The Washington herald., 1921-02-13
District Workers Facing
Loss of Is Millions
During Year.
FIGHT THREATENED
IN NEXT CONGRESS
Pay of Navy Yard Work
ers Forms Rock on Which
Hopes Break.

Cral and District employees in Wash
ington and SS5,OOO, 900 throughout
the nation, was knocked out Of the
legislative appropriations bill yes
terday in a Senate uphesvsl, and
the $3.50 fiscal plan, by which the
government shares the capitals eI-
penses equally, is believed TO have
gone down before the scythe OF
economy.
A battle royal has been declared
for the bonus, and advocates OF tn
$3.50 system will carry their war
into the new Congress. There is
hope for the restoration Of both.
Compromise Reached.
Conferees on the District apprU-
priations bill reached a compromise
by which It is understood the G0-4O
plan will continue in operation
without reference to the SI.SO0.OOo
District surplus, but the confcrecs
refused to make their decision
known before the report is made in
the House tomorrow.
1t was Senator Curtis, Of Kansas.
who knocked out the bonus on =
point OF order and this he did 20
foil efforts to place navy and ar
scnal employees within its provisions.
Senator Warren. chairman Of the
Appropriations Committee, had eK-
planned that these employees were
not entitled 70 a continuation OF
the bonus, and Senator Smoot. OF
Utah, had declared that 20 include
them would be a discrimination
against every other emplOye Of the
government.
Glove Dropped
HurlinS down the war glove FOR
principle" in a manner that thrilled
the galleries, Senator Curtis de-
clared that he was opposed to the
bonus system and would make a
point Of order on every amendment
that is offered Accepting the chsl-
ienge with equal vehemence Sen
ator Underwood, Of Alabama, de-
clared the majority should rule II he
had TO block the whole bill.
This bill should not pass with
out the bonus" declared Under
wood. with a reference to empty
dinner pals. 7 will not let IL pass.
II the other Senators on the Dem
oCratic side OF the chamber will
back me there is nothing that can
defeat justice in this matter"
Session in Furor.
Six or eight Senators were on
their feet at one, and the session
was in a fUror when receSs was
taken at $40 until tomorrowNS+[T
! o'clock. Senator McCumber gave
notice thai he would insist on un-
| finished business being considered
| upon reconvening, this being the
! emergency tariff bill, while Others
predicted that the legislative bill
could not be passed before Thurs
day.
The bonus fEht started over an
amendment introduced by Senator
| Walsh, Of Massachusetts, for Sen
ator Calder, Of New York. TO include
the navy yard employees, whose
rights TO the bonus the Senate Com
mittee had stricken out.
sneot Explains
Senator Smoot explained that tho
/ employees had been provided for be
| cause Of a previous slight and the
application Of the bonus was for BIT
one year, and Senator Warren dc
Clared an official Of the Navy De
psrtment had testified that the navy
employees would be receiving, with
NnN NsnN hNllA A6H gAeA AllaA AlNAl UANl
than employees OF the same class in
any other industry in or out Of the
government service.
| Senator Pittman, Of Nevada raised
the point that the wage board whioh
had been established to fix the navy
yard pay had included the bonus IN
considering what il thought was q
fair salary for these men, while TINS
was disputed by Senator Warren
and others, who declared that the
pay OF the men in question had been
| liked without consideration OF the
bonus, which would make Il Just
that much higher that the level Of
other employees.
Battle Follows.
In the discussions that followed
Senators Pittman. Walsh and others
became aligned against Senators
| Warren, Curtis, SmoOt and others
on the Republican side. s. ator
Il Warren read evidence which had
been adduCed before the committee,
and Senator Pittmsn read a letter
from Secretary OF Navy Daniels
| which tended 20 substantiate his
claim that the bonus was taken into
consideration by the wage board Ia
fixing the navy yard scale.
Senator Smith. OF Arizona. arose
TO say that the question needing
eIucidation in 'iis mind was this:
Did the wage board consider the
bonus in adjusting the nsvy yard
pay, or did il not II not. the pay
at s3t cents an hour was enough
| without the bonus, while IN his
j opinion, n the wage board had con-
sidered the bonus and It's eiimina-
tiOn by the committee meant re-
duction Of the navy yard men 70 81
cents an hour, restoration Of the
bonus probsbiy was just
Il MeIee Breaks Oat.
In the neIee that broke over this
remark senator GoodlnE. who pre-
sided On the absence Of the Vice
President had dificulty preserving
order. Those who believed the wago
A0Rud had included the bonus and
those wkn believed otherwise were
Il fryias - gain recognition. Tho
4 point nae not been settled The
Ca&dtf spendment TO include the
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