The Washington times., 1911-02-27
NOW is THE TIME FOR THE
CLERKS TO GET BUSY.

The great accomplishment of the
magnificent mass meeting OF Govern
mcnt clerks on Saturday night was in
demonstrating to the clerks themselves
the pOt"ntiality which is represented
in their united efforts.
From the very beginning OF The
Times campaign for efficient service
with sufficient pay, there has been
disposition among the clerks to doubt
their capacity to act together and to
get results. To overcome this inertia.
to make them believe that they have
within their own hands the power to
handle their own cause, has been the
most difficult feature of the campaign.
There will hardly bc further uncer-
tainty of this kind. The Times real
iZCd vastly sooner and more definitely
than did the clerks themselves. how
willing they were to take advantage
Of their opportunity. Personal calls
and letters from many hundreds of in
dividuals brought to this office the con
viCtion that the civil service workers
would do a great work if only they
KNEW EACH OTHER and if each
willing worker quite realized how many
others were ready to cooperate.
It is the especial advantage of such
p demonstration as took place Satur-
day night. that it gets thousands OF
men and women to line up shoulder to
shoulder; TO touch elbows: to generate
that enthusiasm and earnestncss which
nothing except comradeship and mu
tual confidence can produce.
The clerks now have conception
for the first time of their own strength.
They have received the assurance that
they are not deserted and friendlcss in
Congress. They feel that loyal, intel
ligcnt, understanding supporters are
ready to push their cas-" and to de-
mand justice for them.
This much accomplished the next
thing is to GO TO WORN
Perhaps the Government employees
will be willing to read a leaf from the
experience of The Washington Times
in another campaign very similar to
this one for the civil service people
Nearly five years ago The Times took
up the cudgeIs in behalf of the gas
consumers of Washington. It's purpose
was to curb the Gas Monopoly of this
town, to get honest gas at fair prices,
and to prevent a great job in stock
watering that was then carefully plan
ned and imminent.
The story of that fight everybody in
Washington knows. The imitation job
was killed, because an aroused public
opinion, operating on Congress, killed
it whenever it came up.
Not only that, but the price of gas
has now been twice reduced and an
other reduction is promised in the next
few months. Washington would have
paid 81 and $l25 for gas for the next
decade but for that fight 1t will have
75-cent gas within the near future. and
il IS now getting gas at S5 cents.
To accomplish that much, to win a
complete victory. against the tremcnd
on, and long.cntrrnchcd power of the
Gas Monopoly. was to prove that the
public interest IN Washington CAN
GET \ HEARING WHEN TT INSISTS.
The battle for the Government en-.
ployc, will be won with vastly less die.
cnuracrmcnt aud effort than attended
the Hght against the Gas Monopoly.
Ne know that brrausc We know
snmcthiug about this Kind of struggle.
W. know that ibe country oaly needs
o. understand tho situation that Ton
russ udu.lrs larVr sud fast gruw
iug numl,rr Of mrn 81 bee taks ihs broad
Nrg uI taia GuHsiiuu ibai che u,ii
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