Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-22
LEGISLATIVE BILL
PASSED By THE SENATE IN
THREE HOURS YESTERDAY.

The Legislative. executive and judicial ep-
preparation bill was passed by the Senate
yesterday at about $40 o'clock and within
three hours from its first reading 1t carries
appropriations aggregating 80, SIS, $50. an
| increase of s5o.345 over the amount reported
to the Senate
After The Stars report of the Senate pro-
eeedings was closed yesterday afternoon Mr..
McCumber referred to the section Of the
legislative bill that provides that 1t shall not
be lawful hereafter for any clerk or other
employe In the classified service In any of
the executive departments to be transferred
from one department to another until such
clerk or other employe shall have served for
term of one year in the department from
which he desires to be transferred
Mf- McCumber moved to change the time
or one year to six months, which he said
had been the proba tionary term in the goy-
eminent service.
Differences of Salary.
Il want to call attention to another fact"
said Mr.. McCumber. land that is the reason
make the motion to amend and why ask
the senator from Illinois for information /
understand that the salaries for clerical
work are different in the various depart
nehtS Tor practically the same kind of la
ooi, ana that 1t always has been So or at
ieaSt mas been SO for a great many years
why should clerk of O. certain grade
receive, when working In the patent Office
Tor the character OF work that is there re-
CURED. from $40 to $40 a month only and
dol .ne same character of work in another
uepartnent from $50 to SIS month? Under
thls mas grown up a system Of a great MANY
accepting employment in the patent office
I lor compensation upon which 1t is impos-
sipie Ior them to live in the city of Wash
10 rat f1at,.
board Their only hope Is that they can make
q sacrince Tor given number OF months
, u,l... lhey can get transfer to a depart
Heue Where they will be paid living wapes
FOR my part, do not understand wby
any employe should be forced to nerforn,
clerical service in the patent office for $40
a. i.ioilth Whlie Tor the same kind of service
IN ahother department s75 month is maid
II the salaries for the same class of labor
were raised to practically the same amonnt
SO mat they would be similar in all the
departments, then there might be some
reason for compelling clerks to ren,ai, IN
one department for one or for three wears:
put so long as one department or hureau
80 INA. department is used as an introduce
tory stage by great many who desire tn
get government employment it seems 10 me
ehat we ought TO give them an opportunity
-, 70 oe transferred where they can receive
living wages"
Mr.. Cul1om's Reply
Mr. Cullom replied that the House had
fixed the time at three years In which a
clerk could not be transferred The COM
mittee had cut 1t down to six months.
or course" said Mr.. Cullom, there are
reasons that make 1t seem very hard to
Keep man in the employ of one depart
ment when by being transferred to another
ne would get twice as much paw hut that
Is always so In the departments They do
not pay all alike. In one department mora
Is frequently paid for q certain class az
disposition, as We all know on the MARI of
clerks to be dissatisfied wherever thew NAV
pc Ihey want promotion, or they want to
De transferred from one dena rtment 70
another, and they sometimes become verv
annoying to the heads of the Departments
IN making their applications So It seemed
70 me committee on appropriations on the
part or the Senate that one year nerhans
would not be an extravag giant time: h,,t 60
Tar as am concerned, l have no objection
10 making it six months If that win be
satisfactory to the senator and I am will
made" ~ pe
agreed to. was 'iieh
senator Overman introduced an amend
ment increasing the appropriation for the
employment of special agents to investf-
gate the foreign trade conditions from
$4,000 to 100000, in order to tnvestipata
particularly the markets for cotton goods
Senator Cullom made a point of order
against 1t, which the Vice President sus
tanned.
Mr.. Overman's Amendment.
Senator Overman then moved to Increase
the appropriation to $50, 900, without des-
fgnating the manner in which it shall be
expended. The motion was supported
earnestly by Senator Bacon. Senator
Frye, chairman of the committee on COM
merce, said his committee had bills mend
Ing providing for the investigation of
the cotton market, and he Endorsed the
motion.
The amendment was agreed to and the
Senate then consented to the provision
directing that the increase be used In cot
ton-market inquiries.
In supporting the provision Senator Ra-
con said: THE gold value of raw cotton
exported each year from the United States
exceeds the value Of all the gold produced
IN the year in all the mines of all the
world. The gold value of the cotton pro-
duced in Georgia alone exceeds each year
all the gold produced each year In the
whole Of the United States, including
Alaska"
A plea was made by Senator Carter in
favor of increases of pay for committee
clerks, and he declared that Congress had
been cowardly in not raising salaries of
members.