The Washington times., 1911-03-01
end only one way: in justice to the
clerks. Here is an excerpt from MIR
Gooper's address on Monday:


! clerks. Here is an excerpt from MIR.
Gooper's address on Monday:
MIR. Cooper of Wtsconsin-Mr. Speaker,
| / desire TO call attention to provision
| of this conference report, Whlch may pe
! sand. in a measure. TO repair an inluStlce
dor e by the first report, but which new
ertkeless falls far short of doing real JUS
| tice to certain underpaid Government
employees. NV colleague from WISCONSIN
| tAir. Kopp), when the first report was
| before the House, called attentloh 10
some of the items Which mad oeeh
agreed upon by the Senate and House
ccnferees. That report showed, as TINS
one shows, how employees of the rank
and file are neglected and disseminated
| against. Hero Is copy OF the hrst re-
port ask attention to some OF its
provisions. For example, it provides an
increase for a chief clerk from 5000 to
81, eco a 81 OUe increase for a man re-
ceiving a salary of $1,000. do not OBJ
ieCt to that increase. Perhaps ne Is
wortb>it. Yet it is true that he was al
Rnt what follows TO this l ask espe-
cial attention Immediately after the
s., 900 clerks $1,000 increase is this
read from the rerort-''iEc firemen at
5000, instead Of $72O, each, as proposed by
the Senate"
The Senate. it seems, wished to give
the firemen 500 each, but the House con-
ferees objected. Finally all the con-
ferees agreed on $500. These. hve tire.
men were 10 receive Cnlv 500, instead OF
$50. a month each. Refuse them even
the little salary of 500 a month, but give
5000 man Sl,c00 more!
However, this time the ConferecS nave
reported 2 provision for eight hremen al
$40 each. The suggestion OF my col
league seems to have had some effect.
This is slight Improvement. II in
CreaScs the salary OF each of these men
$50 a ycal, ard vet the total annual sal
arv of $40 il grossly inadequate. The
Government Of the United States has no
business to paw oIv $50 month TO any
reputable man regularly employed i'll
this service. No man can live as white
man. nor as a black man ought tC live,
in the ,.it.' of Washington, provide FOR
his family, by fuel and food and cloth
ing. and perhaps paw rent ara no" anu
then doctors bill on $l5 a week. 1t Is
the duty of this Government to pay a
decent living wage to CVCrv man ana
woman il its employ.
| am assured hN my friend, tie gentle
man from New York (Mr. GOuldenl, that
no watchmau employed by the city of
New York receives less than 1910 year.
Rut the Government Of the United
States, the :'ichcsI-yeS, vastly the rich
cst-errploycr in the world, pays its
watchmen only S72e 4 year, and they
wCrk-at least some of them do-every
day in the wear.
Now, il is true that not all Govern
ment employees are underpaid, though
many of them are: but ! ask candid
Judgment whether the Government of
the United States should pay watchmen
who work every day in the year. includ-
ing Sundays, as one OF them told me
last week he did. only $50 month. My
attention has only recently been called
TO this subject. one of these watchmen
mentioned II to me. He has a wife and
four children. Week before last he said
to me: Mr. Cooper, I do not know that
! ought to speak to NOu about II, but
have used up my little savings, and It
worries my wife and me almost 10 death
TO know what to do. | cannot go into
anything else: have no other business.
I get only $50 a month Th" price of
living Is going up so that we barely can
keep soul and body together"
He is an emplOve of the United states
most magnificent buildings in the world.
There are many Government clerks
and other employees whose wages are
too small.
Now, a man is not necessarily a dCma-
gOgUc because he speaks here as a
friend of these underpaid men and wOm-
en-. Advocates of better wages for these
people arc not demagOGuCs. This is
question of simple justice. 1t is utterly
wrong for the United States Govern
ment TO have any person work for IL in
any capacity for the mcageT, inadequate
pay now received by many in its en-
plOy. When the opportunity comes, !
shall do what I can to help get adequate
salaries for the faithful body OF Govern
ment employees. (ApplauseD