The Washington herald., 1922-02-16
DENBY INSPIRES
HOPE FOR men
OF NAVY YARDS
Labor Committees Re.
port on Conference with
Secretary Adopted.

Assurances OF Secretary of Navy
DENLY that plans for relief Of the
navy yard unemployed. submitted
by Samuel Gompers and other labor
leaders at a conference during the
morning. would receive closest at
tention, were regarded with opti-
mism by the furloughed employees at
a mass meeting held last night at
the Garden Theater.
The report of the labor commit
tee was accepted. Fifteen steps
were proposed at the conferenc.
looking to immdiate relief, includ-
ing:
Speeding up Of the governments
legitimate building program. utii-
ization of government yards for dis
mantling vessels scrapped under
the five-power treaty. routing of
government work to navy YARDS.
giving to government plants the
right to bid on. and establishment
of an employment clearing office In
the Navy Department.
Plea to Home Folks Urged.
Leaders of the "furloughed men
urked that letters be sent to the
folks back home, asking pressure
upon Congress for relief action
Gen. Coxey. famous as the leader OF
Coxey's army of many years ago
spoke, urging the unemployed men
TO crowd the Capitol as a measure
of impressing Congress with theiI
needs. He fiayed politicians. charg-
ing that the working man has, been
made the victim of unscrupulous
practices.
VILLA NH. Johnston. president OF
the International Association of Ma
chinists, denounced the navy yard
conditions and criticised the admin
istration. He charged that the gov
ernment does not represent tn,
mass of the American people, anC
that a small but powerful group
dominates the government.
Urges Presidential Action.
To prevent further hardships Il
government employees who are daily
being dropped, the President OF thu
National Federation of Federal EN-
ployes, Luther C. Steward. called
upon President Harding 10 urge tho
immediate issuance of such an ex
ecutive order providing for those II
need.
Because the terms OF the existint
civil service retirement law INCLUDE
only the so-called classified" en-
ployes of the government, thos'
coming within the so-called '"un
classified" group are at presen
without the benefits of the law, al
though they may have been in thu
service more than the requisite
number of years and may be be
yond the maximum retirement ag'
of 20.
"The thousands OF so-called "un
classified" employees include the la
borers. charwomen an d other.
among the very poorest paid of al
government workers, and these ar,
the most soreiy in need OF the ben
efits of the retirement act" Presi
dent Harding was informed by Mr.
Steward. Among the instancei
cited to President Harding wer
those of two superannusted char
women who. after a life time q
service cleaning the buildings o
one of the large executive depart
msnts in Washington. have Bee
dropped from the rolls without tn
slightest provision for their remain
ing years. Aged men, after servic
as long and continuous as the serv
| ice of any of the so-called "classi
fed" employees who may be retire.
with the benefits of the act. ar
daily being swept out OF their posi-
tions in the wholesale reduction o
| government forces now in progress
many of these with dependents an
no means OF support.