The Washington herald., 1918-09-08
employees ASK
WAGE ADVANCE
National Federation Urges
Living Salaries at Chi
cago Convention.


Comprehensive plans for obtaining e
salary increases based on the in
creased cost OF living will be drafted
at the National Federation OF Federal
Employees second annual convention
opening tomorrow In Chicago.
A large delegation from Washington
will be present
The presiding oflcer will be Luther
&c. Steward. OF Washington. director
of the control division OF the U. S.
Employment Service, who was recently
elected by the executive council OF the
federation to fill the vacancy caused
by the Induction of former President
H NJ McLarin into the army. Presl-
dent Steward. John g. Beach. seventh
vice president and acting president:
and f, ]. Newmyer. secretary-treas-
urer of the national. all OF Washing
ton, are now in Chicago attending
the meeting OF the executive council
of the federation. held in advance of
the convention. Thomas II. j. Quinn.
director OF publicity. left some time
ago to attend the meeting.
The delegates from Washington
Local No 2 are Miss Beatrice ALI
press, OF the Bureau OF Engraving and
Printing: Miss Florence p. Smith, OF
the Bureau OF Plant Industry: Van
A Zahn. OF the Office OF auditor for
the Post ONCE Department. treasurer
on Local No, .; Burd w Payne.
nresident OF the Treasury branch:
J. G. Gurley, OF the Department OF
Agriculture, editor of the official
ma gazine Of the union. Local No. 81.
consisting Of District employees, Is
represented by its secretary. w. F.
Franklin. and Local No. II. BY Its
president, Richard Taylor.
Miss Florence Etherldge. third
vice president OF the National Fed
Grafton, formerly OF Washington
hut now probate attorney for the
Bureau OF Indian Affairs at Vhita
okla. will attend the convention as
the representative also OF her Okla
hOma local.
Better working Conditions
In accordance with the primary
purpose OF the organization. the
convention will devote itself largely
to plans for the betterment OF the
working conditions OF government
employees and increased efficiency In
the government service. II Is ex-
pected that a comprehensive cam
paign will be outlined for securing
salary increases based on the in
creased cost OF living. with fail
minimum wage and equal pay FOR
equal work by women and men. In
accordance with the principles laid
down by the National War Labor
Board.
Men and women in the govern
ment service in some localities are
receiving scarcely half the wages
paid elsewhere. according to Presi-
dent Steward. He cites. among
other examples. the case Of men In
| the custodian service at fedora
buildings in various cities. who are
getting but s55 per month. Another
| Injustice TO which attention is
called IL the continuance OF the old
statutory scale of salaries for ex-
perienced employees who after years
| of service perhaps are receiving but
ls3 or less per day. and are pro-
hibited from transfer at an increase
although inexperienced newcomers
lenter the service at the same or a
higher figure.
After War Adjustments.
The convention. will also discuss
mea sures for dealing with the prob
lens OF industrial readjustmeni
after the war. particularly with
reference to the prevention OF un-
| employment ITO meet the critical
4, conditions after the war" says
| President Steward. "a sound gov
ernment policy is necessary. and
the organized Federal employees
should. l think. begin at once to
! do everything in their power 70
create public sentiment for such q
| policy. | am urging, therefore, that
! the convention formulate. in broad
general terms. the principles we be-
lieye should be established in order
to work out the right reconstruc-
tion program.
such a program" he continues,
must obviously work in two di-
rections-first. toward the provi-
sion of more Jobs for the vastly in
creased number of workers the wal
| has put into industry. and second
! toward the withdrawal. under
| proper conditions. OF those who are
either too old. too young. or other
wise untitled for work. We ought
therefore. It seems TO me. to put
our organized effort behind a move
ment for more extensive and better
| regulated plans for public construc-
tion work OF all kinds, in order to
employ more people independently
OF capftallstic competition. In ad-
dition to the reclamation of land
for soldiers homesteads, as pro-
posed by Secretary Lane. we ought
to urge the government to encour-
age back-to-the-land move
| ment by forcing into productivity
through taxation. the great tract,
Of unused agricultural land now
| held by single owners. This would
mean homes and a living for great
numbers OF people.
Help Young and Old.
"On the other hand. there are great
numbers OF men and women now at
work who should be relieved Of that
necessity because OF their age or in
trinity. There are children OF IA TO
Is in mills and factories when they
ought to be in school. There are vast
numbers OF men and women who are
not receiving an adequate wage for
the support OF themselves or their
families. and something must be done
TO forestall the infinitely worse effects
Of this condition that would come
with congested labor market
Therefore we as organized workers
should demand legislation which will
provide a fair minimum wage, old age,
health and unemployment insurance,
and the complete elimination of child
labor. We should demand, for times
Of peace. income. inheritance and ex-
cess profits taxes which will put the
burden upon those who can most
easily bear it. And we should de-
mand at the same time a control Of
DriCaa nS he