Evening star., 1921-02-14

amendment were offered again on this
or any other bill.
Says Dietation In Issue.
"The real issue involved here" said
Senator Underwood, 'is whether the
Senate can transact its business or
can be held up by the throat by few
senator's
He had reference to the fact that
the Senate adopted the amendment
Saturday giving the bonus to the navy
yard employees by a substantial vote
and that because of that action a
point of order was made by Senator
Curtis of Kansas against the entire
bonus provision Senator Curtis is a
member of the appropriations com,
mittee. Senator Underwood charged
that the appropriations committee
was debating to the Senate. although
q majority of the Senate was in favor
of giving the navy yard employees the
bonus.
Replying to Senator Underwood
Senator Thomas of Colorado. demo-
crat. praised Senator Curtis for the
stand he had taken in an effort to
prevent further large expenditures of
that he had no doubt that the motion
to suspend the rules would be adopted.
-PIaying Politics" Charged.
Senator Curtis charged that senator's
who were supporting the bonus for the
navy yard employees were playing poll
tics.
Il did not play politics. said Senator
Curtis when j opposed the proposition
He said that the effect of the proposal
to extend the bonus to the navy yard
employees would be to give them a dou-
Bile bonus. amounting to $3.50.
IF you want to be fair he said.
raise your bonus for the clerks slao TO
$3.50
Senator Walsh of Massachusetts in
sisted that the wage board in fixing the
wages for the navy yard employees had
taken into consideration the S240 bonus
and that ii would not be fair to cut off
this bonus now.
Senator Curtis urged that reclassifica-
tion legislation, SO as to give all the
employees Of the government fair wages
for what they did, should be under
taken.
Why has this not been done be-
fore? demanded Senator Underwood
Two years ago, when / was a mem
Der of the appropriations committee, l
made a motion that that be done"
Senator Curtis replied that the re-
port of the reclassification commits
sion had been slow in coming in. and
that certain lobbyists had opposed the
report.
Report Before Congress for Months.
II have greater respect for the
Senate appropriations committee than
TO believe that ii would be deferred
by any lobbyists in Washington" said
Senator Underwood. The report of
the reclasSificatiou rnmission has
been before Congress for many
months.
Senator Henderson of Nevada. a
member of the joint commission on
reclassIfication. directed attention to
the fact that It's report had been
flied with the Senate March IL. 1920
and that il had been referred to the
appropriations committee He sa id
that he had repeatedly called atteu-
tion to the report in the Senate be-
fore Congress adjourned last June
Senator Smoot read from th. re-
classification report figures which in
dicated that If its recommended ions
were followed employees in the navy
yard in many cases would have their
pay reduced.
Senator Hehin Of Alabama and
Senator Calder of New York pointed
out that the question now involved
was whether the bonus was to be
q. MED to all The government en-
ployes and urged that the motion TO
suspend the rules prevail.