The Washington times., 1917-01-15
Employees Union Hopeful That
Lower Members viii Stand
Pat on Increase.
PIN FAITH IN coNEEREEs
SenAe Subcommittee, How
ever, Is Expected to Stand
by Refusal of'Aid.

Officials of the Federal Employees
Union are pinning their faith today on
the House -conferees, to re-establish,
at least in part, the increase in clerks
wages, turned down by the Senate in
the Legislative, executive. and judicial
appropriation bill.
The probability of a compromise,
according to representatives of the
clerks. is based on the belief that the
House members will stand pat on
their increases, as the bill stood when
sent to the Senate.
The Senate conferees, it is assumed.
will stand by their guns, and vote
against any increase at all. The en-
.ployes' union officials believe that
rather than face deadlock over this
matter, the Senate conferees may back
down, at least to the extent of favor
ing increases in salary for some OF the
lower salaried clerks.
Would Favor Increase.
1t is well known that majority of
the members of. both the Senate and
House if. unhampered by party afrilia-
tions. would vote to give the clerks
reasonable increases in salary. y
But leaders of the Democratic party,
facing, the necessity for economy in
appropriations, have sent out the
word that all allowances must be
trimmed to the bone.
House members who a few weeks
ago were giving strong support to
the cause of the clerks, are found
today hedging Although none of
them has "hopped" in his ideas, many
of them believe that smaller allow
ances than were originally proposed
critical revenue situation.
To Watch HPOFk" Legislation.
Although the Federal Employees
Union does not admit "by any means"
that the fight for increases in sala-
ries for Government employees has
been lost, the president of that or
Eanization has put Congress on notice
that all pork" legislation is to be
watched closely.
nized, according to President H. NJ.
McLArin. "to see that Congress exer-
cises econotny ip every measure it
passes at this session"
In a letter to each member Of the
Sepste, President MeLarin. denied
that the bill proposing the salary In
creases constituted "a raid on the
Treasury" he says the union favors
economy, but objects to the practice
of it exclusively on Government en-
ployes.
Attention is called in the letter to
the fact that the salary increase bill
is backed by an army of SOC. 900 Gov
ernment employees affiliated with the
American Federation Of Labor.
Cites SeOoyeOO Appropriation.
Discussing what is commonly
known as pork" legislation, Presi-
dent McLarin points out that $500, 900
has already been appropriated by
Congress for the establishment of fish
hatcheries all over the country He
states that the districts of a large
number Of Congressmen will not be
benefited by the f1sh hatcheries legis-
lation and ''they will have to be taken
care of in some other bill OF the
%pork" nature.
President McLarin says it is to be
assumed that in carrying out its
policy OF economy and retrenchment
Congress will entirely dispense with
the river and harbor bill, known
in both houses of Congress and
throughout the United States as the
biggest of all pork" measures.
Today may settle the fate of the
proposed increases in pay for Federal
employees.
The Senate Appropriations Commit
tee will meet today to receive the re-
port of the subcommittee that framed
h. Ia1loIofNryn Ind IoI
bill.
One of the chief features of the
subcommittee's Recommendations to
the main committee is that no in
creases in pay OF a horizontal nature
be allowed.
In fact, the subcommittee has
turned down the 10 and per cent
increases made by the House and set
q stony face against practically every
individual increase which the House
granted
Answer Expected Today.
The question whether the Appro-
priations Committee itself will take
the same stand is expected to fnd an
answer today.
It is believed the Appropriations
Committee will stand by the subcom-
mlILces II 10 hnOfNA4 Shol OCAobOA
Martin, chairman OF the Appropria-
tions Committee, does not favor a
horizontal increase Of pay because of
the lack of revenues. Senator Smoot
will seek to get an increase allowed
for the lower paid employees at the
hands OF the committee, II he sees
nothing more can be done.
senate To support Committee.
Although officials of the Federal
Employees Union will keep up the
fight to get pay increases until the
bill has passed the Senate, the truth
is that IL the Appropriations Commit
tee reports against increases there Ia
little reason to doubt the Senate will
stand by the committee.
The reason for this is that nearly
all the Democratic Senators have
been. tied up in secret caucus to
support the Appropriations Commit
tee in such economics as it may at
tempt.
Efforts are being made to impress
enough Democratic Senators with the
view that the caucus did not mean
TO, stand out against some increased
pay for clerks. --=-.-
Majority FavOrs Clerks.
Undoubtedly a majority OF the SEN
ate, IL not hampered, would give more
nav to lower paid Federal employees.