The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-12-23
rs Of
NANSARE
PEEVED
Haste Is Designed to Speed
Pay Increases for En-
pIoyers, They Claim
BY WILLIAM HARD.

By WILLIAM HARD.
The political anxieties of Muscle
Shoals were supplemented today
by new and even greater ankle
ties and perplexities when the
Moses subcommittee of the Senate
Postoffice Committee met for its
first hearing on the Sterling
Postage Increase Bill with some Of
the cutest and most hazardous
political side-stepping and criss-
crossing going on around it that
Washington has seen for a long
time,
Representatives of users of the
mails were on hand to protest in
public against many things and
to protest in private in the cor
ridcrs against prospective
political nianeuver which they see.
closing in upon them as follows:
How Senate viii Vote.
Numerous Senators are going to
vote to sustain President Coolidge's
veto Of the Edge bill granting an
increase in wages to postal ena-
ployes when that bill comes before
the Senate for roll call on january
6 next
Thus they will stand by" the
PRESIDENT and also hold out for
economy
Then, few days later, those
same senators viii many OF them
vote for a composite bill increasing
the postage rates on all parcel.
post fourth-class mail matter and
on all circulars and other printed
things in third-class mail matter
and on certain parts Of some
things In second class mail matter
and on postal cards and on regis
tered letters and on money orders
and on other features of the mall
service and also increasing stimuli
taneously the wages OF the postal
employees precisely as provided in
the vetoed Edge postal pay in
crease BILL ~
Maneuver May Succeed.
Thus these Senators viii have
been good administration Repub-
Leans and will have sustained the
White House in its veto. while
nevertheless withfa few days sub
sequently they will have given the
postal employees exactly what they
want
The prospect now is that this
maneuver may be successful
The prospect is that the veto of
the Edge postal pay increase bill
may be sustained on January s, and
that then. almost Immediately after
wards, thes pay Increases provided
IN the Edge bill will be enacted into
law along with provisions increas-
ing the postage rates for all users
OF the mails except those who con-
nne themselves to letters and to
letters not registered and not in.
sured and not marked for special
delivery.
Increases to Hit Everyone.
In fact, the increases proposed
viii hit virtually everybody in the
country.
Representatives here of the users
Oh the mails have two grievances
in this matter.
In the first place they have
been called away from their homes
at Christmas time. This weighs
with them heavily. They want to
know why the Administration and
Senator Sterling, chairman OF the
Senate Postoffice Committee, and
senator Moses, chairman OF the
Postoffice subcommittee, are in such
a hurry about this matter as to hold
hearings about it during the Christ.
mas vacation period.
whats the Hurry"
They want to be at home hang.
Ing porcelain dolls and angels an
Christmas trees. They want n
know what is the political hurry
that necessitates dragging peonle
from their firesides and from the
fireside stockings of their children
In order to settle the postage rates
on postal cards and fourth class
eggs. lass
In the second place. they claim
that this haste is precisely designed
IA order to rush through a paw
increase for the postal employees
oeIore this Congress adjourns with.
GUT giving the users OF the mails
my adequate opportunity for a pre-.
sentation Of their case.
Oy SAdHit That TINS second gfi0V.
ance OF theirs has been frankly
conceded to them by Senator Moaes
VINO, they say, has told them that
their rates are going to be Increased
ana that then the Increases can be
studied and perhaps eventually
modified later.
Senator Moses Idea.
Senator Moses. in conversation
with this writer, claims that his
statement to the Representatives ~
the users Of the mails regardinr
this aspect of the matter has been
misinterpreted or misunderstood
he claims that his idea Is az
Put on the increases now. There
is no time in this short session for
adequate hearings. Put on the ii.
.creases now for definite shnrt
length OF time. Let this time Ia
say, a year. Let the increases. 81
the end OF that time, definitely az.
pire, Let them, IL they are soina
20 De permanent, be obliged 10 be