The Washington herald., 1917-12-14
NEW CHAMPION
WOULD DFATTEN
U. S. PAYROLL
Huddleston, Of Alabama,
Proposes Ascending Scale
Of Salaries for Clerks.

Representative HuddIeston of Ala
bama bobbed up yesterday as the new
champion OF government employees.
He introduced a bill fer salary in
creases with a schedule in advance Of
those advocated by the representatives
of organized labor.
The Alabama member favors a scale
that makes these increases: $500
grade. 25 per cent: 1900 to 5000. 20
per cent, and over 500 10 per cent.
The Federal pay roll is now occupy
ing more attention than any other
item in legislation not strictly a war
measure. Commissioner Brownlow
yesterday won Representative Sissons
of Mississippi 70 the cause Of a GEN
erai increase in wages for all District
employee The Mississippi Represent
ative il one Of the strict economists
Of the House.
District WORKERS Meet.
District employees. distinct from the
National Federal Employees Union and
the advisory committee, met last night
to consider an application for with
drawal from the main organization
and operation under a separate char
ter of the American Federation of
Labor
Joseph H. Hurley. president Of the
District branch. asserted that District
employees are not paid as high sala-
ries as are Federal government en-
ployes
I'VE do not all enjoy the Saturday
half holiday and many suffer from the
disadvantages Of being on the per diem
roll.' he said. We feel our position
would be palmer before Congress il
we were affiliated with the National
organization of municipal employees
and the American Federation of La
bor."
The board of representatives of the
Federal Employees Union will act upon
this question at its meeting in Per-
petual building hall tonight.
Whether the board will vote salts
faction with the existing ) and 10 per
cent increases or vote TO support the
systematically larger-adopted by
the American Federation Of Labor at
its recent convention. will be decided.
The scale calls for increases of %
per cent on salaries up to and in
cluding 100. from LOO to $3.50 Is
per cent, from $3.50 to 5000. 10 per
cent, and above 5000 and including
$500, 5 per cent.
Another important question to be
discussed will be the broadening of
the scope of the organizations work
through affiliation with civic bodies.
John S. Beach, president of the local
branch, says: " believe we should.
as an organization, participate active
ly in civic affairs. The progress and
development of our city depend al
most wholly upon the welfare and
prosperity of the government en-
ployes. Since there is no suffrage in
the District the only medium through
which We may participate in civic af-
fairs will be through the various citi-
zens' associations or the trade or
ganizations. ! shall recommend that
member of the union be designated
for membership on the board of trade.
the Chamber of Commerce and the
Federation of Citizens Associations"
President Beach will find active op-
position among many members of the
board who believe that the Federal
Employees should confine their ac-
tivities with Congress and the gov
erning authorities particularly to
their own organization.
The representatives of organ anized
labor have started to canvass the
members of the House and Senate
upon the salary increase and retire
ment question and the preliminary re-
ports indicate that much of the OPP
position which the government en-
ployes were forced to confront at
the last session has vanished A
number of members who were most
active in the opposition last year
expressed the belief that the and
10 per cent increases now in force
should be maintained although non-
commital as to their attitude on
higher increases.
Secretary of Commerce Redfield in
his annual report yesterday reiterated
that the government should increase
wages horizontally in all of his de-
partments.