The Washington times., 1916-03-10
CLERKS TO PRESENT
PLEA TO CONGRESS
Will Condemn BorIand Rider as
lnimicaI to Interests Of Gov
eminent Employees.
CONTINUED from First Page.)


graphical Temple last night at the sec
opd meeting of the clerks to perfec
their organization.
In addition to authorizing the appoint
ment OF the committee to wait upor
Congress, the clerks directed their tenn.
porary officers to serve until permanent
| officers were elected: appointed n com
mittee to draft n constitution and by.
laws. and heard addresses by Congress.
men Joseph Taggsrt of Kansas. Car
G. Van Dyke, OF Minnesota. ond James
Gallivan. of Massachusetts, and Thorn.
as Flaherty. secretary-treasurer of the
Postoffice Clerks Union.
The meeting was called to order nj
O'Clock by temporary President II. NJ
McLaurin. with the hall packed to its
capacity with men and women workers
in the Government departments. Prac-
1 tically every branch OF the Govern.
ment service was represented.
President McLaurin announced thai
IL was impossible to state just how
many members the union had acquired
In the last week. because the petitions
circulated through the departments had
not all been returned.
Predict Riders Defeat.
The attitude OF Congress toward the
clerks was expressed as favorable. and
the defeat of the Borland rider was
predicted by the three members Of Con-
|
of the three to speak, stated that he
was opposed on general principles to the
lengthening of the hours OF labor of the
civil service employees. and was In full
sympathy with the movement they had
started toward the organization OF a
union.
Mr.. Van Dyke said he was an ex-civil
| service employee, who was separated
NR.N IL
ties In organizing his fellow employees
lie was employed in the postal serv-
Ice. He declared that the Borland rider
is dead.
Mr.. Taggart said he came from the
same city as Mr.. Borland, but he wish
ed to call attention to the fact that
there was a sharp line of demarcatlon
running through the city. He came,
he said, from the Kansas side. He de-
clared the reasons set forth by Mr..
Borland for the adoption OF his amend
ment led him to believe that II the Gov
eminent could save 100000 by the
lengthenlng of the hours of the civil
service clerks some very brilliant MEM
bers of Congress had not been doing
their duty.
Doesn't Believe In Driving.
by some miracle my constituents
have sent me here for three terms. and
1 am honest enough to confess that II
you clerks have been engaged In beat
ing the Government out of 1900. 900 dur
ing the three terms l have been here
l haven't the nerve to go back to my
constituents and confess that was
here all that time and let you get away
with It," Mr.. Taggart said. "Conse-
quently, as a matter of self protection,
l must vote against the amendment and
do all in my power not to let my sup
posed delinquencies get back to my
district"
Seriously, we members of Congress
have got too many important things to
think about just at present TO attempt
to spend time nagglng and annoying the
people VINO are giving us such thorough
and efficient service. do not know
OF any set OF men and women who
measure up In efficiency and skill to
the $1,000 employees or the Government
departments In Washington.
They are not being paid for what
they do. but what they know how to
DO. You can't drive people who are
doing this sort OF work. / believe that
all most OF you ask il TO be yet alono
and permitted to 60 on working.
Calls Bullying Shameful.
Il believe there Is too much nobility
In Congress to attempt to drive through
any, such imposition on set of people
who are giving faithful service, on
whose loyalty we depend and who
haven't got a vote. The day may soon
come when we will need the loyal sup
port OF every man. woman, and child
In the United States.
what we need 81 Il moro solid and
practical spirit OF Amn:,canism. I be-
lieve In unfolding aud protecting Amer
lea III Mexico. in New Mexico, and on
the high seas.
we don't know what moment wa
may be called upon TO ask the men of
THIS country tn help US uphold our in
kttutlons In a very serious under taking.
And we certainly can't afford t. antag-
onize and Duily such a first-rate lot OF
men and women as you people In the
departments. l would be ashamed to
do It, feel sure that the BorIand
amendment Is dead"
On motion to continue the TEMPORARY
officers until the permanent organiza-
rary Treasurer MGy asked TO he re-
lieved of his duties because Of pressing
duties in the WAY DEPARTING nj. Miss
FLORENCE Ether!dge. OF tho Bureau OF
Indian Affairs. was elected as his sue
cessor, and President McLaurin and
Secretary j. I'll. Kesackcr were coutin-
ued In office.
To Present Resolution Today.
mated from the floor, was appointed 10
assist the temporary officers In draft
ing constitution and bylaws. This
committee Is composed of DR.. Llewellyn
Jordan, of the Treasury Department.;
r. V. Bailey. Of the Department of Az
riculturc; Kenneth c. Clark, of the
Postonice Department; Mrs. Jennie
Monroe, of the Interior Department, and
Miss Harriet II. King, OF the Library
of Congress.
\ resolution protesting against the
Borland amendment was then author
lied, with Instructions to the temporary
president 10 appoint committee of five
members To draft the resolution and
present 1t TO Congress personally TODAY.
The next meeting OF the union, the
last open meeting, will be held next Fri
day night at the National Rifles Ar
mory. II that building can be secured.
Typographical Temple being too small
TO hold the crowd, as was demonstrated
at last nights gathering.