The Washington herald., 1919-02-03
One OF Greatest Needs.


"Onc OF our greatest needs IS a
constructive program to present to
congress concerning the needs of
government employees.
To-day We are asking for an in
crease in wages in haphazard fash
ion. Some say We should have an in
crease OF $50 a year for each gov
"rnment emplOye; some say half of
that sum is enough, while others say
"uo-thiTd would be sufficient. Still
others think that one group of work
'rS should get larger increase than
The rest 1t is largely a matter OF
-ucsswOrk.
'Is there anyone here who can say
how the increase should be made? I
do not believe there is. This state Of
aTalrs should not exist. and it would
not exist II you had organized earlier
and had your representatives to make
plans.
Tho trouble is that you have no
system Of accounting by means of
which YOU can measure the services
l00dered by the different groups.
Those who have been employing
and exploiting labor could tell what
ru'. services Of their CmpIoyes are
worth. but 1T is not to their advan-
JISe To 10 50.
Admits Living Wage.
"Thr tendency Of employers is only
IN give living wage. When YOU ask
for an increase in your wages you say
that You cannot live on the wage YOU
are receiving. thus admitting that you
Hrc only worth enough to keep you
'ltvC. The wage worker is worth
more than that, and the wage workers
"T the country. realizing the value of
fncIr services, should prepare a definite
pyo-rum of their needs to the present
congress"
secretary Morrison spoke, in part. as
follows:
IL every government emplOye were
- member Of union. you would have
no dificulty in putting over the war
bonus You are now asking from Con-
Errsz.
'.I"u should have 1oo per cent
NNIoLizIJtou Of your bureau Let each
NO" member and the older members,
700. act as organizers. and in a week
"' NV" vuu Will have all your burear,s
.-.' employees members of the Fed
'1'l Employees Union. II you do this.
-''L VIII Ect what you want this year.
Why to Get Results.
II You get 100 per cent organized.
-"H vii not only get what you want
this year. but next year you win
'... able to get anything within rea-
~or- know what the lower of or
-1a'zed effort iS. when the wage
worker is in earnest.
join the Federal Employees
Union, attend the meetings and nav
Our dues. These are the three
things that the American Fedora
lon Of Labor asks Of you.
DO these things and you will find
the American Federation Of Labor
~quarely behind you. It is already
hacking up your needs in Congress
10 is behind the retirement bill. and
IT viii be there until it is passed.
Tr2ing Times Coming.
We are going to have trying
tunes before U.S. We already have
"a consIdcrabI" body Of unemployed
ru this county. only about l 600
400 out Of the J,NOU.OOy soldiers have
been demObilized
We shall have bread lines by the
rr-L of May. unless Congress does
fIr things that the Federation OF
Labor is UrginE.
"EostriCtOn Of immigration to the
United states for four years will
not prevent bread lines, but it will
have a psychological effect on the
workers. who will understand that
they Will not have to compete with
tho lOw-paid labor of Southern Eu-
rope.
IF Congress will do these things
VIC will be able to take care of the
unemployed, provided alien labor
from the South OF Europe is not al
lowed to come here and compete
with our unemployed"