Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1902-07-24
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.
Have 1t In Their Power to Bndly Dis
arrange Uncle Sans Affairs ShoulS
They Go on Strike.

arrange Uncle SANS AQ0lSS SAO 800 FS
They Go on Strike.
"While Washington has had several
strikes recently among it's wage earn
ers of more or less seriousness, these
were mere pigmies compared with the
giant strike of all of the government
employees in the executive departments
Of Washington for raise OF salary
which could be inaugurated if the price
of beef and other foods continue to
rise" said an old government clerk
who has weathered many political
storms and department tempests, ac-
cording to the Washington Star.
"But this is no joke. The clerks OF
the government have the government
at the mercy rather than the govern
ment having the clerks at its mercy,
as is popularity supposed, If they only
| realized it and acted concertedly and
as Il unit OF course, the idea OF
strike on the part of the employees OF
the government in Washington is en-,
tirely new, and would be of radical
| effectiveness if carried into operation.
| 1t would not be impossible of realiza-
ton if every one of the $500 employees
formed a union and obeyed its man
dates. The president would not only
have congress upon his hands, but an
army of disgruntled employees and
lot of vacant public buildings. He
would certainly be up against a hard
proposition.
| "The high price Of met and food
is felt by government employees as
keenly as by any other class OF wage
earners, yet they seem to have been
overlooked in the general discussion
| attending the impending meat fam
inc. Thousands and thousands OF them
receive from $40 to $50 month maxi
mum pay, and this is about the average
monthly pay of the averagewage earn
err. A strike on the part of every gov
eminent employe in Washington would
be a catastrophe to the country and
government alike. Temporary en-
ployes could not be put in their places,
as neither the president nor congress
can override the Law. Their places
could not be filled, as would be COM
monty supposed by host OF outsiders
unless the entire civil service commits
sion were abolished and the entire
civil service act repealed. Chaos would
reign. The vacancies would have to
be filled through the civil service, upon
the dismissal of the regular clerks, en-
cept congress wiped it out Of existence.
as would be probable in the event OF
the contingency suggest.
"There will, however, never be a
strike of government employees in
Washington for many reasons, and
only the major ones I will consider.
One is that Of any one body Of workers
none can be found where harmony OF
thought and unison of action are utter
impossibilities. I have never seen in
ten years. service any three clerks who
could agree upon any one point, il one
of the three happened to be woman
employe. l have seen men agree
among themselves, and womenhold to-
gether for a time at least, but never a
concerted agreement on the part OF
both sexes. Why? Mainly because
the women wanted to dominate their
views, and as the men would not sub
NIT, disagreement resulted. Women
as matter of fact are poor organizers.
but consider themselves past masters
at the art. The relief associations OF
the different departments are well pa
tronized by women employees. but they
are managed by men, or they would
have disrupted long ago.
$50, if all the men to a man agreed
to strike, all of the women to woman
would disagree, and vice versa. Thus.
the safety Of the government, as it
were, is in the taper-fngered hands OF
our fair friends toiling within the walls
of our public buildings. Were all Of
the employees men, and they unani-
mously agreed to strike for higher
wages. force action on the part Of con-
gress, they could tie up the govern
ment in "a hours as baby is tied up
in its crib. Another leaf in the wreath
which bedecks the brows of our fair co.
workers; they are saving the govern
ment."