Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-19
PROTECTION OF INTERESTS
Federation of Labor Receives Proffer
of Afiiliation.
VIEWS OF PRESIDENT G0MPERs
Labor Body Glad to Assist Any
Group of Workers-Will Not
Discuss Plans.

ments have taken up the matter Of or.
ganizing union the better to protect
their interests, the matter having been
formally discussed with the officers of the
American Federation of Labor. Samuel
Gompers, president Of the a. +. of L.,
said to a reporter for The Star today:
The government clerks who have ap-
pealed to the federation for assistance in
organizing seem to be very much i'm ear
nest in the project We will be very glad
to aid them, as We are to aid any group
Of men and women who are wage-earners
in perfecting an organization to protect
their interests
Declines to Discuss Plans.
Mr.. Gompers was asked il any arrange
ments had yet been made for calling to-
gether the government employees to take
the preliminary steps in forming their or
ganization.
Il cannot discuss plans for such a meet
ing at present." replied Mr.. Gompers.
1t is well understood among the govern
ment clerks that the first stels toward
the proposed organization are to be taken
quietly and with no show of antagonism
to the federal government or to the heads
of the departments and bureaus.
Mr. Gompers said that he was very glad
to see that the clerks so far i'm nearly
all the departments had escaped having
an extra half hour ADDED to tEeir daily
working hours without an increase in pay.
Federation to Assist.
THE American Federation of Labor
will help In every possible way to pre-
vent this increase in laboring hours with
out an increase in pay said Mr.. Com
pers. But even though this scare may
be over for the time being it may recur.
The purpose of organizing a union of the
government employees is to be ready to
obtain justice for the employees whenever
1t becomes necessary. Once 1t is firmly
organized and affiliated with the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor, and with the
laboring men of the country standing
with the government clerks union, the
organization will be a power for much
good.
THE proposed union will be there to
take up questions of salary adjustment
with the government officials. There is
tendency at present to increase the
salaries of the high officials Of the gov
ernment and to ecOnomize at the expense
Of the government clerks and all other
minor employees. This is unjust. These
men and women are being asked to work
long hours and receive no more pay than
before. Yet they do the hard work of
the government.
Strike Not Contemplated.
There is no question Of strike with
the government employees. They will not
strike, but seek, through reason, to OBJ
tain their just demands. They will be
requested to work overtime by the gov
ernment, and the very nature of the gov
ernment service will demand that tney
work overtime sometimes. But there
should be some arrangement whereby the
overtime work may be equalized and not
fall upon one set of employees all the
time. AS it is, there are numbers Of
clerks who are constantly compelled to
work overtime while their fellows get off
at regular time.
The feeling among the government en-
ployes is growing steadily in favor OF
organization. They feel that while for
the moment their hours of work have
not been increased there is no guarantee
future. They wish to be forearmed
against such a movement, which would
mean more work and no more pay.
Overtime Labor Required.
In all the departments there is talk of
the increased work demanding much
overtime labor on the part Of the clerks.
A clerk in the Post Office Department
today said that in his room seven clerks
had resigned, and that no others had
been put in their places. The clerks
who remained were being compelled to
seven who had left. This is species
of government economy, said this clerk,
which is causing much feeling among
the federal employees.