Evening star., 1921-01-15
ENDEAVORS MADE
TO RESTORE BONUS
Interests of Policemen and
Firemen Are Receiving
Special Attention.

Earnest endeavor to. get the s240
bonus for government employees re-
stored in the legislative bill by the
Senate and to specifically include the
police and firemen of the District is
being made. Assurances are being
given that if the Senate will include
such provision the House Will sus-
tain it.
some of the House leaders in direct
charge of District legislation are en-
phasiZinS that this bonus has been
promised to the police and firemen as
wen as to other government en-
ployes and that the good faith of
congress IS in question.
Chairman Mapes' Statement.
Chairman Mapes of the House Dis
trIct committee made the following
statement on the floor of tn. House
alter Representative Elanton had
made his point of order which
knocked out the bonus for all govern
ment employees:
think it ought to be said for the
benent of the record that it was the
understanding of the members of the
committee on the District of Column
bia at the time the legislation was
passed increasing the salaries of the
men IN these two departments that
they would get the bonus in addition
10 the salaries fixed at that time.
That statement was made in the
report OF the committee at the time
IL was made definitely on the floor of
the house of Representatives in the
considaration of one of the bills in a
solloquy between the gentleman from
New York. Mr.. Gould, and the gentle
man from New York. Mr.. Snyder. 1t
was the general understanding of the
ms en-, Ders OF the District committee.
Ihe men in these departments are
men men, with families They are very
,uc,i IN heed OF this additional pay.
On my way home last night, while
waiting for a car. saw an advertise
ment in the window of one Of the
stores for policemen and firemen in
.he District of Columbia. asking APP
plicants to apply to the Civil Service
away behind in their personnel and
1t is very difficult to get men in this
service under present conditions Jf
any one is to receive the bonus. il
seems to me that the policemen and
'he hien1eh are entitled to it.
BlantOn's Position.
IN making his position clear as a
Irleno OF the police and firemen. Rem
ehsaelve "Tha i've stanton told the House:
ne committee has seen fit to pro-
vlde another bonus of s240 each for
over $4,000 government empIoyes
during the next fiscal wear. which II.
Voives about $40.000.00O If the com
mlttee had seen fit to treat all of the
government employees alike in this re-
spect. without discrimination. their
action probably would be less inex-
cusabie. Take, for instance. the po-
hcemen of this District and the fire
men OF this District
ihey are not included in this bill
ana That is one of the very reasons
why l am objecting to it, We have
taken the strike privilege away from
tne nremen in the District of Colum-
bia, and We have taken it away from
tne poilcemen. and after we have pre
vented them from belonging to strike
organizations / am not a member of
congress who will stand here on the
floor and take advantage of them"
Appeal by Federation.
Appeal to the Senate to insist
upon the payment of the s240 honus
to the government employees. as a
stop-gap measure pending reclassifi-
cation OF salaries. has been made nv
the National Federation of Federal
employees. at whose solicitation the
$40 bonus was first granted.
"A nat reduction Of $40 a wear in
the present inadequate pay of the
employees Is unthinkabiy
UNJUST said Luther G. Steward. ures.
ident of the National Federation Of
Federal Employees.
The situation illustrates again
very forcibly the pressing need Of a
Redistribution of the federal civil
service and the substitution of
permanent revised wage scale for.
the present bonus plan"