Evening star., 1917-01-09
ADV0CATESLARGER
j. s. PAY INCREASE
Representative Taggart Says
5 and 10 Per Cent Is
Not Enough.
INTERIOR CLERKS HEAR HIM

The and 10 per cent increase in
salaries proposed for government
clerks in pending legislation is not
enough. in the opinion of Representa-
tive Joseph Taggart of Kansas. He
considers it ridiculous to offer an en-
ploye $1O5 as an advance from a month
ly compensation of 500. This was the
manner of his argument before the
clerks Of the Interior Department
branch of the Federal Employees Union
last night in Pythian Temple. 1912 9th
street. He was the principal speaker
of the evening. E. ]. Ayres, chief clerk
and there was an election of officers
for the ensuing year.
| Cites Years of Neglect.
| Representative Taggart spoke for
more than an hour. He began with the
declaration that no human enterprise
of general Importance had ever reached
accomplishment without organization.
The intelligence and culture of govern
ment clerks. he supposed, made many
| of them reluctant to get together in
an appeal for their rights; expecting
|
| without being forced to do so. The
| fallacy of this expectation, he said, had
been shown by years and years of
neglect to advance the interest of the
| government clerk.
| The ideal Judge, he said, is mediocre
lawyer; the more mediocre the better
judge. The bench is full of such. he
insisted. and he said their labors We're
not nearly SO onerouS as those of many
law clerks in government service. Yet.
! hA nd ant
| the federal bench after certain years
of service at full pay. This is the care
of Congress to preserve the integrity
of the bench. and place its incumbents
approximation. The consideration
given the army and navy in the mat
ter of promotion and superannuation,
he said. has resulted in condition
where the average salary on the retir-
ed list is higher than that of those on
the active list. He cited the results of
organization in the enormous pension
list established through the activities
| Of the G. A. r.
Sure Of Less Expensive Plan,
| This was the basis Of his argument
for a retirement system for govern
ment employees. He was sure that some
plan could be worked out SO that it
would be less expensive to the govern
ment than the present plan of keeping
men and women on the rolls after their
actual approximation.
The iiberality of much -maligned cor
| porations to their old employees was
cited in illustration. He spoke of a
| corporation in Kansas City which re-
tired it's old employees on $50 month
| at sixty years of age, and drew the con-
| trast of such a pensioner sitting at
his front door waiting for the seventy
year old postman, struggling with his
heavy work of delivering the mail in
his effort to keep on his job and out of
the poorhouse. He said that the gov
ernment employe working for $1,000
year was practically in the position Of
the farmer boy Of years ago. bound out
to work for his board and clothes. Such
| a salary, he said, provides no more
than board and clothes. and not even
| sufficiency of either. Yet the govern
ment clerks are ladies and gentlemen,
| he said and supposed to dress such.
| He secuted the argument advanced
| that a government clerk or other en-
ploye, IL he is not content with the
| compensation given, can hunt another
| lob The employe who learns his work
specializes in it, he insisted. and neg
lects other considerations, so that he
becomes untitled for other work at the
! same time that he made himself more
| efficient in the duties required OF him.
Difficult to Find Men, He Says.
Chief Clerk Ayres. who followed him.
pointed out the difficulty Of finding
applicants for the jobs which paid the
minimum salaries under the govern
| ment, such as watchmen at 5000 year.
Even though these places are largely
| filled by men of advanced years, he
| said, It is even difficult to find men to
accept them. He declared 1t difficult
| to live on such salaries.
| At brief business session tho fol-
| lowing were chosen officers for the
| year: President. Thomas r. Manning;
secretary. Mrs. Angela F. Southard !;
mediator. James P. Briggs; guardian.
Morris f. Sabin. and members of the
executive committee, James II. Keseck-
er and A. Alden.
John s. Beach. the retiring president.
| presided.