The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-01-15
SAYS We MUST SLAY
THE GERMAN SPIDER
CONGRESSMAN CLARK HAS CONSIDERABLE lNFLU-
ENCE At THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
New Morning Telegraph)
eNew York Morning Telegraph

One OF the most ardent advocates
for an increase in the salary of gov
ernment employees is the Hon. Frank
Clark, representative from the Sec
ond District of Florida. And mas
much as he is beginning the four
teenth year of his congressional resi-
dence in Washington, he has had
ample time TO observe the extensive
work of the various departments ST
the government, as well as the quail
fications of the hundreds and hum
dreds of men and women who do it.
The worker has been entitled to
the just reward of his labor since
work began" Mr.. Clark said yester-
day. ct seems to me that the aver
age man or woman in the depart
ments has never been adequately
paid for the service required of him.
Few people who do not come in con-
tact with the departments have any
idea of the enormous amount of work
done by the employees, the great ma
1orlty OF whom are specialists in their
particular line and have qualified for
the service
Some one asked Mr.. Clark if he was
going to make a speech about it when
the time came. He thought he might
say few words, and again he might
not.
Il don't make many speeches. Mr..
Clark said "When first came to
Congress-" he explained, cit seemed
to me there were two ways in which
/ could serve my constituents ana
Legislation. One was to ask the chair
for recognition on every possible thing
that came up, talk about measures
and bills, offer criticism and objection
frequently; in fact, keep on my feer
and in the eye of the House. Now.
that looked to me like a way TO dis
sipate any influence or force or polit-
ical energy one might have. Whereas,
the other way, which meant close ap-
piication to what was going on. keep
ing up with all this correspondence
concentrating on the measures that
directly demanded my attention, work
ing with my committees and making
speech only when / had something
that had to be said-why, that was
the way that appealed to- me most.
And after thirteen years in the House
still think it is better-and anyway.
it has become my habit"
Tt is you, is it not, some one ask.
ed who does not approve of the dol
lar-a-year man ~
Yes, ! happened to say something
about that" Mr.. Clark laughed. aand
I'm inclined to say lot more, for. to
my way of thinking, it violates every
sense OF proportion and offends the
fitness OF things. Not for moment
do | fail to appreciate the motives
that actuate prominent men of wealth
and position to volunteer their SER
vices and give their time and energy
to some administrative part of war
work, hard work-at dollar a yeari
But here's the point. In the first
| place the United States can paw for
services rendered the government. Tn
the next place it does not necessarily
follow that because man has attain
ed a high position in his particular
field in the world and has great
riches he Is qualified to undertake an
emergency department of war work
with the same degree of efficiency.
Undoubtedly there is many and many
man who not only can do that work
as well, but infinitely better, and who
needs the salary such position com
mands. More than that, there is 3
certain obligation and consideration
due the man who works for nothing.
When the government hires a man to
do some work, and pays him for it.
the government can direct and con-
troll without any quaIms of obligation
or of any regard for the great fav-
orl's'
There are three of the Southern
congressman who were all born in the
town of Eufaula, Ala.,-Mr. Kehoe of
Florida, Mr.. Dent of Alabama and Mr..
Clark of Florida.
Il was born there in go" said Mr..
Clark, "and Of course do not remem-
Der anything of the war except the
soldiers coming into town. NY father
was an officer In the Confederate
army and died in the war, of pneu-
monia, leaving my mother and four
children without a thing. for of
course all we had was wiped out by
the war. One of my sisters married
and after time we went to live near
her, and / worked on the farm, pick
ing cotton, looking after the stock,