The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-03-25
lands BERATES
FEDERAL SERVICE
Famous Chicago Judge Says
No Justice There.
u. S. MOST UNFAIR EMPLOYER
Employees UnderpaId and Have Had
No Increase Since High Cost of
Living Hit the WorId-Refers
to Supreme Court.

Chicago, March 22.-Judge Lands
met his fellow government employees
at mass meeting In the COrt theater
and berated the federal government
as the most unfair employer of labor
in the United States.
The judge also made yelled critl-
Cisms of the decision of the United
States Supreme court, under which
stock dividends are not taxable under
the income law, and limited that n way
would be found to force the taxation
OF wartime profits of this character.
U. S. Called Unjust.
'This is conference to substitute
Justice for the rankest kind of lnjus-
tice In the treatment of employees by
the government Of the United States"
said Judge Lands. ''For Is years |
have been in the federal service. Not
everybody feels kindly toward that
service. | don't know that anybody
does.
"In 1914 the employees of the United
A'AtAN'9 SON'i "'iN Nii'N' f''''N'
They got less than men and women of
the same ability working for anybody
else. In 1920 in many departments
the employees are paid the same as
they were paid in 1914. l don't know
of any great employer Of labor In
America who has as low scale of
wages rs the United States govern
ment.
IF the United States wants its in
tiuence felt with the other employers
of labor it must adopt a policy Of
justice itself Unless the federal gov
eminent does change its policy toward
its employees it may find the coal OPP
orators and the steel operators offer
ing their good services to arbitrate the
differences between the government
and its employees.
Demand for Justice.
II am here in redemption of a prom
ise. During the war l advised postal
and other federal employees to hold
off-to go easy-to stick TO their jobs
because we were at war, and when
the war is over, told them, L will go
TO the front for you and try to get
Justice
IF the wages of the federal en-
plOyees were cut in half you couldn't
get up a strike among them. That
is all the more reason that congress
should settle this difficulty and give
them justice.
"Thc question has been raised,
Where is the money coming frOmY
Even at the risk of being msunder-
stood, / will say the Supreme court of
the United States decided 1t was be-
yond the power of congress to lay
tax against stock dividend. Now /
am not criticizlng that court, at least
publicly, this afternoon but l reserve
the right to have my own opinion as to
that matter.
ut Is a matter of opinion that there
are many melons to be cut of the ac-
cumulated profits of 1917; that they
are to be disposed of through stock
dividend program. l will give these
men warning that way will be found
through which the United States wiz
have the power to tax a stock divi-
dend. But, remember, / am not critl-
Ching any court.
"keep Out Of v. S. Service"
ITO persons who advise with me
about going into the government SER
vice | tell them. Under no circum-
stances 60 into the federal service. be-
cause of the injustice with which the
government treats its employees; all
except federal judges, who are notori
ously overpaid. If any of you can find
anything to do outside, get out and
get cut now. l don't know whether !
am violating any statute in giving that
advice.
1T is not economy to underpay EN-
ployees, it is insanity. The trouble
with federal employees is that they are
not pestiferously active enough, There
is talk about paying you a bonus of
S240. That is an outrageous short
step toward justice. Go out and get
busy politically to free your govern
ment of the ignOminy of being the
most unfair employer of labor in the
United States"