The Washington times., 1922-01-09
SMO0T TO
HEAD FIGHT
IN SENATE
Harding Likely to Be Asked tc
Issue Order to Curb Activi-
ties of Federation.


ties of Federation.
A new campaign Is about to open
in Congress to drive the Federation
Of Federal Employees out Of exist
ence. S..
Thinking the present furnishes
an opportune time to strike at the
heart of the organization, an effort
will be made to kill it while 1t Is
weak, or at least to prevent its
further spread.
Smoot Expected to Lead Fight.
The federation's announcement that
II had opened a drive for new mem
bers and would lombard the approp-
riations committee of Congress with
plea for the continuance of the
wartime clerks bonus, has aroused
all the latent hostility of the organ
ization, including Senator smoot. who
is expected to- address the Senate to-
day on the subject.
Senator Smoot held an extended con.
ference with a number Of reorganiza.
ton officials this morning regarding
the situation. .-
1t is probable also that President
Hading will be urged to issue an exec
tive order to curb the right of the
government workers to affiliate with
labor unions. Supporters Of this move
are confident the influence Of certain
Senators, with that of Walter Brown,
head Of the Reorganization Copmis-
sion, and Herbert d. Brown, OF the
Bureau OF Efficiency. viii be suffi-
; Gent to swing the President to their
side.
Classed % Outlaw" Body.
The Federation Of Federal Employees
10 to be pilloried In Congress as an
organization that stands in the way Of
the rehabilitation of the Government
service and an outlaw body which tries
to balk all effort to introduce efficiency
methods in the Government depart
{ ments. 1t is declared the federation Is
losing members now. Ia weak finan-
cially and has lost a great amount Of
prestige as o result of the deadlock on
Reconsideration legislation.
The enemies of the federation have
determined to fight out the bonus issue
to the end. It Is no longer any secret
that dominant influences In both the
House and Senate appropriations COM
mittees are opposed to the continuance
of the wartime $40 bonus. They
served, notice when the last sundries
civil bill was passed that there would
be no continuance of the bonus TINS
year. For the past several weeks the
new issue has been framed, and II Is
this: Unless the unionized Government
workers withdraw their fight for the
Lehibach reciassification measure and
accept the Wood Smoot bill they viii
suffer the loss Of the bonus for the
next fiscal year.
Would Reapportion Bonus.
It is not proposed to withdraw the
$50, 600, 900 involved in the present
bonus payments. Under the execu-
five order issued by President Hard
ing recently, and providing for eff
cheney ratings and other forms Of re-
classification, 1t Is proposed to redis-
tribute the bonus payments among
the employees, not on q flat per capita
basis. but on the basis Of efficiency
and length and character Of service.
An effort will be made to take the
bonus away from II lower grades OF
clerks and stenographers and give
II to the underpaid employees OF the
scientific bureau and to the lower ad-
ministrative positions. Senator
Smoot and his adhtrents take the po-
sition there is no further need for
paying high salaries to the ordinary
routine clerical and stenographic
service in the Government. What 10
needed is to reward the valuable serv.
ioes OF trained employees In the scien-
tiffc and administrative bureaus who
are leaving the Federal service In
large numbers.
IN the meantime, the Senate Com
mittee on Civil Service Ia getting
ready to report the Lehlbach bill to
the Senate with certain notifications
and q bitter fight Ia expected. The
senate Finance Committee will UNDER
take TO fix the salary features of the
an