The Washington herald., 1918-07-01
Sent
TO PRESIDENT
BY employees
Workers in Mass Meeting
Protest Against Bor-
land Amendment.
ASK FOR FAIR PLAY
All Employees Urged to Join
Union to Protect Own
Interests.
ASK FOR FAIR PLAY

A telegram protesting against the
passage OF the legislative bill con-
tanning the Borland amendment.
was sent to the President yesterday
afternoon by the thousands Of gov
ernment workers attending the mass
meeting In the New Masonic Temple.
1t was the message of practically
every government employe in the
District. asking for fair play and
emphasizing the fact that these en-
ployes are not and never have been
lacking in loyalty to the govern
ment or unwilling to do their best
in the present crisis.
Every government worker that
could possibly crowd into the hall
went to the meeting yesterday af-
ternoon to go on record as protest.
ing against the bill, and the implied
insult to their patriotism.
COMMITTEES Appointed.
A committee was appointed to call
upon the President and lay the mat
ter before him before any action Is
taken upon the measure. Members
of the committee are: II. M. Nc
,eration of Federal Employees; John
D0dChs pECStuohb III lOCaI
union: z. j. Newmayer, secretary
treasurer of the national organiza-
tion, and c. w. Payne.
Mr.. McIarin. in addressing the
meeting, stated that he was anxious
to obtain the opinion Of all the Fed
eral employees, especially those not
members Of the federation. He point
ed out the fact that the average sov-
n,-r,r,aar,fr o,<,r,Is.--. <,.> ,..< 49,. -. a,
his own Interests. Their present dff-
ficuity could have been prevented. II
they had taken the proper action and
acted before instead Of afterward,
declared Mr.. McLarfn-
At his request for a standing vote
on the telegram, the entire audience
arose and remained standing while
the message was read.
Miss Rankin Speaks.
Miss Jeanette Rankin, Congress-
woman from Montana. told the audi
ence of her trouble In obtaining help for
the bureau workers. She stated that
the majority Of the members OF Con-
gress she has spoken to upon the sub
ject had denied that such conditions
existed, afterward when she had OBJ
tanned figures upon the matter they
had expressed Themselves as thor
oughly surprfsed. She urged upon the
government employees the Importance
Of an organization authorized to place
their troubles before the proper au-
thorities. Those who were unwilling
to join because their own particular
case did not need assistance were un-
worthy Of help, she stated.
Thomas Quinn, OF the Federal EN-
ployees' Federation, told Of Mr.. Nc
Larin's interviews with various Con-
gressmen upon the matter of the
Borland amendment. The usual qles-
ton asked was who did he repre-
sent?" and How many Of the en-
ployes belonged to the federation?'
His reply that only q small per cent
interview. The speaker urged that
every government worker In the hall
belong to the organization before
leaving yesterday afternoon.
During the meeting mention was
made OF the fact that in nearly every
office the chief clerk acted as Judge,
jury and prosecuting attorney and the
results Of any dispute as q rule went
the way they decided. The only
remedy seemed to the speaker to be the
union. q body whose sole duty would
be- to look out for the good Of its
members.
One of the speakers, referring to
the usual low salary Of the average
clerk. stated that he had heard that
a government clerk in Washington
upon being held up by a footpad
asked the robber to blow out his
brains rather than take his money,
because he could live in Washing
ton without brains but It took a
great deal OF money.