The Washington times., 1911-02-26
Clerks Enthusiastically Receive Plans to Conduct ca

contrary, you have the constitution
al right to approach members of Con-
| gress on this subject There is no
| law or regulation that can prevent
you from writing to members of Con-
! gress to tell them what you want
/ and you are, none of you, asking more
! than you deserve.
Matter of Economy.
Such agitation cannot help but force
recognition of the facts in the case. To
the man who will turn and look into
the question of raising the salaries of
Government civil service employees 1t
will be patent-if the man is not blind
that all this economy that is being
preached can be served in no better
way than to raise the salaries of the
clerks and give a pension to those who
can't resign because the pitiful salaries
| they have been receiving have not been
| sufficient for them to put by anything
| for their declining years. And you who
| mean to write to Congressman on this
subject cite the instance OF the increases
recently made in the salaries of $1,000 or
more letter carriers throughout the
country. Every one of these $4,000 were
increased 800 year or more. 1t was
not extravaganza to raise their salaries,
for the United States Government al
ready has been paid back more than the
amount in increased efficiency.
Now, as to one of two men who have
made themselves we'll known by their
continual objections to any attempt TO
raise the salary of a Government en-
ploye.. This objection might be limited
to one man. / took occasion to look into
the record of one of these objectors.
bills he had proposed was rather as
tOnishing. Nearly every bill he has
tried to get through has been for an
appropriation. And these appropriations
this objector has proposed total S125,-
100000. Such are some of the men who
object on economical grounds to a raise
of few hundred dollars a year in the
salaries of the clerks.
The Goulden retirement plan is just
what you should have. The man who
doesn't believe in it's Is either too foolish
to realize it or he is intellectually dis
honest
"Agitate," Says Goulden.
Mr.. GouIden, of New York, was COM
PEELED to make his address short, that
he might go to the Capitol to vote on q
bill pending there. He concurred in the
opinions voiced by speakers who had
preceded him and repeatedly emphasized
the necessity for the clerks to agitate
the salary increase.
do what Daniel O'Connell told the
Irish to do. Agitate and keep on agi-
tating until you have been accorded
your rights. And when you do this agi-
tating, agitate for a straight-out PEN
Gillett plan of taxing you 800 or $i25 a
year is impossible. At the present rate
of salaries paid you you would have
little money left for the necessaries Of
life.
And here is a suggestion you might
n AXE to the Congressman you write to.
You might cite to him the fact that
while the Government of the United
States, with agricultural products of
something like So, 900, 900 every year, is
so poor that it pays its employees an
average of s75S per year, There is not
an employe on the payrolls of the little
city Of New York who receives less
than $500 a year. Watchmen and mes
sengers in the employ of New York
city get $1,000 a year."
Meeting Great Success.
The mass meeting was a success be-
yond all expectations. From the stand
point Of enthusiasm, attendance and
earnestness 1t was truly remarkable.
AS for tangible results, they are to
come. 1t is now the part of the clerks
to pitch in and help with their CO.
operation. All the speakers told them
that action need not be expected at
this session of Congress. All of them
held out strong hope for the next ses-
sion however.
LIZ dS II was e3QidlneOp congress dld
not act, the clerks could appeal to the
two national parties for support and by
securing Endorsement from them could
demand that the pledge be kept when
the time comes.
The point now is, that the friends OF
the employees throughout the country
must be shown the necessity of CO.
operating by making their appeals di-
rect to the members of Congress. II
these appeals come in sufficient volume
they cannot be denied.