"rhere il no other city where per.
son can afford TO work as cheap as In
Washington. There is no other city
that l know of where rents are cheap
er. where charities are better dis.
penscd. with more free hospitals, free
school books. free libraries, free ev-
erything almost except food, which
you can buy as cheap here as you can
anywhere else; and. then, the other
and greater educational advantages
here of going into the galleries and
looking down upon this body oeca-
sionally. G.aughter) Now, they have
brought up comparison between the