Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-17
BITTERLY ARRAGN
GOVERNMENT WAGE
Representatives of Federal
Employees Union Declare Con-
ditions in U. S. Critical.

That government workers are not
seeking an opportunity to buy limou
sines and diamonds, but to get enough
food and clothing for their families;
that men in the meat inspection service
get only the smell of raw meat and that
they find 1t easy to keep the Hoover
pledge on their salaries of $40 a month.
was the striking statements made by
representatives of the Federal EN-
ployes. Union at a preliminary hearing
given them today before the legislative
subcommittee of the House committee
on appropriations.
Extended hearings are to be given gov
eminent workers by this committee after
the holiday recess. when arrangements
will be made for the national officers TO
present the plea Of the government work.
ers
At the opening of the hearing today
Representative Heating of Colorado. who
has offered in the House the union bill
for increases in salaries from to 30 per
cent to government employees. met the OBJ
lection OF some members who have a
change at this time In basic pay.
He said his Bill Is not intended to
permanently, revise the base pay
schedule, but as an emergency bonus
to meet the cost of living for the next
year.
Representative Heating announced
that Frank E. Morrison, secretary OF
the American Federation OF Labor, was
present but would defer his TESTIMONY
until the hearings after the holiday
recess.
Salaries Inadequate.
R. E. Peabody. general organizer.
employment throughout the country
are unable to live on their present
salaries. In many homes they have
meat but once a week and the high
cost of eggs has made this luxury In
many of the homes whore three or four
eggs have to be divided among
family of seven or eight persons. He
said government worker has cS
pended his entire salary and Is Nat
broke several days before the next
William J. Burke. formerly of fh.
Boston immigration service. now OF the
war employment service, told of condi-
tions in and around Boston. He said at
Hole. Mass, men in the government
service doing responsible work are re-
ceiving but $50 a month.
Charles F. Maggie, custodian Of the
en- are forced to take employment out
side Of the government service on ac-
count of the low rate Of pay.
The outside industriss he pointed out
their families. which the government
has not been doing. Married men. he
said. had been obliged to see their
wives go to work In department stores
and factories in order to clothe their
children and send them to school.
Must Have Food.
Luther c. Seward of Kansas City.
Mo. first vice president of the National
Federation of Federal Employees. said
that the representatives of organized
workers were appearing to
Uphold the rights of the iower-paid
government employees to an honest liv-
ing.
'.rhey do not want TO buy limousines
and diamonds" he said, but they must
have food. We must aid them approx
mate. in some degree. American stand
ards of decent living" He pointed out
as a particularly glazing example OF
the low-paid employe field workers of
the bureau of animal industry who
are employed in packing houses. The
men who are serving as meat in
spectors he said. are acquainted with
meat only through touching it and
smelling ii, and then it is raw. They
get as low as $40 month and in the
custodian service as low as $50 a
month.
1T is not difficult for these men," he
is not much danger of their being over.
with food when bacon is
so cents pound and eggs 80 cents q
dozen"
AS sidelight, he pointed out that Mr.
Steward was speaking of conditions
that obtained in Representative Bor-
lands home district
Compares Food Prices.
William T. Griffith of the United
States Department of Labor showed 3
carefully prepared analysis of food
prices which emphasized the fact that
in two years there has been a 81 per
cent average increase In the prices of
food used on the average American
table.
He pointed out that conditions in Ell %
Paso. Tex. are particularly bad because
it is an unproductive locality at this
time and that food supplies are sub
iect to very long haul. He said that
civilian employees of the quartermas-
ter's department get 80 cents an hour
and an eiEht-hour day, five and one
half days a week. and no pay for Sun
days and holidays. He called the~at-
tention OF the committee to the fact
that charwomen of the service get as
low Is S25 g. month, and in some In
stances watchmen get as low as Sbb
a month. He said civilian employees IN
the depot quartermasters ofhce at FL
Paso were recently discharged and re-
placed by enlisted men.