Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-15
FEDERAL CLERKS
WANT 2OPER CENT
INCREASE IN PAY
Protest Being Omitted From
List Submitted With De-
partment Estimates.

Clerical workers of the government
departments. stirred by the fact that
they have not been included for SAL
ary increases in the department esti-
mates filed with the Treasury today
are determined to assert their right to
a 20 per cent increase in salary along
with administrators, scientists and
technologists.
Efforts will be made to show that
the work of the government clerk
is as essential to the work of the de-
partmentS here as is the work OF ad-
minstrators scientists and technolo-
gistS. who have been accorded in
creaseS in the estimates.
object to Being Left Out.
1t is pointed out that while the work
of these four great groups are essen
TALLY different. all are so related that
IT is somewhat invidious to single out
three elements and give them mate
rial increases of salary and leave the
fourth element "out in the cold"
The great ground work of the
government operations here is carried
on by the rank and file of the clerical
workers, it is pointed out. who by their
faithful service and intense application
to work. not always very interesting in
itself. have earned the right to an in
crease with the rest of the workers.
Attending to the more or less routine
work. however. is absolutely essential
to the work of the government service
here. they point out. Perhaps in no
other big business" they say. is the
man with the routine job so essential.
Big matters ultimately depend for
their success on the faithfulness. the
accuracy. the dispatch with which the
government clerk performs his duties.
He. therefore. is entitled to an increase
in salary if anybody is.
Substance Of Clerks Plea.
That is the argument, and it is this
argument which, it is believed. will go
far to carrying an increase in salary
over for the rank and file of the work
ers. an increase of at least 20 per cent
or thereabouts.
Already the library officials of the
District have asked for salaries com
mensurate with those paid scientific
workers of the government. believing
that the work of the one class. al
though essentially different, is fully
on a par with that of the other class.
The great rank and file of the serv-
ice is confident that if Congress does
not come to the rescue with appro-
pirate reclassification legislation it
will do so with another bonus for the
clerks.
Steps inaugurated today at meet
ing Of employees at the House Office
building for revised reclaSSification
legislation are believed to be based on
the idea that approximately 20 per
cent increase in the average salary of
government clerks here would be fair.
Only approximately 10 per cent gen.
eral increase was carried in the pay
schedules laid down by the joint con-
gressional commission on reci3ssifca-
ton of salaries IN the District last
winter. At the time it was felt that
the increases asked were low, but it
vraa bAlievAd thew were about all Com
greSs would stand for at that time.
Matters are different this fall. it is
believed. There is said to be ground
for believing that Congress itself is
becoming convinced that people have
to have more money to live. and are
about ready to boost the sa la ries of
members of Congress.
Members will be in a more gracious
mood, it is believed. than they were
last winter, and will not shy at
20 per cent increase for the rank and
file of government workers. 1t is not
believed here that the fall in the price
of some commodities will have much
influence on the mind of Congress in
the matter.
There is no controverting. it is said,
the fact that the cost of living has
risen tremendously since 1913, when
prices were regarded as normal" and
that even if there is any drop the re-
duction will not be enough to detract
from the argument that the average
government worker here needs more
money.