The Washington times., 1911-02-26
THE GOVERNMENT employees
READY FOR BATTLE.

No person could have looked out over
the sea of faces at the Convention Hall
last evening and then turned to listen
to the words spoken by prominent
members of Congress on the platform
without realizing that this movement
for increased pay for Government en-
ployes has assumed stupendous pro-
portions, and is something in which
the employees themselves and Congress
are intensely interested.
The meeting is bound to be produc-
tive of good results in many ways.
First, it is plainly evident that the
employe himself realizes that whether
his pay is increased depends in great
measure upon him. The method by
which he can gain fair treatment at
the hands of Congress was plainly in
dicated: He must spread a knowledge
of his needs throughout the country.
Without violating the Executive order,
which denies the Government employe
the right to petition Congress in his
own behalf, the employe must tell the
folks back home" all about the salary
and working conditions which have
grown up about him. They will do the
rest.
That every employe at last nights
meeting carried this conviction home
with him was apparent. No words,
resolutions, or protestations of intent
were needed. Their faces told as
plainly as spoken sentences what lay
in the minds of the employees when
the big assembly dissolved.
The meeting will also have a whole
some effect on Congress. No one can
say today that the Government en-
pIoye hasn't enough energy to help
himself This old charge crumbled
and faded to nothingness when the
meeting opened with more than 5000
Government employees present. Those
members of Congress who hold over
in the new Congress, and those mem
bers of the new Congress who are to
come, cannot escape knowledge of the
seriousness of the Government en-
ploye's condition, nor of his determi
nation to get justice. Five thousand
men and women do not gather to-
gether to hear their salaries and work
ing conditions discussed unless there
is something radically wrong with the
system under which they labor. Those
things don't happen without serious
provocation. The mere fact that such |
a large number of employees expressed
mute protest against their employer
by attending the meeting must make
the employer begin to think about the
case and begin to consider what should
be done about it.
That such a large number of in
fluential members of Congress were
present and expressed such definite
convictions concerning the salaries of
Government employees is another evil
dence of the extent to which the fight
for increased pay has been carried. This
should encourage every employe in
Washington to exert every possible
effort through his friends at home to
gain more recruits among members OF
the Senate and House. 1t can be done.
Between now and next December,
when the new Congress meets, the
10000 Government employees in Wash
ington can, if they will, create such
widespread sentiment for decent treat
ment for themselves and their CO.
laborers in the classified civil service
elsewhere that the relief long deserved
and long denied will be realized.
Other agencies can help the Govern
ment employe, but the real, effective
work that will convert the Senator
and Representative to the clerks cause
must be done by the clerks themselves.
A GREAT JURY SPEECH Tci