Evening star., 1918-02-25
OF CLERKS
APPEAR AT HEARING
Before House Committee Urge
Passage of Keating Bill
for Increased Pay.
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

! urging upon Congress that they be
granted substantial increases in salary,
had their first day in court today, when
the subcommittee of the House appro-
priations committee, of which Represent
ative Joseph w. Byrns of Tennessee is
chairman, opened hearings on the Keat-
ing bill, which has been approved by
the Federal Employees Union.
| There was a large gathering of labor
leaders and leaders in the Clerks Union
when the committee assembled at IL
O'Clock, 1t was decided that the hear
| ings should be executive and that the
witnesses should be heard one at time
behind closed doors.
Living Wages Demanded.
] Features of the hearing today were a
demand by Representative Edward
Keating of Colorado, father of the bill,
that the government should be model
employer, granting salaries which Will
maintain American standards of living.
and presentation by Frank Morrison.
secretary of the American Federation
Of Labor, of the resolution adopted in
national convention by the federation
demanding that the government give al
| federal employees standard nVlns
wage. Mr.. Morrison also presented sta.
tistics showing the increased cost OF
living has mounted to more than S5
per cent.
| H. NJ. McLarin, president of the Ma
| tionaI Federation of Federal employees,
| made a statement that the very unions
that Postmaster General Burleson op-
jects to were formed and affiliated with
the American Federation of Labor TO
secure relief from the autocratic meth
DDS of the present management of the
Post Office Department.
| Statement by Mr.. Keating.
Before any witnesses were called
Representative Keating made general
argument before the committee show
ing how the cost of living affects the
government workers and declaring that
the government should be model en-
ployer. not granting extravagant sala-
ries, but paying such salaries as will
enable government worker to de-
vote his whole day earnestly to govern
ment work. feeling sure that he Will
receive compensation suf1cient to en-
able him to bring up his family accord
ing to American standards.
While Mr.. Keating was discussing
the question of an honest days work
he was asked II he was referring to
ment. Mr.. Keating said that this was
a proposition that he felt should be
left open to debate on the floor Of the
House.
Disposition was shown by members
| of the committee to take care Of those
who have been for a long time In the
government in preference to granting
any increases to those who have re-
Gently come into the service under the
lump-sum appropriation.
Urges Substantial Increase.
Frank Morrison. secretary Of the Amer
| lean Federation of Labor, was the first
| witness. He urged substantial increases
! in salary be given to all government en-
ployes. including printers and bookbinders,
and presented. as officially representing
| the American Federation of Labor, a
| resolution adopted in the national con-
| He asked that the committee approve
| the scale of increases from per cent
| to 80 per cent carried in the Heating
| bill as prepared by the National Feder-
alton Of Federal Employees. and which
| was outlined in The Sunday Star.
| Mr.. Morrison also submitted lengthy
statistics. prepared by the president of
| one of the largest food products estab-
| lishments in the District of Columbia.
| showing the heavy increase in the cost
| of food that the government employees
have to meet
Mr.. McLarin's Statement.
| Mr. McLarin, president of the National
Federation of Federal Employees, in his
Introductory statement asked to be heard
more at length later on. He told the
committee that if there is any phase Of
the question about which they want in
formation he will be glad to prepare it
and present it. He suggested several
minor changes to make the terms Of the
Keating bill clearer Mr.. McLarin said,
in part:
/
employees is composed Of all types of gov
eminent and District Of Columbia en-
ployes. In all branches of the service,
but largely of the clerical grade, we have
a membership Of more than $1,000 in
about 100 cities. and at our convention
here last September resolution was
adopted asking Congress to grant in
creases in pay approximating those speci-
/ fled in the Keating bill.
"At the same convention we agreed
| to work out a general reclassif1cation
measure and urge it's enactment. Such
a bill will not be ready until the next
Congress and we ask the percentage
increase to tide us over the next year.
Puts Faith in Congress.
Congress is the duly constituted
wage board of the majority of the gov
ernment employees. and we feel that
| Congress will not deny the privilege
of laying before 1t facts that affect our
living conditions. 1t Is In this spirit
| Of employees hearings before a wage
board that we have come to Congress
with the Keating bill. Inasmuch as the
action of Congress is to great extent
controlled by public opinion, we have
placed our case before the public in
| every practicable way. We are citizens
and voters. We have the right to pre-
| sent our desires to our representatives
in Congress. Mr.. Burleson to the con-
trary Notwithstanding.
! MIR. Burleson's attack on our organza-
| ton is entirely unjustified. His statement
in his annual report will not stand the
| test of reason nor even of truth. Any
time that we present to Congress any re-
quest or demand that we cannot SUBJ
stantiate or. defend before any impartial
body we will disband. As employees our
first interest is ourselves and our fanf-
lies. The next is the government
lection and at the same time we will al
ways be glad and will cooperate to the
fullest possible extent with Congress and
the government officials in attempting to
build up the efficiency Of the service
Blames Secretary Burleson.
I'VE will not submit to the kind Of or
ganization Mr. Burleson would have us
maintain. II the post Office had been prop-
erly managed many of these Organisations
| would never have affiliated with the Amer
ican Federation of Labor. His treatment
! organized labor for protection from auto
| cratic methods. 1t Is in this spirit Of CO.
operation and seeking justice that we now
i and ALWAYS shall come To Congress-