Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1916-06-08

Progress of the greatest Importance
mas been made in Washington this
winter toward reaching a standard OF
government employment high enough
to remove any fear labor may have
of the extension of government own
ership, and operation.
Proponents of fundamental econ
omic reforms, often criticized organ
lied labor for not taking a more ac-
tive stand in favor OF government
ownership. Labor's luke-warm atti-
tude was amply explained when Con-
gresham John l. Nolan of San Fran
cisco brought out some of the facts
regarding the government as an en-
ployer.
Hearings on the Nolan bill to estab-
lish minimum wage. of s. for gov
eminent employees in the District Of
Columbia disclosed the fact that
scores of men are working as street
cleaners in Washington for 1925 a
day, and that thousands o. govern
ment workers, including veteran cler-
ical employees, receive less than
enough to keep the wolf from the
door.
Mr.. Nolan's disclosures was one of
two developments that aroused gov
eminent employees as they haG never
been aroused before. The other was
the attempt, through the Borla I'D Dill
to increase the hours of goTernn ent
clerks from to a day.
CONGRESSMAN Nolan is life long
unionist and representative of the I'm
ion Labor party of San Francisco.
His bill had the backing OF the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, and Arthur
E. Holder, legislative representative
Of the Federation, was largely resPon-
sible for the success of the hearings.
And it was the same influence-that
of the American Federation of Labor
that defeated the attempt to take
backward step and add to the hours
of government clerks. Ill.,.
Government employees in Washing
ton-from the street cleaner at $1.2S
day to the scientists at $4,000 a
year, suddenly awoke to realtza ton
| Of two things. The first was the help
lessness of any big group of employ
es to prevent exploitation and in1us-
tice and neglect OF their interests, I'M
Hess they are organized, and regard
/ less of whether their employer Is a
private corporation or the United
States government The second was
the power and good will OF the or
ganized workers of America.
Out of this realization came the OF
ganization of a Federal Union of Civil
Service Employees. Today this Union
has more than 5000 members among
the government clerks Washington.
When the unions books were opened
the Government employees flocked to
! A. F. of L. headquarters by the hun
dreds.
Today there is more independence
and better spirit among government
| employees in Washington than ever
Aefore. They no longer feel them
| selves the helpless wards of a more or
less benevolent government. And for
| the first time there is some force other
than political pull to which they can
appeal their own power as an organi-
zatiOn.
I Tie organization of govern, ent
clerks and of the teachers employed
| in the schools of Washington and
New York is of historic importance.
1t means that workers who wear white
collars and draw their pay by the
month are waking up to the fact that
they are not a privileged class, that
they must make common cause with
their fellow workers in shop and fac
tory and on the railroads and wharves
4 and ships. t,
The Nolan bill establishing So
minimum wage for government en-
ployes in the District has been re
ported favorably by the House Com
mittee on labor. Letters to your Con
gressmen and Senators will help tho
fight for its passage.