The Washington herald., 1916-12-19

ering that they were the spokesmen on
the spot for nearly 100000 employees
throughout the United States. He urged
all Of the employees to stand together, In
victory or defeat, and said that no great
movement for the betterment of economic
conditions was ever effected without or
ganization.
Thomas F. Flaherty, of the National
| Association of Postofice Employees, said
the difference between present salaries
and the increases contemplated could be
| cited as the difference between misery
and happiness, the difference between
want and plenty and the difference be-
tween a bare existence and ordinary COM
forts of life.
"I learned from a government en-
,pIoye tonight" he added facetiously,
that II the Nolan 50 a day bill passes
he is going to make a present to his good
wife of a print of butter appropriately In
| scribed."
Miss Gertrude McNally, of the Bureau
OF Engraving and Printing, declared that
while her mother and father were both
Irish and she was a woman, neverthe-
less she was at a loss for words. In an
effective tGo-minute speech she said that
the employees of the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing sympathiZed with the 5000
a year clerk in his plea for higher
salary, yet those women whom she repre-
sented would feel like Rockefeller on
such a salary.
There never was a contented woman
working under last years hat" was the
remark of a previous speaker, she said.
Let me add, that there never was
contented employe working in last years
shoes, particularly II they are not sure
those shoes will last out the present win
ter"
VIII Increase Education.
L. V. Lampson, of the High School
Teachers Union, stated that while one
out of fourteen children now go through
the high school. one of the fundamental
reasons for an increase in salary was to
enable the other thirteen to get the ad-
vantages of a higher education. He said
that the government and the District had
provided the finest high school structure
in the United States at a cost of more
than 81 10000 and accommodating 2,JVo
pupils, but it still paid laborers in the
building 81 a day.
J.. N. Breen, president OF the local
branch of the International Typo
graphical Union, told of the benefits OF
organization He said that the Order
of Railway Conductors would share In
the benefits of the eight-hour law, while
the Pullman conductors who were not
organized, would work the schedule OF
hours fixed by the railroads without ad-
ditional compensation.
Samuel Gompers was given a two-min-
ute ovation. Discussing the Borland
amendment to add an extra hour to the
working day of the government employe
in Washington the labor chief declared:
when nobody else would take up this
fight, we became your spokesman Well
did they listen!
Argumbent for Organization.
'Is there any better argument for the
advantages of organization and the eftec-
tive way of impressing upon Congress
the need and the justice Of the sub
stantial in rease in salaries to which
you are entitled. He denounced both
Messrs. Roosevelt and Taft for
executive orders that restrained
Federal employees from organizing or
having the privilege of expressing their
grievances to Congress. Referring to
the restriction Of the right of the en-
ployes to strike, President Gompers cited
the case of letter carries in West Vtr-
ginia who had resigned their positions
They were indicted and in many cases
pleaded guilty.
That was a great wrong that cannot
bear the scrutiny of investigation, I am
satisfied" said Mr.. Gompers.
Paying his respects to Representative
Fitzgerald, of the House Committee on
Appropriations, who had opposed broad
rule PERMITTING greater increases than
or 10 per cent, Mr.. Gompers said he had
the greatest sympathy in the world for
the House leader in the great RESPONSE
bility that rested on his shoulders, that
he had sympathy and respect for his
honest and fidelity Of purpose, but he
had no sympathy for the man who would
let those responsibilities cause him to
lose his sympathy for his fellowman and
any member who would do this was not
it for his position.
Preparedness has its place and the
other great functions Of government must
be recognized, but we must never lose
sight of the human element, the human
equation, when we legislate," he said.
Resolutions Adopted.
The meeting adopted the following re-
solutions unanimously and they will be
presented to Congress:
Resolved, That the employees Of the
United States and Of the District of Co.
lumbia in this mass meeting assembled
and representing the needs and hopes of
all the government employees whose ab-
sence Is enforced, hereby acknowledge