Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-01-01
PROMISING TO
FEDERAL WORKERS
Prospects for Increased Sal
aries Brighten on Pledges
of congressman.
UNANlMIN FOR RELIEF

With practically every member OF
Congress pledged to support any bill
in Congress providing substantial and
prompt relief for government workers
through graded increase in salaries and
with Ave measures looking for such re-
lief scheduled for consideration within
a few days following the reassemblinS
OF Congress Thursday. New Year day
10 one Of promise for the thousands OF
federal clerks
There Is no conflict whatever. no
competition, between the Madden bill
for increases in tho postal service and
the union bill, known as the Keattn 8
per cent to all government workers"
said Representative Edward Heating of
Colorado today. Il am in favor OF the
Madden bill as well as the Heating bill.
l want to see them both passed, and
believe they will be"
This statement was made by Repre-
sentative Heating. as he faced a stack
of several thousand letters piled high
on a table in his office today, to clear
up any misunderstanding that may
exist throughout the country. He ex-
planned that all the members of Con-
gress who have been receiving letters
by the hundreds in behalf Of civil serv-
ice employees in their home districts
recognize the Heating bill as covering
all these government employees as well
as those in the National Capital.
But one member of Congress has
been found to date who has stated he
is not in favor of giving an increase to
the federal employees at least equal TO
the abnormal increase in living ex-
penses.
May Resume Hearings Saturday.
Tn, I;af Al,
of Congress hearings are to be resumed
probably on Saturday. by the subcom-
n7ittee of the House committee on post
offices and post roads, Of which Rep
resentative Thomas NJ. Bell of Georsis
Is chairman. This has before it the
Madden bill and the Stevenson and Var
Dyke bills, which cover all branches OF
the postal service for substantial in
creases. The urgency of the plea for
postal employees is based or-.he fact
that this was the only branch of the
federal service that was not included in
the horizontal raise of and 10 per
cent allowed after July l last
Hearings on the Heating bill, which
is before the appropriations subcom-
mittee on legislative. executive and ju-
dicial departments. will probably not be
held for two weeks yet in order that
the departmental, division and bureau
chiefs may be heard on their estimates
They will be afforded an opportunity by
the subcommittee. of which Represent
alive Joseph w. Byrns of Tennessee il
chairman. to voice their sentiments In
regard to the need of increased pay
for the government workers. AS mos,
of these officials have already declared
through The Star their belief In the
absolute necessity Of giving the gov.
eminent workers salaries equal to what
they could get in outside employment
the symposium of their declarations IL
expected to make strong impression
on the members of the subcommittee.
Bill for Minimum % Day.
Action to report out favorab1y from
the House labor committee the measure
for minimum three-dollar-a-day SAL
airy to United States clerks Is expected
to be taken within a few days. The
committee was ready to make report
on this bill just before the Christmas
holidays. This bill is fathered by Rep
resentative Nolan Of California, who
has for three years been working to get
this minimum wage for the low-sal-
aired government employees.
When any Of these measures II re-
ported out in Congress by one Of the
committees prompt action is assured
A canvass Of the members Of Congress
shows that thoy are practically unani-
nous In favor of any measure that will
give the government workers immedi-
ate relief.
The members of Congress feel tina,
been met systematic action should be
taken to thoroughly overhaul the fed
eral salary schedule and place the
workers on a graded schedule that will
insure something better than starvation
rates.