Evening star., 1921-01-22
WAGE BILL SEEMS
CERTAIN TO PASS
Amendment to Exclude D. c.
/ Workers Defeated-ShoWs
Strength.

Indicating the strength of the sup
porters of the Jonnson-Nolan mini
mum wage bill in the Senate, that
body. by a vote of 80 to IL. today re-
jected an amendment offered by Sen
ator Hoke Smith Of Georgia which
would have exempted from the oper-
alton of the bill all employees of the
government in the District of Column
bia.
The bill. which provides a So a day
minimum wage for employees Of the
federal government and Of the Dis
trict of Columbia-except employees in
the Philippines, Porto Rico, Hawaii,
Alaska. the Panama Canal Zone, post
masters, assist4nt postmaSterS, rural
carriers, postal clerks, carriers in the
city delivery, service and railway mail
clerks-came up for further -consid-
Grafton in the Senate today soon after
the session began.
With the vote on the Smith amend
ment out OF the way, Senator King OF
Utah began, a speech dealing with
the foreign relations Of the United
States, which promised to delay. for
a time at least. final action on the
pending bill.
- Two Senators in OpposItion. ~.
Opposition to the minimum wage
bill for government employees was ex-
pressed during the debate yesterday
afternoon by Senator Smith of Geor-
gia and Senator Dial Of South Caro-
lima. Senator Smith offered an amend
ment to exclude from the operation
of the bill all government employees
in the District of Columbia, including
the District government employees.
Favors Continuance Of Bonus.
Il hope" said Senator Smith. the
Senate will continue for twelve
months longer the bonus of $24O to
government employees as II has been
paid during the last twelve months.
The cost of living has been unusually
high. and the bonus was allowed for
that reason: but in twelve months we
may expect the cost sof living again to
be normal. and. IL we continue the
may then view the compe nsation of
government employees from that time
forward upon the same basis as that
prior to the war.
'"This proposition to establish a
minimum wage disregards entirely
in favor of paying all government
employees literally. and as much as is
paid for similar work in private en-
ployment. We give them in addition
the benefits which are provided to
government employees. the stability of
],
but we cannot. in justice to the peo-
pie at home, and to those engaged in
occupations throughout the entire aa-
tion. establish rules for government
employees and for their pay in disre-
gard of compensation paid elsewhere.
and in disregard of service rendered.
This bill proposes to increase the pay.
it is estimated. of $4,000 governme mt
employees, without regard to the serv-
ice which they render. but to say ar.
bitrarily that each on" of them shall
receive not less than S1.0S0 a year.
II think it is unsound to fix COM
pensation without regard to service.
Service should be paid for, should he
well paid for: but unless there Is
no service rendered of less value than
$10S0 4 year. then this bill pays Tor
service not rendered.
Senator Dial Gives Views.
"If this bill is right" said Senator
should receive less for seven-and-
ne-half-hour days work than $1.0s0.
You can scarcely measure the diScon-
tent the passage OF this bill "ou!d
produce throughout the United States.
the discomfort among 9tner 5sean,ant govern, !,
would produce in the Army. the dis
content it would produce in the Navy,
the discontent it would produce in the
postaI service, the discomfort IN our
territories. the discomfort IN al pri-
vate occupations. for if IT is under.
empiVsess receiSs $3.50 ' per year, where can
anybody work or do anything for
sess9 Who should anywhere do any
thing for less? The domestic 9esn, must must
.hon,d have as much. They work over
seven and one-half hours day. You
sat nrecedent and standard that
must necessarily produce dissatisfac-
tion and upheavals all over the land"