Evening star., 1917-01-16
RAISE REFUSAL IS
DECLARED UNFAIR
Government Official Says Sen
ate Committees Action Vir-
tuaIIy Is Wage Cut.
VARIOUS INCREASES CITED

In the face of salary raises all over
the country in private industry. the
Senate committee on appropriations IN
rejecting the proposed increases for gov
ernment employees virtually is reducing
the already low wages of government en-
ployes not only in this city but In
other parts of the country. said ono
government official today in discussing
tho Senate action with q reported for
The Star.
This official, q close student Of and
an authority on sociological problems.
declared that 1t was unfair to provide
such large funds for battleships and
armies and to cut down the food supply
of the man who really needs 1t. He said
he did not want his name used. because
Congress might take exceptions to any
criticisms which he might offer Of its
action.
Says Money Can Be Raised.
The money can be raised without any
trouble. he continued. If the govern
ment Is going to conscript young,
healthy men at q time when they can
put their health to best advantage.
then 1t should conscript the surplus
funds of the wealthy through q larger
tax on incomes. he asserted: He
thought the exemptions should be
heavily taxed for the purpose Of Gre
ating a preparedness fund. This he
would have used for military purposes.
while the regular revenue could De
ernment employees and for regular ex-
penses Of the government.
He said there is absolutely no fair
argument against giving the employees
an increase. To deny them any increase
now Is to reduce their wages. because
the cost of living has taken such
jump in the past year or so. II the
government. he continued. wants to
men and women. then 1t must provide
funds enough for them to live properly.
and this cannot be done on the pres
ent antiquated wage scale.
Figures collected by the Department
of Labor for the months Of November
and December show that increases In
wages have been made all over the
country during that period.
The reports for November. 1916. show
2i2 statements of wage increases In
thirty eight states. OF these 212 re-
ports l31 show the number Of estab
lishments affected to be 1863. and seven
ty-seven reoorts show 1S7.2o7 employees
affected. OF the 212 reports of wage
the result Of mutual agreement be-
tween employer and employees, sixty
six the result Of strikes. seventy
two by voluntary action on the part of
the employer. and for the remaining
seventeen no reason was stated.
The largest number affected were in
the following industries: Foundry and
machine shop, 32.436; mining. 27.500:
iron and steel, 24.50o: boots and shoes.
$4,000; textile workers. 1850: tan
ming, 5000
Increases in December.
Publications examined for the month
Of December show soi reports or wage
increases These were for establish
ments in thirty-eight states, twenty
one of which were for railroads and
other interstate establishments. OF
these 34i reports 2D9 showed total of
359 establishments involved: 140 re-
ployes benefited by the increase of
wages to be e31,763. OF these 3o4 re-
ports of wage increases forty-five were
reported to be obtained by a mutual
agreement between employer and EN-.
ployes, thirty-three as the result Of
strikes, 172 by voluntary action Of the
employer. and for the remaining fifty
four no reason was given.
The largest number of employees ben
Gifted were in the following Industries:
Iron and steel. BAL, 500 textile workers.
2O8.350: garment workers. 112,300;
workers in electrical supplies. 10000:
munittns. $4,000: boots and shoes.
1890; telephone and telegraph serv-
ice. 25, 900; paper manufacturing. 23.115.
In these reports there was no uni
formity in stating the amount of in
crease, and in large proportion OF
the cases it was not possible to deter
mine a percentage. In the cases where
the increase was stated in the form
of percentage, oV where percentage
could be computed, the prevailing in
creases were from per cent to 10 per
cent.