Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-20

executive and judicial appropriation
bill lays the last fighting trench OF the
government employees for an increase
in their salaries, N. F. Alias. head OF
at the meeting last night. There Is
still the chance, he explained, OF nay
ing the House conferees insist on the
retention in the measure OF the IN
Must Expect Some Setbacks.
But that is the last trench in the
fight" he pointed out. You must have
some setbacks. This is the short ses-
sion of Congress, and there has been
no opportunity to round up the support
Of the country. There hasn't been the
opportunity to obtain the aid of labor
throughout the country and to nave Pc
titionS sent in demanding an increase
in the salaries of the government WoFh-
ers."
Mr.. Alias discussed the so-called def
icit which is being used as an excuse
in the Senate for not allowing the IN
creases provided by the House. The
government employees, he sad. wers
not responsible for the deficit ana
they should not be taxed for 1t TO the
extent of denying then just and much-
needed increases. The 9resent laws W
der which the revenue is raised. ne
pointed out. We're made to comply with
different conditions than those now
prevailing. The European war had nct
then begun and the preparedness craze
had not swept the country. he asserted:
The people of the country approved
the preparedness program. and by That
approval they indicated that they were
no deficit. 1t is merely condition that
was not foreseen at tho time the pres
ent tariff law was enacted.
1T is unjust. therefore, he continued.
for the government to take up col
lection among its employees to pay for
this expense of preparedness. 1t should
come from the whole country. 1t is
unfair to expect the servants Of the
government to stand the entire burden
of this program. We feel that we have
justice on our side and if it is properly
presented to the people of the United
States there is no doubt but that they
will give it their whole support
Found Sentiment Misrepresented.
He related that about a year ago
when certain salary increase ques-
ton was I'D several members of Con-
gress said that their constituents were
opposed to it and he took the trouble
to write to several people in the dis
tricts of the congressman to ascertain
the truth. and the replies indicated
that these people were willing that the
government should pay rates that were
prevailing on the outside.
He discussed the arguments of some
congressman that plenty of people
could be found to fill government jobs,
saying that was because the civil serv-
Ice schools painted such glowing COL
orS of the opportunities existing in
the government service. Dealing with
the manner of paying wages to en-
ployes of navy yards and arsenals he
detailed how these employees had their
wage scales set each year to conform
to prevailing rates in private indus
tries in the vicinity. He secuted the
idea that these adjustments were fair.
and said his deductions were brought
about by the knowledge that lists of
eligibles for employment in these
places had been exhausted months ago
and that the machinists' union had cir
cularlZed the country in an effort to
aid the heads of these government es-
adjustments to find employees, but were
unsuccessful. This indicates, he said,
that the prevailing rates on the out
side are higher than those paid in the
government establishments, even taking
into consideration the thirty days
leave allowed by the government
President H. NJ. McLaurfn of the
union, who occupied the chair during
the meeting, detailed the movement of
tne wage increases in the Senate, all of
which has been told in the news dis
patches. He said that 1t may be Mon
day or Tuesday before the fate of the
increases would be definitely known, as
number of speeches were to be made
on the question. He said that every
possible argument in favor of them had
been advanced, and that the representa-
tlves of the employees who were watch
ing matters at the Capitol would be
glad to have suggestions for any fur
ther steps that might be TAKEN.
The only thing now to be done, as he
saw it, he said, was to petition the
PRESIDENT. 10
first part of the week. He told of the
thousands of names that were coming
to his office on the petitions that were
sent out. The sheets now make a pile,
he said, two feet high.