Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-02-26
URGES MORE PAY FOR
Federal employees
Congressman Miller Favors
Schedule of Increases Up
$500 Class
SAYS HOUSE SHOULD
STAND ON IT'S VIEWS

In the House Of Representatives on
Friday the question OF increasing the
wages and salaries Of Government
employees in the Federal Departments
again came up. The biz annual sup
ply bills are being whipped into shape
but the Senate and House are dead
locked on the question Of revising the
Government ant.quoted salary scala
which has not been touched for thirty
years. The Senate wants to give a
meagre increase up to 81 900 salaries
while the House has already adopted
amendments to all the big appropria-
ton bills providing for more substan-
tial increases up to $500 per year
salaries.
On Friday, the House, by a vote Of
2S2 to Ga, agreed to stand by its guns
but over night a change occurred and
the Democratic leaders in the House
decided to recede and let the Senate
have its way. The test vote came
upon the adoption of the Agricultural
Appropriation bill and by a vote Of
1879 TO TIA, in which the solid Repub-
lican vote and about dozen Demo-
Gratis Joined, the House stood firm, and
sent the bills back TO conference.
The debate was limited to a half
hour on a side and Representation
Thomas w. Miller, of Delaware was
given time to reply to Representative
Page of North Carolina, a Democratic
member of the Appropriation Com
mittee, who as a Democratic leader,
had directed that the House recede
from its former stand. Mr.. Miller's
attitude on the question of a fair and
decent wage for Government employees
is consistent. When the Postoffice Ap-
preparation bill was up last We'd
nesday he arose to offer an amend
ment to agree TO the proposition
adopted by the House on the other
bills but being a minority member
the Speaker recognized a member on
the Democratic side although that ma
jority side has now reversed itself by
Fridays vote.
Mr.. Miller's remarks as taken down
by the House reporters are as fol-
lows:
Mr.. Miller, OF Delaware. "Air
Speaker, we have just heard the very
eloquent arguments OF the gentle
man from North Carolina. (Mr. Page)
have followed him in several mat
ters on this floor, relating to matters
of appropriations, but / cannot fol-
low him today either on the vote that
he advises US TO cast or in his argu-
ment
1--WE have up before us now the
question as to whether the so-called
Smoot amendment to the various APP
preparation bills dealing with the sal
aries of Government employees shall
be adopted or whether the original
House provision in the appropriation
bill is going to carry. The Smoot
amendment provides that employees
receiving less than $3.50. shall receive
an increase of Is per cent, and those
receiving between $3.50 and $1,000
per annum shall receive an increase
/ of 10 per cent 1t stops at salaries OF
/ 81 900 and goes no further The House
| provision i'm the various appropriation
bills provides that those Government
employees who receive salaries of ST..
200 per annum or under shall receive
4 an increase of 10 per cent, and those
who receive between $1,000 and $1,SO(
per annum shall receive per cent
increase.
"On the 10Th OF February thii
House, by a vote of PSI to SO concur
red in an amendment of Mr.. Good. o
: Iowa. TO the then pending bill, ant
showed in a very conclusive fashion
the temper OF the House on the prop
osition OF increasing the wages ant
salaries OF Government employees.
1.-THE gentleman from North Caro-