The Washington times., 1913-05-07
A REAL LEADER ENLISTED.

If the Honorable A. Mitchell Palmer, of the
Ways and Means Committee, will just practice his
precepts, he will get exceeding solid with the under
paid people in the Government service.
Mr.. Gillett of Massachusetts presented an
amendment to fix at $1,000 instead of $4,000, the
exemption to be allowed under the income tax law.
To this Mr.. Palmer objected and protested that an
income of $4,000 was the least that would enable a
man to rear. feed, clothe and maintain family
under modern social conditions
On behalf of the Governments army of civil
service workers in this town, Mr. Palmer, thank you!
They certainly live under modern social condi-
TONS" for they live in the circumstances and
conditions of large city, with all its complexities
and difficulties. They have to ride in cars, buy gas,
have their daily purchases delivered to their homes
mostly they must live in apartments or small homes,
under the expensive conditions of cities.
For these people-we have it on the word Of
one of the Ways and Means leaders-an income Of
$4,000 year is the minimum at which family can
be properly maintained.
If the Government is going to set the seal of
official approval this statement-and it is, for the
income tax measure is certain to become law with
the $4,000 exemption-then it strikes that con-
sstency would certainly demand at least an invest-
CATION of the salaries and living conditions of the
thirty thousand Government employees who live in
Washington on salaries that probably average about
one-tfird of the minimum fixed by Mr.. Palmer. When
that investigation shall have been made, and shall
have shown the exact facts, it will be up to Mr.
Palmer and his associates to make good by seriously
undertaking a readjustment of salaries in the civil
service.
Broadly, the Government is not responsible for
the salaries of anybody except its own employees.
Its legislation and policies may indirectly influence
the incomes of other people, but of its employees
it fixes the incomes, absolutely and unqualiiedly.
Moreover the Government has recognized that
the of living has made larger salaries necessary
in the Government service. 1t has raised all the
BIG SALARIES, neglectng only the small ones.
1t raised the President from $4,000 to S75000; but
it didn't remember the multitude of 5000 clerks.
Are those clerks the sort of human beings
wnom Mr.. Palmer had in mind when he named his
81 600 minimum?
Congress raised the salaries of Congressman and
Senators from $4,000 to $780, but the $500 clerk
who would, that basis, be boosted to $1,000, is
still whistling for his raise.
Supreme judges were raised to $4,000 year
but nothing has been done, since 1885, toward a
general revision of the salary lists for the thousands
of minor places EVERY ONE OF WHICH PRO-
DUCES AN INCOME FAR. BELOW WHAT THE
THE MINIMUM.
The civil service people must welcome Mr..
Palmer to leadership of their cause. Having taken
his position, he, of course will stick by it, and make
the fight to nelp them. He is vigorous, square,
jawed gentleman, who surely would not say one
thing in tariff debate and another in a discussion
of civil service wages. No. indeed The banner
and the aurels of leadership to A. Mitchell!