The Washington times., 1911-01-10
CLERKS FIGHT OPENS .
IN HOUSE TOMORROW
Gillett Will Move to Take
Up His ReclasSifca-
ton Bill.
CHANCE FOR WORKERS.
TO OBTAIN SUPPORT
Employees in Meeting Urge Revis-
ion of Old Salary
Scale.

The first round in the battle for re-
lief of civil service employees Of the
Government will be fought in the
House tomorrow.
Representative Gillett. chairman Of
the Civil Service Committee, will
move to take up his reclassitlcation
bill as the order of business The bill
looks to recognizing the civil service
forces with a view to giving larger
recognition of merit. making promo
ton easier and more responsive to
merit, and increasing a considerable
number of salaries by dint of the pro-
motions.
At present the order of business is
the Moon bill for codiflcation of Fed
eral laws. 1t has long been a conven-
lent stop-gap in the House, and MI
GiIlett will endeavor to have 1t laid
aside and the reclassifcation bill sub
stituted.
Should this motion carry there would
be excellent prospect of the Gillett bill
passing, and first step being taken in
the cause of Government employees.
Should It fail, chances for affirmative
action this session would be poor.
Chance for Workers.
. Members of the civil service force are
being urged today to use all influence
possible with members of Congress to
obtain support for the Gillett motion.
Prominent workers in the campaign for
the clerks declared this afternoon that
If the employees in Washington would do
everything in their power between now
and noon tomorrow to obtain support
from their Congressional friends there
would be no doubt of success.
The opportunity for the civil service
people to show their Willingness to do
some real work Tor themselves has been
afforded by this sudden springIng of
sharp fight. On the measure of interest,
activity, and effectiveness they display
between now and noon tomorrow will
largely depends the outcome
Want Salaries Revised.
Ways and means of obtaining an in
crease in the salaries of civil service
employees were discussed at a mass
meeting held in Public Library Hall
last night, under the auspices Of the
Civil Service Council, and several reso-
lutions to that end were adopted.
One resolution, urging a reclassifca-
ton of the salary scale, which has
been in vogue since 1853, and another
having for its object the abolition OF
the Executive orders prohibiting activ-
ity on the part of the civil service en-
ployes, were adopted after considerable
discussion.
Two Executive orders, one dated
January 81, 1902, and the other Novem-
Der 26, 1909, forbid civil service employees
fn inf in
their own behalf.
Directors Appeal to Taft.
It was decided to name a committee
Of five members to ask President Taft
TO rescind the orders or modify them
so that It will be possible for the Civil
Service Council to take a vigorous part
in the salary increase movement.
Many tributes were paid to The
washington Times by the members of
the council for the help this newspaper
has extended to the employees, not only
In conducting the recent poll on the
salary and retirement proposition. but
also for the four big editorials printed
within the past few weeks. Each
speaker referred TO the endeavors Of
The Times to assist the employees in
every way possible.
United organization of the employees
and harmony in action was the way
Of obtaining results pointed out to the
council - The three principal speakers
agreed that in organization there Is a
chance of victory, and nearly a
dozen members who made impromptu
aDesches echoed the idea.
Fear of Superiors.
A feature of the meeting was the ap-
nAsent fear of some of the civil service
employees present that something would
be done that would offend their su-
perior officers or the heads Of the de-
rartments. However, quite a number
spoke right out in meeting, declaring
that they believed it was their consti-
tutional right to exercise free speech.
President w. D. Mackenzie, who pre-
sided at the meeting, took precautions