The Washington times., 1919-06-21
WOULD
CUT PAY Of
SCIENTISTS
Senator's Bill Would Slash Sal
airy of Experts to Maximum
of $500 a Year.

Federal employees Of every bureau
and department Of the Government IN
Washington are up in arms against
Senator Kings amendment to the ag-
ricu1ture appropriation bill slashing
the salaries Of scientific experts OF the
Department OF Agriculture to a maxi
mum Of S2,5O0 a year.
The amendment will be eliminated
from the bill by the conferees, Il
was stated this morning by off,
Gals OF the Federation Of Federal
Employees who vigorously fought the
amendment yesterday at the Capitol.
Officials OF the federation said this
morning they had every assurance
OF the Senate conferees that the
amendment would be eliminated
from the agricultural bill
II used as an entering wedge, Presi-
dent L. c. Steward and other repre-
sentatives Of the National Federation
Of Federal Employees, with q member
ship Of $4,000 in the District, nave
told the Senate and House conferceJ
on the agriculture bill II would set
precedent so dangerous that It u!ti-
mately would reach its claws to every
department OF the Government.
Utter generalization Of the serYs@C
would be the immediate result" the
conferees were warned. sfor the
amendment not only would smash the
efficiency OF the scientific work, but
would crush absolutely the esprit
d'corps OF the departments wherever
applied"
Solid UnlOn Threatens.
Behind the protest Of the employees
against this discrimination looms up
the ominous shadow OF a threatened
danger Of the Government aWakinS
suddenly to ind itself In the grip Of
unioniZed employees, with one purpose
to stand as a bulwark between the
Government and ultimate starvation
salaries IL the present tendency to
cut deeper and deeper each year into
the monthly pay envelope is not
smashed by a far-sightRd Congress.
This in effect was the yelled ulti-
matum that the conferees face, Mr..
Steward said today. The seeds OF dis
content already planted in the breasts
Of trained men who have given the
beneft OF their brain work TO the
Government at unreasonably small
compensation. he declared, needed
only the nourishment Of Just such
legislation as proposed by Senator
King TO spTout into a nation vide
union OF Federal employees that will
exert its influence over every Gov
eminent department.
"If the King amendment Is enact
ed into law" Mr.. Steward told the
conferees. "three-fourths Of the Gov
ernment's trained scientific experts
would quit their positions immediate
IL
further"
Gain 1000 Members Monthly.
AS a forewarnfng Of what Is to
come, Mr.. Steward said that the Ma
tional Federation Of Federal EN-
ployes, which has a present member
ship Of $4,000. had been increasing at
the rate Of 1000 members a month
since Christmas, with units spreading
to every Government bureau and de-
partment
The Government would not be the
only sufferer, he explained, IL the
King amendment was put into effect.
Its demOralizing influence would be
a sledge-h hammer blow to every farm
ing community of the country where
the Department of Agriculture has
been working in cooperation with
the farmers and producers.
Put in the hands of inefficient men,
the scientific work of the department
practically would lead into blind al
legs, he declared. without the expe-
rience and direction Of men who are
experts in their particular fields Of
activity.
Extend to other Bureaus.
This mismanagement would be felt
particularly in the Department OF
Commerce and other bureaus, Mr..
Steward explained. dealing with
domestic and foreign commerce. Com
petent men simply cannot be found
who would be willing to devote the
best part of their time and brains
clared. with the result that the Gov
eminent would lose far more in the
long run than the money saved
a near-sighted policy.
The National Federation of Federal
Employees sees in the King amend
ment an attempt to shackle the work
of the joint Reconsideration commits
sion, which is undertaking to reclas-
sify the salaries Of Government en-
ployss. The effect of the proposed
law, Mr.. Steward said, could be easily
seen.
]. A. Herman, of the National Asso-
clatlOn OF the bureau or Animal IN
dustry Veterinarians, also protested
against the proposed proposal to re-
duce all salaries of the Department Of
to $4,000 He declared il
would jeopardiZe the work Of De vet
erinarian forces.
Would Affect 1000.
At least 1000 employees OF the Agri-
culture Department would be affected
by the cut in salaries, the delegation
explained, but that was a small part
Of the ultimate danger that lies in the
amendment.
The American Society OF Foresters
has adopted a resolution in protest
Of the amendment. tho cOnferees were
told The forestry service would be
hard hit by salary reduction, it was
pointed out.
Senator Gronna of North Dakota,
chairman of the Senate Agriculture
and himself a farmer, is
said to be opposed TO the amendment.
and expressed keen interest in II
when the matter came up in confer
erCe between the two houses. The re- .