Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-10-14

structions to attempt to enroll all fed
eral employees in the union.
Luther C. Steward. president of the
organization, asserts that it is work
ing for the following things: A living
wage for all government employees ;
retirement with pay for all superan-
nuated employees; standardization of
duties and wages and automatic in
crease in pay based on merit; 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 non-partisan
civil service commission to succeed the
present bipartisan commission, and a
training school where all government
employees may be given an opportu-
nifty to study all executive positions,
this school to be maintained by the
federal government.
It's inTuenCe On congress.
Something like 10000 government
employees here have become members
of the organization within the last
fifteen months. They are exerting in
fiuence 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 law giving a 10 per
cent annual increase in salary to all
government employees here receiving
1,200 or less and an increase of 3 per
cent for all government employees re-
ceiving from $1,000 to $1,800 a year !;
the enactment of legislation providing
for flat increase of $40 month
for all employees receiving up to
$500 a year; legislation providing
for the creation of joint committee
on Reconsideration of salaries in the
departments, a commission that is
now at work.
The DIRECTORS to the government
employees organizing have as a 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 strike against the government
would never be called. Nevertheless
there is good deal of uneasiness
among members of congress over the
possibility of the governments being
embarrassed by a 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
to 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. it is believed, will get through
each house uncontested. The pro-
posed legislation based on the princi-
pie that congress has the right to ex-
ercise any kind of power over auto
mobiles In interstate commerce, that
is to say automobiles that move from
one state to another.
Thieves steal automobiles and take
them from one state to another and
Outlines have associates in this crime
who receive and sell the stolen cars.
Every state has law on the subject.
according TO the house committee on
Judiciary, these laws have proved In
adequate to meet the evil. A large
of the thieves eMape, and
of stolen machines are
never recovered because. so it 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 to the peo-
pie of the United States by reason of
this stealing amounts to hundreds of
thousands of dollars every year and
is getting worse.
Theft Insurance Up 100 Per Cent.
1t is also asserted in support of the
proposed legislation that it is get
ting so now it is difficult for the own
ers of the cheaper cars to obtain theft
insurance due to 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 committee says that automobile
thieves who make a speciality of this
crime do not steal many of the higher
priced cars. the reason being, of
course, that they are not so easily sold.
During the calendar year 1918, 22,273
cars were reported stolen in Is west
ern and middle western cities. The
city of Detroit Mich. headed the list
with 1887 cars stolen; Chicago came
second with 2,611. and St Louis third
with 2,241. Kansas City led in cars
stolen and not recovered, 46 per cent.
st. Louis was second with 40 per
cent of stolen cars lost absolutely.
The purpose of the federal automo-
bile law is to suppress crime in inter-
state commerce. The house committee
on judiciary holds that automobiles
admittedly are tangible property,
capable of being transmitted in inter-
state commerce. According to the COM
mittee. no good reason exists why con-
gress, invested with the power to regu-
late commerce among the several
states, should not provide that such
commerce should not be polluted by
the carrying of stolen property from
one state to another.
The governors of several states and
the police authorities of a large num-
Der of cities have advised the commit
tee on the judiciary of the house of
representatives that federal legislation
dealing with stolen automobiles would
be welcome.