Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-25
HOUSE PASSES S.
A-DAY WAGE BILL
Representative NoIan's Mini
mum Measure Affects Many
District Employees.

osSSssSS
WILL PUSH-IT IN SENATE
The Nolan $3-a-day minimum wage
bill for federal and District govern
ment employees, fathered through
three Congresses by Representative
John /. Nolan of California, was
passed by the House yesterday under
a. special rule, 252 to IA. with five
members voting present"
The measure now goes to the Sen
alta where it will be pushed by the
National Federation OF Federal EN-
ployea
What Measure Provides.
Many District employees are affected.
It provides a minimum day wage Of
SO for all employees Of the federal
| mont who have been in the service
two years or more, excepting only
postal employees, covered in a special
reclassification bill of July 2. In the
case of employees paid by the hour
the compensation will be at the rate
| Of 37h cents. Employees paid by the
month are to receive $50, 50 that the
minimum yearly wages of all classes
covered in the bill will be $1,000.
The fourteen members who voted
against the measure are: Black Of
Texas, Byrnes of South Carolina,
Gambler Of Mississippi. Collier of
Mississippi, Gordon of Ohio, Helm Of
Kentucky, Houston Of Tennessee,
Kincheloe of Kentucky, Oliver of Ala
| bama, Quin of Mississippi, Rayburn Of
Texas, Sisson of Mississippi, Young of
Texas and Saunders of Virginia. Rep
resentative Borland of Missouri voted
for the Nolan bill.
Those Who Are Affected.
The large groups affected by this bill
are the Waterman, charwoman and en-
tire custodian force in the federal
buildings in Washington and elsewhere
throughout the United States. the low
paid clerical workers in Washington
and the field offices. the women in the
| bureau of engraving and printing,
about one-half Of the employees of the
Library of Congress and the Public
Library Of the District of Columbia,
| teachers in the public schools of the
District, and a large miscellaneous
group of workers in all the depart
ments and the District service. On a
yearly basis the pay of all these en-
ployes will be raised to $1,000 begin
ming with the first of the next fiscal
year. providing the Nolan bill passes
the Senate.
Notwithstanding the slight opposi-
ton registered in the final roll call,
the House debated the measure all
afternoon, and numerous amendments
| were offered.
Representative Mondell of Wyoming
\ wanted to make the provisions apply
| to the new workers in the service as
we'll as those who have been employed
L inal bill Representative Madden of
| Illinois proposed an amendment to eli
inmate the post Office clerks, letter
carriers and railway mail clerks, be-
cause the recent postal reclassihcatlon
law has provided for them minimum
of $1,000 per year, with automatic IN
creases to $500 per year during the
war.
| Refuses to Lower Age Limit.
| REPRESENTATIVE Fields of Kentucky
| ATTEMPTED to remove the age limit OF
twenty years for application OF the
! increase, and Representative Blanton
| of Texas offered successive amend
| ments providing 81 per day, S1,44O
per year. and $1,000 per year Tor
| teachers.
| Representative Black of Texas Of
fered an amendment to restrict the
| application of the So minimum to en-
| ployes who work eight hours per day,
] but this was quickly voted down, wlta
a comment by Representative Sabatn
Of Illinois, reminding the Texas mem
Der, you know what happened to
Borland."
The National Federation Of Federal
| Employees, which has been pushing
hard for the passage of the Nolan
bill, now expects to urge immediate
action on this measure in the Senate,
according to Luther C. Steward, ma
tional president of the organization.
Plans Early Hearings in Senate.
1.-THE action of the House, this after
noon marks distinct advance on the
road to an equitable Redistribution
Of the salaries of government employees,
said Mr. Steward yesterday. land is a
source Of profound satisfaction to the
National Federation of Federal En-
ployes, because it provides relief for
those government workers whose need
is greatest. We shall confer with Mr..
Nolan tomorrow and plan to secure
early hearings before the Senate
committee. The most important thing
in the minds of the members of our
organization now is to see the Nolan
bill enacted into law at the present
session Of Congress"
Presages Quick Action.