The Washington times., 1917-12-07
LABOR MEMBERS
IN CONGRESS WILL
AID CLERKS FIGHT

gram is for salary increases graded
downward from 20 per cent for thos'
I'm the service now receiving $1,2O'
per year and under. to per cent fol
those whose pay IL from $1,000 tC
s., 500. Such q scale is considered
modest by the labor organization
and far short OF the requirements Of
the situation, Many members OF
Congress also hold this view.
Congressman Nolan OF California
and Van Dyke OF Minnesota are two
OF the more prominent members
firmly Identified with labor, who hold
to this view, and will aid Mr.. Keat
Ing in lining up the labor forces oil
the House to conduct the campaign
for the higher increase, with a solid
| front.
ut lie our purpose" said Mr.. KeRt-
ing today. ITO organize our forces in
the House 30 that there will be con-
| certsd. wsIl-directed action in
achieving the results We want. II IL
not open to argument that the and
10 per cent raise IL inadequate. All
members OF Congress realize that
| fact. None OF them viii dispute L..
! But in body OF this kind a definite
program will have to be outlined
with set purpose in view before any
Roadway can be made.
Unity of Forces.
THE forces friendly to the clerks
just demands Will get together. form
their plan OF campaign, and then be
gin the work OF carrying It through.
l have already taken steps to perfect
an organization among the friends OF
labor in the House. When a proper
we will all put our shoulders to the
wheel cannot say at this time
whether our program will call for a
graded increase from 20 per cent
downward. or for a higher rate than
that for the poorer paid clerks. II il
not unlikely, however, that we will
get solidly behind the program Of the
Federation OF Federal Employees.
which, 1 understand, calls for the
higher rate.
THE drst gun will be fired tonight
at meeting OF .he joint retirement
committee at the American Fedora
ton of Labor headquarters. AL
though the meeting il ostensibly
called to consider retirement OF Gov
eminent employees, friends in the
House and Senate fayoring retire
ment for clerks as well as those
friendly to adequate salary Increases,
win attend the meeting, and impetus
will be given the movement to align
the our forces.
"One of the things to be deter
mined by members is whether our on
ergies should be devoted to the vari-
Gus committees that consider tie sup
ply bills as they are ,eady for pre-
sentation to the Appropriations Com
mittee, or we should formulate q
standard plan to be incorporated in
all departmental bills"
Mr.. Heating said that the employees
In the postal service would be in
cluded in any plans made.
At tonight's meeting employees OF
every branch OF the Federal service
will be represented on the joint re
tirement committee.
Among the members OF Congress
who Will attend are included Sena-
tors Kenneth Mcclellan, Josiah o.
Wolcott. Key PittmAn, and Hiram W
Johnson, and Congressman Hannibal
l.. Goodwin, Edward Heating, Porter
II. Dale. Harry T. Hull. John !.
Nolan. Frederick r. Lehlbach, Peter
F. Tague, Carl G. Van Dyke, DAME! !
]. Griffin, James A. Hammin Denver /
. NhuTCI. anu JOnh X. arr.
Labor Leaders To Attend.
Labor leaders present will be Samuel 4
Gompers. president OF the American
Federation OF Labor: Frank Morrison.
Herbert ID. Brown. DR. J. d. Madriu.
Arthur z. Holder. and Grant Hamilton.
In a statement made public today b.
the Federation Of Federal Employees a
warning is sounded against over-conf-
dence on the part Of the clerks because
OF the fact that Congress generally Is
credited with favorinG a continuance OF
the and 10 per cent increase.
1.-THE public is being treated to
great doses OF confidence in the fact
that some Congressman and officials
are in favor OF continuing the present
8 and 10 per cent Increases in the
salaries and wages OF Government
employees" the statement reads:
Postmaster General BuTleson is one
who. until the other day. had not
been quoted on the subject. lie has
now made his position clear by stat
ing that the organized postal EN-
ployes are making many selfish de-
mands and insisting that they shall
not be required or permitted to work
IN excess of the usual number Of
hours. that their salaries be perma-
nentIy increased. although they arc
Justly compensated. receiving more
than three times as much az those
fighting in the trenches.
Postmaster General Burleson was
strong enough last year to prevent
the postal employees from getting the
5 and 10 per cent increases which
Congress granted to nearly all other
employees, and he is more bitter In
his opposition this year. An Illumi-
mating fact of the Burleson admins
tTation Is contained in the news
papers lately chronicling the Increases
in pay Which were granted TO the
supervisory postal employees. We hear
absolutely no news though OF any in
creases to the clerks and carriers
who are getting 500 a month or less.
statistics show that wages in the |
ron and steel industry have advanced
20 per cent during the year between
July, l0l6, and July. 1917, and during |
he same period 33 per cent in the
industry, 20 per cent in |
he knitting Industry, - per cent in |
he wooden industry, ~ per cent in |
he cotton industry. and - per cent |
n the clothing industry. NotwIth-
this fact and the fact that |
he cost OF living within the same
period has advanced more than 30 per |
,ent, Mr.. Burleson says we are max