The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1919-10-02
continues to grow. II now has more

continues TO grow. II now has more
than 10000 members and organizers
were recently dispatched from head
quarters here to every state with In
structions to attempt to enroll all fed
eral employees in the union.
Luther c. Steward. president of the
organization. asserts that IL is work
Ing for the following things: 4 living
wage for all government employees;
retirement with pay for all superan-
nuated employees; standardization of
Fduties and wages and automatic in
crease in pay based on mGNit; fed
eral personnel board. with authority
TO adjust salaries and conditions of
employment as circumstances war
rant; equal pay for equal work for
government employees, men and wom-
en-; equal suffrage: greater political
/ freedom for federal employees; a real
merit system. including a non-partiSan
civil service commission to succeed the
I present bipartisan commission. and
/ training school where all government
employees may be given an opportu-
nifty to study all executive positions.
| this school to he maintained by the
federal government.
Its Influence on Congress.
Something like 10000 government
employees here have become members
of the organization within the last
fifteen months. They are eXerting In
fluence on congress. To this influence
may be traced the defeat of legislation
recently proposed to lengthen the
working hours of government EN-
ployees without increase in pay; the
enactment of a law giving 10 per
cent annual increase In salary to all
government employees here receiving
81 200 or less and an increase of . per
cent for all government employees re-
ceiving from $1,000 to S1,SO0 "A year;
the enactment of legislation providing
for a fiat increase of so month
for all employees receiving up 10
$500 year; legislation providing
for the creation of joint committee
on Reconsideration of salaries in the
departments, commission that Is
now AT work.
The directors TO the government
employees organizing have as rule
voiced the fear that the time would
come when the organized employees
would strike. The present officers Of
the organization say no such danger
or possibility exists. 1t is asserted that
a vast majority of the employees who
have Joined the federal union were
assured by the officers of the union
that a strike against the government
would never be called. Nevertheless
there Is a good deal of uneaslness
among members Of congress over the
possibility of the governments being
embarrassed by general strike Of its
employees at some time in the future.
To Check Automobile Thefts.
The federal government proposes
to REINFORCE the states in their efforts
10 put a stop to the theft of automt-
biles. Congress. the committee on |
judiciary Of the house of representa- |
tives says, is the only power cOmpe-
tent To legislate on this rapidly
growing evil, and has reported bill
which. II is believed. will get through
each house uncontested. The pro-
posed legislation based on the princi-
pie that congress has the right 10 ox-
ercise any kind Of power over auto
mobiles In interstate commerce. that |
is 10 say automobiles that move from |
one state to another.
Thieves steal automobiles and take |
them from one state TO another and |
ofttimes have associates In this crime |
who receive and sell the stolen cars. |
Every state has law on the subject
according 10 the house committee on |
judiciary, these laws have proved In
adequate to meet the evil. A large
percentage Of the thieves escape. and
thousands Of stolen machines are
never recovered because. so II Is as
serted, the stolen machines are rushed
from the state In which they are
stolen into another state. The advO-
Gates Of federal legislation on the sub
ject point out that the loss 10 the peo-
pie OF the United States by reason Of
this stealing amounts 10 hundreds Of
thousands OF dollars every year and
n getting worse.
Theft Insurance Up 100 Per Cent.
II is also asserted in support OF the
proposed legislation that II Is get
ting so now II is difficult for the own
ers Of the cheaper cars 10 obtain theft
insurance due 10 the great loss that in
surance companies have sustained.
The judiciary committee points out
that during the last year automobile
theft insurance on the cheaper classes
OF cars has increased 100 per cent
The complttee siys that automobile