The Washington times., 1911-02-26

go to Europe the work Of the depart
ments would go on just the same. These
clerks can run the Government The
President and his advisers may frame
! the policies. but the old employees are
| the ones who make the wheels of Gov
ernment go round"
Mr.. Davis discussed gag orders for
time. He said the clerks were no
worse or under the Roosevelt order than
were the members of Congress, who
consult on Government matters with
anybody but the head of a department.
He said he did not like Ihe one any
more than he did the other.
Proposes Equitable System.
AS for the rate of the proposed in
crease in the pay of the clerks, Mr..
Davis contended that the horizontal
| raise of 20 per cent was not equitable.
He said this would favor the clerk with
the large salary. but would bring only
small relief to the man or woman who
is now getting only a small wage. He
said a different system would have to
be devised before it could expect intelli-
gent support.
''An that you clerks have to do" said
Mr.. Davis, lis to convince Congress Of
the justice of your cause. The men on
the Hill are disposed to do the right
lHlS KNOW. lie reason lnty
have not done it already is that they
are ignorant of the situation"
There was another burst of applause
when Mr.. Davis took his seat. He had
gone definitely into the details of the
grievance of the employees, and all of
them realized that his investigation of
their cause had made him an authority
on the questions involved in the matter
Cooper Is Emphatic.
Do2-osonta+i,,a rooDer u-oS ernpba tic
in his views. He had some positive con-
victions about the "niggardly policy of
the Federal Government toward it's civil
employees, and he expressed his convic-
tions without mincing words.
1.-The low salaries which we pay to
our employees" said Mr.. Cooper, "are
a disgrace to this Government. We are
not driven to this parsimony. We are
the richest people on earth. Thls IS
the richest government on earth. We
can afford to treat our employees fairly
and we should do II.
1T Is our duty, to pay living wages to
the people in our employ. We owe
decent wage to every man and woman
in the civil service. l blush to think
$50 a month to men in our service, men
too, with families to support.
'These employees of ours should not
be regarded as mere machines. They
should be regarded as factors in our
Government, for they are factors.
"All you have to do is to arouse
public opinion on this matter and you
will get results. Congress will do the
fair thing in the end. Carry on your
campaign among the people, but do 1t
abuse or undue harshness or you will
defeat your own purposes"
Bennett Urges Fight.
In a speech that was brief, but to
the point and which struck to the
hearts of his hearers Representative
Bennett urged every clerk in the Gov
ernment service to carry his fight
into the home districts of members of
Congress. He pointed out the in
creased efficiency that would result
and the real economy it would mean
for the Government to pay more
equitable wages to it's employees and
to retire with pensions those who had
worked the. best years of their life
in the service of the United States.
In opening his remarks, Represen-
tative Bennett recounted the efforts
some members of Congress have made
in the past to get the salary lists of
Government employees rearranged;
and then he told of the manner in
which one or two men, through ig-
norance and narrowness" have sue
cessfully and completely blocked all
such attempted legislation.
You Government employees of
Washington" said Mr.. Bennett, "are
at last going into the fight for better
salaries in the right way. Don't stop
Carry the battle into the districts of
members of Congress. You have all
of you left friends and voters back
home, whose influence cannot be pass
ed unheeded by those who are seeking
votes to place them in Congress.
Write to them and write to them fire.
quently and urge their cooperation
with you in the fight.
"All the laws and regulations to the